Subsynchronous Control Interaction Damping using Colocated BESS in Large Wind Farms

Wind has been one of the fastest growing renewable energy technologies with large utility scale installations both onshore and offshore. Battery energy storage systems (BESSs) are considered for co-location with large wind farms to make them dispatchable. As many of the best quality wind resources are remote, compensating AC lines is a cost-effective solution for long distance power transmission. However, Type-3 (doubly fed induction generator) wind turbines are known to interact with fixed series compensation in the form of Subsynchronous Control Interactions (SSCI) exposing the converters to dangerously high voltages and currents often leading to plant disconnection. With the ever-increasing sizes of wind farms, this disconnection can materially impact system security. This paper demonstrates how an existing BESS installation at a wind farm can be exploited to provide SSCI damping. Studies are performed in MATLAB/Simulink with average models for the converters (using vector control) and a GE wind turbine model.

Automated summary

Wind power technology has grown rapidly, but the importance of battery energy storage systems (BESSs) in collaboration with wind farms is increasing. Using compensating AC lines for long distance power transmission in remote wind resource areas is a cost-effective solution. However, the interaction between wind turbines and fixed series compensation may lead to dangerous voltages and currents, causing plant disconnection, therefore impacting system security.