# US 10,320,196 B2 · Wind power plant, and a method for increasing the reactive power capability of a wind power plant > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,320,196 B2 - Document ID: US10320196B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/103,745 - Filed: 2014-11-25 - Published: 2016-10-20 - Granted: 2019-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2013-12-11 - Assignees: Vestas Wind Systems A/S - Applicants: Vestas Wind Systems A/S - Inventors: Manoj Gupta; Abdul Saboor - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10320196B2 ## CPC - F03D 7/048: {controlling wind farms} - F03D 7/0284: {in relation to the state of the electric grid} - F03D 7/042: {by means of an electrical or electronic controller} - F03D 9/257: {the wind motor being part of a wind farm} - H02J 3/16: by adjustment of reactive power - H02J 3/381: {Dispersed generators} - H02J 3/48: Controlling the sharing of active power - H02J 3/50: Controlling the sharing of reactive power - H02K 7/183: {wherein the turbine is a wind turbine (adaptation of a wind turbine to an electric generator F03D9/25)} - H02P 9/102: {for limiting effects of transients} - F05B 2270/1033: Power (if explicitly mentioned) - F05B 2270/335: Output power or torque - F05B 2270/337: Electrical grid status parameters, e.g. voltage, frequency or power demand - H02J 2101/28: Wind energy - Y02E 10/72: Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction - Y02E 10/76: Power conversion electric or electronic aspects - Y02E 40/30: Reactive power compensation - F03D: WIND MOTORS - H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY - H02K: DYNAMO-ELECTRIC MACHINES (dynamo-electric relays H01H53/00; conversion of DC or AC input power into surge output power {H03K3/53}) - H02P: CONTROL OR REGULATION OF ELECTRIC MOTORS, ELECTRIC GENERATORS OR DYNAMO-ELECTRIC CONVERTERS; CONTROLLING TRANSFORMERS, REACTORS OR CHOKE COILS - F05B: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO WIND, SPRING, WEIGHT, INERTIA OR LIKE MOTORS, TO MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS COVERED BY SUBCLASSES F03B, F03D AND F03G - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## Abstract In various embodiments of the present disclosure, there is provided a method for increasing the reactive power capability of a wind power plant, in controlling a wind power plant. According to an embodiment, the method includes receiving a reactive power requirement from an electrical grid. The method further includes determining an active power generated by the wind power plant. According to an embodiment, the method includes checking if the reactive power requirement is satisfied by the wind power plant based on the active power generated by the wind power plant. The method further includes controlling the wind power plant to curtail the active power generated by the wind power plant by a curtailment amount when the reactive power requirement is not satisfied, and in response to a grid event. A corresponding wind power plant is further provided. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for increasing a reactive power capability of a wind power plant coupled with an electrical grid, the method comprising: receiving a reactive power requirement associated with the electrical grid; determining an active power generated by the wind power plant; determining, based on the active power generated by the wind power plant, whether the reactive power requirement is satisfied by the wind power plant; determining, based on an electrical characterization of the wind power plant, a maximum active power amount at which the reactive power requirement is satisfied; determining a curtailment amount for the wind power plant based on the maximum active power amount; and responsive to detecting a grid event: communicating, when the reactive power requirement is not satisfied, one or more active power set points to one or more wind turbine generators of the wind power plant to curtail the active power generated by the wind power plant by the curtailment amount. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein communicating the one or more active power set points to curtail the active power generated by the wind power plant by the curtailment amount occurs in a single curtailing step. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein communicating the one or more active power set points to curtail the active power generated by the wind power plant by the curtailment amount occurs in a plurality of curtailing steps. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein communicating the one or more active power set points comprises communicating active power set points to a plurality of wind turbine generators in the wind power plant to curtail the active power generated by the plurality of wind turbine generators by the curtailment amount. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method according to claim 4, further comprising: distributing the curtailment amount among the plurality of wind turbine generators. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method according to claim 5, wherein communicating the active power set points to the plurality of wind turbine generators comprises: first curtailing an active power generated by a first wind turbine generator of the plurality of wind turbine generators that is operating with an efficiency greater than a predefined efficiency value. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The method according to claim 5, wherein communicating the active power set points to the plurality of wind turbine generators comprises: curtailing an active power generated by individual wind turbine generators of the plurality of wind turbine generators according to a priority list. