Wind turbine technology

Fixed speed: Variable speed:

Fixed-speed induction generator (FSIG) Doubly fed induction generator (DFIG)

Variable-speed wind
turbines have more control
flexibility and improve
system efficiency and
power quality
Fully-rated converter wind turbine (FRC)
1
Induction machine construction
The rotor of an induction machine may be one of two types:

Squirrel cage
 The rotor of a squirrel-cage machine carries a winding consisting of
a series set of bars in the rotor slots which are short circuited by end
rings at each end of the rotor.
 For analysis purposes a cage rotor may be treated as a symmetrical,
short circuited star-connected three-phase winding.
 No access to rotor ‘windings’.
Wound rotor
 The rotor of a wound rotor machine carries a three-phase distributed
winding with the same number of poles as the stator.
 This winding is usually connected in star with the ends of the
winding brought out to three slip rings, enabling external circuits to
be added to the rotor for control purposes.
2
Typical torque-speed characteristic

 s  r
s
s

At standstill the speed is zero and the slip is equal to 1 per unit (pu).
Between zero and synchronous speed, the machine performs as a
motor. Beyond synchronous speed the machine performs as a
generator
3
FSIG configurations for wind generation

SCIG
Soft-starter

Capacitor NETWORK
bank

 Fixed-Speed Induction Generator (FSIG)-based wind turbines employ a squirrel-cage

induction generator directly connected to the network.
 The slip (and hence the rotor speed) varies with the amount of power generated. In these
turbines the rotor speed variations are very small (1 or 2%).
 The induction generator consumes reactive power so capacitor banks are used to
provide the reactive power and improve the power factor.
 An anti-parallel thyristor soft-start unit is used to energise the generator and once its
operating speed is reached it is bypassed. Avoids overcurrents at start-up.
 Power control is typically exercised through pitch control.
4
Two-speed operation
 Wind turbine rotors develop their peak efficiency at one particular tip
speed ratio. But the FSIG rotates at one speed that does not vary.
 Energy capture can be increased by varying the rotational speed with
the wind speed so that the turbine is always running at optimum tip
speed ratio (DFIG and FRC machines), or alternatively a slightly
reduced improvement can be obtained by running the turbine at one of
two fixed speeds so that the tip speed ratio is closer to the optimum
than with a single fixed speed.
 Two-speed operation is relatively expensive to implement if separate
generators are used for each speed of turbine rotation.
 Either generators of differing number of poles may be connected to
gearbox output shafts rotating at the same speed, or generators with
the same number of poles are connected to output shafts rotating at
different speeds.
 The rating of the generator for low-speed operation would normally be
much less than the turbine rating. 5
Configuration for variable-slip operation

p1 /p2
Gear Soft
box starter

Capacitor bank

 Induction generator with a variable resistor in series with the rotor circuit,
controlled by a high frequency semiconductor switch.
 Below rated wind speed and power, this acts just like a conventional
fixed-speed induction generator
 Above rated, however, control of the resistance effectively allows the
airgap torque to be controlled and the slip speed to vary, so that
behaviour is then similar to a variable-speed system
 A speed range of about 10 percent is typical with a consequent energy
loss of 10% in the additional resistor
6
Reactive power equipment
 Reactive power compensation for a wind turbine generator must be
designed to manage power factor and voltage regulation
requirements at the point of common coupling with the local grid
under all normal operating conditions.
 Typically, reactive power compensation is performed at each
individual wind turbine in the form of switched shunt capacitor
banks, dependent on the reactive power requirements and
characteristics of the generator.
 The power factor correction capacitors are generally switched in
stages to provide a greater degree of control of reactive power and
also to limit capacitive switching currents.
 Small reactors may be connected in series with the capacitors to
reduce the inrush current.

7
FSIG dynamic performance

Vsmag Vinf
XT XL
vs
FSIG
is
A

X PFC Fault Infinite bus

Connection of an FSIG-based wind turbine to an infinite bus.

Three-phase earth fault occurs at point A.

