IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,871,145
Granted Patent B2
US 10,871,145 · App. 16/119,119 · Granted Dec 22, 2020

System and method for preventing voltage collapse of wind turbine power systems connected to a power grid

Inventors: Robert Gregory Wagoner (Roanoke, VA); Zhuohui Tan (Shanghai, CN); Weihao Zhou (Shanghai, CN); Nithya Anand (Bangalore, IN)
Assignee: General Electric Company
F03D7/0284F03D9/257G05B19/02H02J3/16H02J3/24H02J3/386H02P9/007F05B2220/706F05B2270/1033F05B2270/335F05B2270/337F05B2270/402F05B2270/504G05B2219/2619
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,871,145
App. No.
16/119,119
Granted
Dec 22, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system and method for preventing voltage collapse of a wind turbine power system includes receiving a power input value and a voltage input value from a point of common coupling of the wind turbine power system. The method also includes determining a limit cycle reference point of the wind turbine power system as a function of the input values. The method further includes comparing the limit cycle reference point to at least one predetermined threshold. If the limit cycle reference point is greater than the at least one predetermined threshold, the method includes determining a delta value for the real and reactive voltage commands of the wind turbine power system. Further, the method includes determining updated real and reactive voltage commands based on the delta value. As such, the method also includes operating the wind turbine power system based on the updated real and reactive voltage commands.

Claims (32)

1. A method for preventing voltage collapse of a wind turbine power system connected to a power grid, the method comprising:

receiving, via a controller of the wind turbine power system, at least one power value and at least one voltage value from a point of common coupling of the wind turbine power system;

determining, via the controller, a limit cycle reference point of the wind turbine power system as a function of a cross product of the at least one power value and the at least one voltage value, the limit cycle reference point representative of a proximity of the at least one power value or the at least one voltage value to an operational point at which voltage collapse occurs, wherein the voltage collapse occurs when the wind turbine power system serves a load that has a higher reactive power demand than the wind turbine power system can supply;

comparing the limit cycle reference point to at least one threshold;

if the limit cycle reference point is greater than the at least one threshold, determining a delta value for at least one command of the wind turbine power system;

determining at least one updated command based on the delta value and the at least one command; and,

operating the wind turbine power system based on the at least one updated command.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one threshold comprises a first threshold, the method further comprising:

adding the delta power value to at least one of a power command or a power limiter of the wind turbine power system if the limit cycle reference point is greater than the first threshold.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the at least one threshold comprises a second threshold.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising adding the delta power value to a one or more gain coefficients of a voltage regulator of the wind turbine power system if the limit cycle reference point is less than the first threshold and greater than the second threshold.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising implementing a corrective action if the limit cycle reference point is greater than a damage threshold.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the operational point corresponds to a value on a curve of the voltage value versus the power value at which a slope of the curve is substantially vertical.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein operating the wind turbine power system based on the at least one updated command further comprises minimizing an area of the curve representative of a limit cycle so as to maximize power while preventing voltage collapse.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the power grid comprises a weak grid, the weak grid characterized by short circuit currents within a predetermined range of short circuit currents of the wind turbine power system.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the predetermined range comprises ratios of the short circuit currents of the power grid to the short circuit currents of the wind turbine power system of from about 0.8 to about 1.2.

10. A system for preventing voltage collapse of a wind turbine power system connected to a power grid, the system comprising:

one or more sensors for monitoring at least one power value and at least one voltage value from a point of common coupling of the wind turbine power system;

a controller communicatively coupled to the one or more sensors, the controller configured to perform one or more operations, the one or more operations comprising:

determining a limit cycle reference point of the wind turbine power system as a function of a cross product of the at least one power value and at least one voltage value, the limit cycle reference point representative of a proximity of the at least one power value and the at least one voltage value to an operational point at which voltage collapse occurs, wherein the voltage collapse occurs when the wind turbine power system serves a load that has a higher reactive power demand than the wind turbine power system can supply;

comparing the limit cycle reference point to at least one threshold;

if the limit cycle reference point is greater than the at least one threshold, determining a delta value for at least one command of the wind turbine power system;

determining at least one updated command based on the delta value and the at least one command; and,

operating the wind turbine power system based on the at least one updated command.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the at least one threshold comprises a first threshold and a second threshold.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the one or more operations further comprise:

adding the delta power value to at least one of a power command or a power limiter of the wind turbine power system if the limit cycle reference point is greater than the first threshold, and,

adding the delta power value to a one or more gain coefficients of a voltage regulator of the wind turbine power system if the limit cycle reference point is less than the first threshold and greater than the second threshold.

13. The system of claim 12 , further comprising implementing a corrective action if the limit cycle reference point is greater than a damage threshold.

14. The system of claim 10 , wherein the operational point corresponds to a value on a curve of the voltage value versus the power value at which a slope of the curve is substantially vertical, and wherein operating the wind turbine power system based on the at least one updated command further comprises minimizing an area of the curve representative of a limit cycle so as to maximize power while preventing voltage collapse.

15. The system of claim 10 , wherein the power grid comprises a weak grid, the weak grid characterized by short circuit currents within a predetermined range of short circuit currents of the wind turbine power system, wherein the predetermined range comprises ratios of the short circuit currents of the power grid to the short circuit currents of the wind turbine power system of from about 0.8 to about 1.2.

16. The system of claim 10 , wherein the wind turbine power system comprises a wind farm comprising one or more wind turbines connected to the power grid via at least one of a turbine transformer, a farm transformer, or a cluster transformer.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 17, 2023
From: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
To: GE INFRASTRUCTURE TECHNOLOGY LLC
Reel/Frame 065727/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 16, 2020
From: WAGONER, ROBERT GREGORY; TAN, ZHOUHUI; ZHOU, WEIHAO; ANAND, NITHYA
To: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
Reel/Frame 054374/0894 →
Priority Claims (1)
CN 2017 1 0786179 · Sep 4, 2017 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20190072073A1 · Mar 7, 2019