Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 4
Network integration of wind power
4.1
Introduction
This chapter examines the effect of wind generation on the transmission and dis-
tribution network to which it is connected. Topics include control of voltage and
power flows, the quality of supply and the protection of plant and equipment. The
principles underlying network development in the face of increasing wind gen-
eration are reviewed. The perspective is that of a network operator sympathetic to
wind power development. It will be seen that wind power capacity may exceed
strict technical limits, provided wind power operators are prepared to accept
occasional energy curtailment. Achievement of this ideal balance will require
enlightened negotiation between the two parties. Appendix 2 is an extract from a
current and practical grid code. The language is legalistic, as in most grid codes, but
it serves to show how network operators (referred to as the Transmission System
Operator (TSO) in Appendix 2) express many of the issues discussed here.
There are eight basic issues to be considered by network and wind farm
planners. These aspects of wind farm connection are listed below, with the corre-
sponding sections.
Wind farm starting (Section 4.2)
Network voltage management (Section 4.3)
Thermal/active power management (Section 4.4)
Network power quality management (Section 4.5)
Transient system performance (Section 4.6)
Fault level issues (Section 4.7)
Information (Section 4.8)
Protection (Section 4.9)
4.2
Wind farm starting
Fixed-speed wind turbine generators (WTGs) must be rotated within 1-2% of their
electrical synchronous speed. Acceleration from rest is generally achieved by using
the kinetic energy in the wind to drive the turbine and electrically isolated generator
close to synchronous speed, having regard to any gearing ratios within the drive
train, at which point the circuit breaker with the grid is closed. It is common to use
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