Renewable Plant Reactive Power Control for Voltage Balance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional dispatching strategies for renewable energy generators in power plants cause voltage deviations and significant voltage distortion, failing to balance reactive power demand effectively.
Innovation Solution
A power plant controller determines individual reactive power set points for each generator based on network and local voltage levels, using droop control techniques to adjust reactive power adjustments, ensuring balanced voltage levels and reduced feeder system losses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional dispatching strategies are used to balance reactive power demand between renewable energy generators, then equal current in feeder system cables is achieved, but voltage deviations between generators and significant voltage distortion occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by determining individual reactive power set points for each generator based on its specific local voltage level, rather than applying a uniform dispatching strategy. The controller receives voltage level indications from each generator and adjusts reactive power set points locally for each unit, allowing each generator to contribute to voltage support in proportion to its local conditions, thereby reducing voltage deviations and distortion while maintaining equal current balance in feeder cables.
2Reliability
If equal current distribution in feeder system cables is enforced, then reactive power demand is balanced, but feeder system losses increase due to voltage distortion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by dynamically adjusting the reactive power set point parameters for each generator based on the indicated voltage levels. Rather than enforcing fixed equal current distribution, the system modifies the reactive power parameters individually for each generator, allowing for optimized current distribution that maintains reactive power balance while minimizing voltage distortion and associated feeder system losses.
Data Source
AI summary
A power plant controller for a renewable energy power plant comprising a plurality of renewable energy generators is configured to: receive a signal indicative of a voltage level of the power network to which the power plant is connected; receive a plurality of signals from the plurality of renewable energy generators, each signal being indicative of a voltage level of a respective renewable energy generator; and determine, for each of the plurality of renewable energy generators, a respective reactive power set point based on: the indicated voltage level of the power network; the indicated voltage level of that renewable energy generator; and a reference voltage level based on the indicated voltage levels of the plurality of renewable energy generators; and dispatch each determined reactive power set point to a respective local controller associated with the respective renewable energy generator for controlling that renewable energy generator.