Expanded Slip Limits In Double Fed Asynchronous Generator System

Project Group: SEE10-39B

Group members: Svetlana Volchek Ahmed Ali Supervisor: Frede Blaabjerg

Problem Statement
The currently expansion of grid feeding wind turbines has a large impact on grid stability, therefore, efficient support of the grid can be considered as the weighting scale to choose between the different wind turbine generator concepts. The updated techniques regarding the power electronic converters connected to the rotor circuit of the doubly fed asynchronous generator (DFIG) opened the door for attractive controlling the wind turbine system. The goal of the control technique is to tolerate the wind turbine to operate with optimum power efficiency over a wider range of wind speeds. The power converters control the generator speed to be able to absorb the power fluctuations results from wind speed variations, and hence improve the output power quality. Moreover, the reactive power of DFIG can be controlled through the rotor excitation current to realize power factor controlled operation [12]. Adjusting the turns (voltage) ratio between the DFIG rotor and stator V terminals r (Please reefer to Figure 1.5) can be used to identify the slip limit. In V1 the case of a three winding transformer is added to the system configuration it can play a significant role to define the slip range. At present the transformer is used to reduce the voltage across the converter because of the power electronic devices voltage limit. This is primary done to reduce the converter cost. The stator of the DFIG with number of turns n1 is connected to the high voltage winding V1 and the converter to the low voltage winding V2. While the voltage across the rotor terminal with number of turns n 2 is Vr . This connection is normally fixed for both high and low wind speeds. A way to change the voltage at the stator terminals is the flexibility of dual connection (star or delta) of the stator winding. This method is cheap but limited with certain value of voltage changing. Currently, the control strategy of variable speed wind turbine is based on the (turbine mechanical power versus wind speed curve), and (output electric power versus generator rotating speed curve). Owing to power converter ratings and losses, aerodynamic noise constraint and mechanical stresses, the stationary wind turbine rotating speeds are limited between minimum and maximum operational values. Consequently, the generator speed range can be marked by the minimum rotating speed n min , and the maximum rotating speed nmax . The characteristics of output active power versus generator speed for sub-rated wind speed (partial load power optimization mode range 1-2-3-4) and above-rated wind speed (full load power limitation mode range 4-5) are illustrated in Figure

1.6. In the power optimization stage the goal of the controller is maximum possible wind energy extraction, while in the power limitation range, the goal is to maintain the output power at the rated value.
generator speed range

4, 5

Electrical Power, P/Pnom

0.75

0.5
3

0.25
B A

2 1

nmin

nnom

nmax

Generator speed, rpm

Figure 1.6: Output power - generator speed curve (numbers indicate operation modes).

(Range 1 - 2): At very low turbine speeds less than rotor minimum rotating speed, the generator is forced to run at fixed speed n min . (Range 2- 3): For rotational speeds higher than minimum and less than the rated, the generator is running at corresponding variable operating speeds between n min and nnom in order to extract maximum wind energy by tracking the maximum power coefficient C p curve. (Range 3- 4): For generated power values less than the rated (nominal) power, the generator will be controlled to run at constant speed equals nnom . The highest efficiency achieved by keeping the turbine at rated speed. (Range 4- 5): At wind speeds higher than the rated value, the generator will keep running at rated speed nnom and constant rated output power is delivered. For very high wind speeds, the pitch control strategy will regulate the input mechanical power until the cut-off speed limit is reached.

The generator operational speed range shown in Figure 1.6 from nmin until nmax represents the stationary induction generator speed range plus the added dynamic speed range due to the frequency control of the doubly fed induction generator. If the voltage across the stator terminals is reduced the slip limit, which is related to the voltage ratio between the stator and the rotor, can be

increased, hence lower range of generator speeds is obtained. The hatched area A-B-2-1 represents the expected expansion in the lower generator speed range by reducing the stator voltage. This enlarging is helpful to match lower wind speeds range operation, hence by such a way of controlling the turbine will be able to operate with the optimum power efficiency over a wider range of wind speeds. Furthermore, by reducing the voltage on the stator terminals of the DFIG, the generator losses will be reduced and as a result the efficiency will also improve. According to the previous theory, one of the ideas today is to incorporate three phase switches K1, K2 in the configuration as shown in Figure 1.7. For high wind speeds (low slip requirements) the stator should be connected to the high voltage level through K2 while K1 is open. Otherwise for low wind speed, a low voltage level should be applied to the stator terminals via K1 with K2 open. This offers the possibility for the stator terminals to be connected to the two voltage levels. Consequently, this will influence on the turns (voltage) ratio and thus will expand the slip range.
DFIG

n1
Gear Box

K2 K1
AC DC DC

V1
Grid

Vr n2
AC

30

V2

Figure 1.7: A new structure for connection of DFIG stator terminals to a wind turbine

Considering the above analysis, the following problem formulation can be defined as follows: Investigate the advantages and disadvantages of using this new connection structure of the DFIG stator terminals in the wind turbine system.

Contents
The thesis is organized as follows: Chapter 1: Introduction and background Chapter 2: Presenting theory of different components in the DFIG wind turbine system (basics of wind turbine concepts, DFIG, converters, three winding transformer and changeover switches). Chapter 3: Developing dynamic models of whole system components to predict its performance under continuous operation. The models will be

used to analyze the influence of the new structure for connection of DFIG stator terminals. Chapter 4: Simulation of the system components Chapter 5: simple controlling of the system. Chapter 6: Laboratory description of the whole system in order to spot the light on the nature of the behavior of the new system. Chapter 7: problem analysis Chapter 8: A valid comparison between the simulation outputs and the lab results. Chapter 9: Conclusion.