System and Method for Minimizing Inrush of Current During Start-Up of an Electrical Power System

A wind turbine power system, comprising:

• a generator comprising a rotor and a stator;
• a power converter comprising a line-side converter coupled to a rotor-side converter via a DC link, the rotor-side converter coupled to the rotor;
• a grid filter coupled between the line-side converter and a power grid;
• a controller configured to control the wind turbine power system, the controller configured to perform one or more operations, the one or more operations comprising:
• charging the grid filter from an initial voltage value to a predetermined percentage of a grid voltage of the power grid;
• connecting the wind turbine power system to the power grid when the initial voltage value in the grid filter reaches the predetermined percentage of the grid voltage;
• and,
• initiating start-up of the wind turbine power system after the initial voltage value in the grid filter reaches the predetermined percentage of the grid voltage.

An alternating current (AC) electrical power system, comprising:

• a generator comprising a rotor and a stator;
• a power converter comprising a line-side converter coupled to a rotor-side converter via a DC link, the rotor-side converter coupled to the rotor;
• a grid filter coupled between the line-side converter and a power grid;
• a controller configured to control the electrical power system, the controller configured to perform one or more operations, the one or more operations comprising:
• determining a grid voltage of the power grid;
• charging an AC capacitance of the grid filter from an initial capacitance value to a predetermined percentage of the grid voltage;
• connecting the electrical power system to the power grid when the AC capacitance in the grid filter reaches the predetermined percentage of the grid voltage;
• and,
• initiating start-up of the electrical power system.