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising: determining that the grid event has ended; and communicating updated active power set points to the one or more wind turbine generators to cease the curtailing of the active power generated by the wind power plant. ### Claim 9 A wind power plant, comprising: a plurality of wind turbine generators; and a power plant controller configured to: receive a reactive power requirement associated with an electrical grid; determine an active power generated by the wind power plant; determine, based on the active power generated by the wind power plant, whether the reactive power requirement is satisfied by the wind power plant; determine, based on an electrical characterization of the wind power plant, a maximum active power amount at which the reactive power requirement is satisfied; determine a curtailment amount for the wind power plant based on the maximum active power amount; and responsive to detecting a grid event: control, when the reactive power requirement is not satisfied, the wind power plant to curtail the active power generated by the wind power plant by the curtailment amount. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The wind power plant according to claim 9, wherein curtailing the active power generated by the wind power plant by the curtailment amount occurs in a single curtailing step. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The wind power plant according to claim 9, wherein curtailing the active power generated by the wind power plant by the curtailment amount occurs in a plurality of curtailing steps. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The wind power plant according to claim 9, wherein controlling the wind power plant to curtail the active power generated by the wind power plant comprises: curtailing an active power generated by a plurality of wind turbine generators of the wind power plant. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The wind power plant according to claim 12, wherein the power plant controller is further configured to: distribute the curtailment amount among the plurality of wind turbine generators. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The wind power plant according to claim 12, wherein curtailing the active power generated by a plurality of wind turbine generators of the wind power plant comprises: first curtailing the active power generated by a first wind turbine generator of the plurality of wind turbine generators that is operating above a productivity threshold. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The wind power plant according to claim 13, wherein curtailing the active power generated by a plurality of wind turbine generators of the wind power plant occurs according to a priority list. ### Claim 16 (depends on 9) The wind power plant according to claim 9, wherein the power plant controller is further configured to: determining that the grid event has ended; and control the wind power plant to cease the curtailment of the active power generated by the wind power plant. ### Claim 17 A computer program product directly loadable into an internal memory of at least one digital computer provided in a wind power plant, comprising software code portions which, when executed on the at least one computer, perform an operation for increasing the reactive power capability of a wind power plant, the operation comprising: receiving a reactive power requirement associated with an electrical grid; determining an active power generated by the wind power plant; determining, based on the active power generated by the wind power plant, whether the reactive power requirement is satisfied by the wind power plant; determining, based on an electrical characterization of the wind power plant, a maximum active power amount at which the reactive power requirement is satisfied; determining a curtailment amount for the wind power plant based on the maximum active power amount; and responsive to detecting a grid event: communicating, when the reactive power requirement is not satisfied, one or more active power set points to one or more wind turbine generators of the wind power plant to curtail the active power generated by the wind power plant by the curtailment amount. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: providing an amount of reactive power from the wind power plant to the electrical grid during the grid event, wherein the amount of the reactive power is within the reactive power requirement. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein communicating the one or more active power set points causes at least a first wind turbine generator of the one or more wind turbine generators to perform one or more operations of a predefined fast run back scheme. ### Claim 20 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein communicating the one or more active power set points to curtail the active power generated by the wind power plant by the curtailment amount comprises: communicating, in a first curtailing step of the plurality of curtailing steps, first active set points to the one or more wind turbine generators; determining that the first curtailing step was not sufficient to satisfy the reactive power requirement; and communicating, in a second curtailing step of the plurality of curtailing steps, second active set points to the one or more wind turbine generators. ### Claim 21 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein first curtailing the active power generated by the first wind turbine generator comprises: determining that the first wind turbine generator of the plurality of wind turbine generators is operating with an efficiency greater than the predefined efficiency value; determining that a second wind turbine generator of the plurality of wind turbine generators is operating with an efficiency less than the predefined efficiency value; and curtailing an active power of the second wind turbine generator after curtailing the active power of the first wind turbine generator.