Wind Turbine Reactive Power Control via Closed-Loop Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wind energy installations face challenges in meeting reactive power requirements for AC voltage systems due to complex and costly power factor correction installations, with disruptive influences from tap changers and opposition between wind energy installations and power factor correction devices.
Innovation Solution
A method and arrangement using a closed-loop control device that incorporates a measurement signal from the output of the power factor correction device, allowing the wind energy installation to support the power factor correction device during reactive power feeding and absorption, thereby avoiding opposition and reducing the need for large power factor correction devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If complex power factor correction installations with connectable inductances and capacitances are used, then reactive power requirements are met, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the wind energy installation's power generation function with reactive power compensation function into a single integrated system. The wind energy installation simultaneously generates active power and provides reactive power support, eliminating the need for separate complex power factor correction installations with multiple connectable inductances and capacitances.
Solution Approach 2:
The wind energy installation is designed to perform multiple functions: active power generation, reactive power compensation, and voltage support. This multi-functional approach allows the same equipment to meet reactive power requirements without requiring dedicated power factor correction devices, thereby reducing overall system complexity.
2Stability of the object's composition
If tap changers are used in the system-side transformer, then voltage regulation is achieved, but disruptive influences occur on the power quality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a closed-loop control system that continuously monitors voltage and reactive power conditions and adjusts the wind energy installation's output accordingly. This feedback mechanism enables smooth, continuous voltage regulation without the abrupt steps and disruptions caused by mechanical tap changers, thereby maintaining power quality while achieving voltage stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical tap changer system with an electronic control system that regulates voltage through power electronic converters. This substitution eliminates the mechanical switching disruptions and contact arcing associated with tap changers, providing smoother voltage regulation and better power quality.
3Ease of operation
If wind energy installation operates independently of power factor correction device, then operational simplicity is maintained, but opposition between the two devices occurs reducing efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the wind energy installation and power factor correction device into a single integrated system where the wind energy installation directly provides reactive power support. This integration eliminates the operational coordination problems and opposition between separate devices, maintaining simplicity while improving reactive power support efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
Electrical power is fed from a wind energy installation into an AC voltage system via an energy transmission path, which is delimited by an installation-side transformer and a system-side transformer. A power factor correction device is connected, at a common node between the energy transmission path and the AC voltage system using a closed-loop control device, which controls the wind energy installation and which receives a variable which is proportional to the reactive power on the energy transmission path and a further measured variable. A measurement signal produced at the output of the power factor correction device is used as further measured variable. The closed-loop controller has such a control characteristic that the voltage on the low-voltage side of the system-side transformer increases, depending on the reactive power on the energy transmission path, from the inductive range to the capacitive range.