Control of active power reserve in a wind-farm

Abstract

A method and system of active power reserve regulation in a wind farm with a communication network having a plurality of wind turbines that provide an active power reserve in order to support eventual power grid contingencies and to deliver an increase of power in case it is needed.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]Apparatuses, methods and articles of manufacture consistent with the present invention relate to the field of wind power generation, and, more particularly, advanced wind-farm power management.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]In an electric power grid (“grid”) it is necessary to continuously match the power consumption and generation in order to keep the frequency and voltage within the grid within allowed limits. The electric utility continuously monitors both magnitudes and must be able to issue commands to generation units in order to stabilize the electric power grid. This requires power generation units to be able to deliver an increase of power if the Electric Utility demands it, and thus, the generation units must be able to maintain and manage a reserve of active power (also known as real power). More specifically, taking S as the complex power, P as the real or active power and Q as the reactive power, the relationship S=P+iQ is generally satisfi...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0009]It is an aspect of certain embodiments of the present invention to provide wind-farm control with a better regulation ability, such as being able to increase or decrease the active power supplied to the grid in order to maintain the frequency stability of the grid which operates as an automatic global adjustment of power to control the frequency of the grid.

[0010]Thereby, the active power system described here is even able to manage an active power reserve in order to cope with eventual grid contingencies. In this way, control of the active power reserve is granted a key role in a wind farm power production strategy.

Problems solved by technology

As wind farms grow in size and the total base of installed wind capacity continues to increase, the importance of improving both the power output quality and the grid stability becomes a challenge of great importance to wind developers and utility customers alike.

These demands are not currently being fulfilled appropriately by wind-farms and act as constraints in the spreading of wind power plants.

Until now, a wind power plant could not be considered as a conventional power plant because it has not been possible to accurately determine an active power reserve due to the uncertainty of the wind conditions.

Conventional methods have not succeeded in either achieving an accurate estimation of the active power reserve or an accurate response to the power demand.

Conventional methods are known to limit the active power output from a wind-farm, for example, to adapt production to the constraints of the evacuation capacity, i.e. the maximum power that can be delivered to the grid However, these methods do not guarantee a reserve of active power.

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