Electrical Simulations Model Large Wind Farms

Wind farm developers must make accurate calculations about a farm’s capability to maintain its electrical output under scenarios that include wind availability, turbine conditions, and transmission-system interaction at the grid point of connection. Similar calculations are useful for a better understanding of the farm’s specified performance compared with its actual power output. Some studies use simulations that assume average wind values and turbine power curves, but these basic calculations do not reveal the impact of the wind turbine’s power electronics on the quality of electricity, the capability of the farm to stay connected to the grid, or the effect of the transmission system on the wind farm and individual turbines. A realistic understanding of a wind farm’s electrical capability requires a simulation using higher-fidelity models that capture electrical and mechanical dynamics of individual turbines.

This article was published in Windpower.

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