US 8,618,694 B2Granted

System, method, and computer program product for utilizing a wind park as a variable power system stabilizer

AssigneeVestas Wind Systems A/S

InventorsJuan Santiago Santos, Brett D. Rollow, Jason Hoffman

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Abstract

System, method, and computer program product for dampening oscillations of the electrical power on a power grid. The system includes a wind park with multiple wind turbines. Each wind turbine includes a rotor, a generator operatively coupled with the rotor for generating electrical power, and an inverter coupling the generator with the power grid to output the electrical power to the power grid. A controller is configured to generate a first control signal to cause the inverter of the first wind turbine to modulate the electrical power output by the first wind turbine for dampening oscillations of one frequency in electrical power on the power grid and to generate a second control signal to cause the inverter of the second wind turbine to modulate the electrical power output by the second wind turbine for dampening oscillations of a different frequency in the electrical power on the power grid.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A system for dampening first oscillations of a first frequency in electrical power on a power grid and second oscillations of a second frequency different than the first frequency in the electrical power on the power grid, the system comprising:

a wind park including a first wind turbine and a second wind turbine, each of the first and second wind turbines including a rotor, a generator operatively coupled with the rotor for generating electrical power, and an inverter coupling the generator with the power grid to output the electrical power to the power grid;
a sensor configured to provide oscillation data associated with the power grid;
and
a controller coupled with the inverter of the first wind turbine and with the inverter of the second wind turbine, the controller configured to generate first and second control signals based on a small-signal stability control algorithm, the algorithm being capable of resolving, from the oscillation data, a first frequency component of the electrical power on the power grid that is used to generate the first control signal and a second frequency component of the electrical power on the power grid that is used to generate the second control signal, the controller configured to provide the first control signal to the inverter of the first wind turbine so that the inverter of the first wind turbine is operated to modulate the electrical power output by the first wind turbine to dampen the first oscillations, and the controller configured to provide the second control signal to the inverter of the second wind turbine so that the inverter of the second wind turbine is operated to modulate the electrical power output by the second wind turbine to dampen the second oscillations during a time period that at least partially overlaps with a time period during which the first wind turbine dampens the first oscillations.

1 more element

A method for dampening first oscillations of a first frequency in electrical power on a power grid and second oscillations of a second frequency different from the first frequency in electrical power on the power grid, the method comprising:

receiving, from a sensor, oscillation data associated with the power grid;
operating an inverter of a first wind turbine by generating a first control signal based on the received oscillation data, the first control signal causing the inverter to modulate electrical power output from a generator of the first wind turbine for dampening the first oscillations;
and
operating an inverter of a second wind turbine by generating a second control signal based on the received oscillation data, the second control signal causing the inverter to modulate electrical power output from a generator of the second wind turbine for dampening the second oscillations during a time period that at least partially overlaps with a time period during which the first wind turbine dampens the first oscillations.

1 more element

A non-transitory computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium;
first program instructions for operating an inverter of a first wind turbine in a wind park, the first program instructions generating a first control signal based on oscillation data received from a sensor associated with a power grid, the first control signal causing the inverter of the first wind turbine to modulate electrical power output from a generator of the first wind turbine for dampening oscillations of a first frequency in electrical power on the power grid;
and
second program instructions for operating an inverter of a second wind turbine in the wind park, the second program instructions generating a second control signal based on the oscillation data received from the sensor, the first control signal causing the inverter of the second wind turbine to modulate electrical power output from a generator of the second wind turbine for dampening oscillations of a second frequency in the electrical power on the power grid during a time period that at least partially overlaps with a time period during which the first wind turbine dampens the first oscillations, the second frequency being different than the first frequency,
wherein the first and second program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage medium.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 12/827,756Filed 30 Jun 2010
Published: US 2012/0004781 A15 Jan 2012
Granted: 31 Dec 2013
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification10 codes

F03D 7/0284
Controlling wind motor output power: in relation to the state of the electric grid
F03D 7/048
By means of an electrical or electronic controller: controlling wind farms
H02J 3/00142
For preventing or reducing power oscillations in networks: oscillations concerning frequency
H02J 3/381
Arrangements for feeding a single network from two or more generators or sources in parallel; Arrangements for feeding already energised…