8
Step change in infinite bus voltage

System stable System unstable – generator

runs away
9
Performance during network faults

FSIG performance during a sustained fault – machine runs away

10
Wind turbine technology
Fixed speed: Variable speed:

Fixed-speed induction generator (FSIG) Doubly fed induction generator (DFIG)

Variable-speed wind
turbines have more control
flexibility and improve
system efficiency and
power quality
Fully-rated converter wind turbine (FRC)
11
FRC-based wind turbine

Generator Network
Side Side
Converter Converter

Gearbox
Generator
Power
converter Network

 This wind turbine uses either an induction generator or a synchronous generator (it can
either be an electrically excited synchronous generator or a permanent magnet machine).
 The aerodynamic rotor and generator shafts may be coupled directly, or they can couple
through a gear box.
 To enable variable-speed operation, the synchronous generator is connected to the
network through a variable frequency converter, which completely decouples the
generator from the network.
 The electrical frequency of the generator may vary as the wind speed changes, while the
network frequency remains unchanged.
 The rating of the power converter in this wind turbine corresponds to the rated power of
the generator. 12
FRC-based wind turbine
Types of systems
• Both induction and synchronous
generators are being used

Generator side Grid side

Converter Converter
(GE_C) (GR_C)

Induction
Generator To grid
Generator side Generator side
Converter Converter
(GE_C) (GR_C)

Synchronous
Generator

13
FRC-based wind turbine

IGBT-based Voltage
Source Converter

To grid
Thyristor-based
Phase-controlled rectifier

Diode-based recifier

Generator-side converter configurations

14
FRC-based wind turbine
Power control methods

Method 1: The VSC controls generator power and the

inverter looks after the dc-link

GR_C

GE_C VDC

Controller-1 Controller-2

15
FRC-based wind turbine

Method 2: The inverter controls generator power and the

VSC looks after the dc-link voltage

GR_C

GE_C VDC

Controller-1 Controller-2

pout  ref

16
FRC-based wind turbine

PM
synchronous Diode
generator rectifier Booster PWM-VSC

DC link voltage
control Network

Generator
control

FRC with permanent magnet synchronous generator and diode rectifier

17
FRC-based wind turbine

PM
synchronous
generator PWM-VSC PWM-VSC FRC with
permanent
magnet
synchronous
generator and
two back-to-back
voltage source
Grid converters
Generator DC link voltage
control control

C1 C2

 C1 maintains the generator at the maximum power extraction curve.

 C2 maintains the DC-link voltage at a specified reference value by exporting
active and reactive power with the grid.
 C1 can be implemented using either load angle or vector control technique.
18
Wind turbine technology
Fixed speed: Variable speed:

Fixed-speed induction generator (FSIG) Doubly fed induction generator (DFIG)

Variable-speed wind
turbines have more control
flexibility and improve
system efficiency and
power quality
Fully-rated converter wind turbine (FRC)
19
Typical DFIG wind turbine

Wound rotor
Windmill Gearbox
induction generator

DFIG

PWM Converters
Power
C1 C2 Network

Crowbar

Network
CONTROL SYSTEM operator
20
Typical DFIG wind turbine

 Doubly-Fed Induction Generator (DFIG)-based wind turbines

employ a wound rotor induction generator with slip rings to
take current into or out of the rotor.
 Variable-speed operation is obtained by injecting a
controllable voltage into the rotor at slip frequency.
 The rotor winding is fed through a variable frequency power
converter. The power converter decouples the network
electrical frequency from the rotor mechanical frequency
enabling the variable-speed operation of the wind turbine.
 The generator and converters are protected by voltage limits
and an over-current ‘crowbar’.

21
DFIG power electronic converters
DC-link Grid side
Machine (Machine
Side (rotor) stator)

Converter C1 Converter C2

Back-to-back voltage source converters (VSCs)

 Graetz bridge (two-level VSC)

 IGBT-based
 Pulse Width Modulated (Sinusoidal, Space Vector PWM)
 Typical switching frequencies above 2 kHz
 Trade-off between switching frequency (losses) and harmonics
22
DFIG power relationships
A DFIG system can deliver power to the grid through the
stator and rotor, while the rotor can also absorb power. This
is dependent upon the rotational speed of the generator
 s  r
r > s s
s
r < s

P P

Super synchronous Sub synchronous

operation (slip negative) operation (slip positive)
23
 Relationship of Ps, Pr, and Pe
2

1.5
Pe
Power(pu)

1
Ps
0.5
Pr
0

-0.5
0.7 0.8 0.9 1 1.1 1.2
r(pu)
DFIG power relationships
Mechanical Electrical
Input Output Pair _ gap  Ps
Pair _ gap  Pm  Pr  Ps
Pair _ gap Ps
Pm Ps  Pm  Pr
T s  T r  Pr
Pr Stator
losses
 s  r
Rotor
Power through losses Slip s
the slip rings s

Pm : Mechanical power delivered to

the generator
Pr  Tss   sPs
Pr : Power delivered by the rotor
Pair _ gap : Power at the generator’s air gap Pg  Ps  Pr
Ps : Power delivered by the stator
25
 Summary
• Basics of conversion of mechanical energy
to electrical energy
• Introduction to synchronous and induction
machines
• Introduction to basic large-scale wind
generator technologies (FSIG, DFIG,
FRC).
• Advantages and disadvantages of each
system.