Improving Voltage Stability in a Wind Farm by using SVC

J.L. Rodrguez-Amenedo, R. Alves, S. Arnaltes and A. Ros

Department of Electrical Engineering
Universidad Carlos III de Madrid
Avda. Universidad 30, 28911 Legans (Madrid), Spain
Tel.: +34 916 249 911
Fax: +34 916 249 430
email: amenedo@ing.uc3m.es
Keywords: Voltage stability, Voltage sag, Wind Farm, SVC.
Abstract
The aim of this paper is to demonstrate the benefits of using SVC for improving voltage stability in a wind farm. Voltage
sags are mainly caused by faults in the transmission line, such event will cause the disconnection of wind farms. The
inclusion of SVC in the wind farm will provide voltage support during voltage sags. A decoupling reactance is also used
to optimize the SVC size. Results show that the operation of the wind energy conversion systems becomes stable with the
aid of SVC.
Introduction
Nowadays, wind turbines get disconnected when a voltage sags occurs and the reconnected again when normal operation
has been resumed. This situation is not longer allowable if wind power penetration is high, because the disconnection of
the wind farms can affect significantly the power balance in the grid. In the Spanish grid the lowest demand is about
15000 MW, with a wind capacity of 7000 MW the disconnection of wind farms during voltage sags is not acceptable,
because this would lead to a large generation deficit.
The new regulations of the Spanish renewable energy market are given in the Royal Decree 436/2004 [1]. In order to
prevent the situation drawn above, a bonus in the price of the energy yield is established if wind farms have low voltage
ride through capability. At the same time, new grid codes established that wind farms should remain connected during
voltage sags [2,3,4]. Fig. 1 shows the voltage sag specified by the Spanish transmission system operator that will have to
be admissible by wind farms in Spain.

Fig. 1. Voltage sag admissible by wind farms in Spain.

The new requirement of low voltage ride through capability will affect the different WECS technologies in a different
way. While, variable speed WECS will have to adapt their power converters [5], fixed speed WECS face a stability
problem. This paper shows a solution for fixed speed WECS based on the utilization of SVC at the generator terminals.
SVC can respond very quickly to the grid disturbance, providing the reactive power required to hold voltage to a level
where the operation of induction generator is stable. On the other hand, the utilization of SVC will also provide the
reactive power necessary for the compensation of induction generator power factor.

In this paper, a case of study is proposed and results related to the stability of the WECS are obtained with and without
SVC.
Overview of SVC
SVC are sources of reactive power that provide active compensation, i.e., the reactive power they supply is adjusted to
maintain voltages of the buses to which they are connected [6]. Different types of SVC can be found in the literature, but
the main ones are thyristor-controlled reactors (TCR) and thyristor-switched capacitors (TSC). Fig. 2 shows a static var
system consisting of TCR, TSC, and its control system block diagram.

Fig. 2. SVC and its control system block diagram.

Fig. 3 shows the operating characteristics of the SVS.

Fig. 3. SVC V-I characteristics.

The maximum reactive power that the SVC can supply depends on the capacitor bank susceptance and voltage:

Q = C U 2

(1)

This expression means that SVC reactive power capacity is reduced quadratically with the voltage reduction.

Case of study
Fig. 4 shows the analyzed power network. It consists of a 800 MVA short circuit power network feeding three loads. A
wind farm is connected at the bus no. 5. The wind farm consists of two fixed speed wind turbines, rated at 2 MW and 690
V.
The case of study has been modeled in Simulink, by using SimPowerSystem toolbox. Fig. 5 shows the model of the
analyzed power network, and Fig. 6 shows the model of the wind farm. In this figure, the wind farm is connected to the
power grid through a 4 kV / 132 kV power transformer. Each wind turbine is connected to the medium voltage bus
through a 690 V / 4 kV power transformer, and a SVC is connected to the low voltage side of these power trasnsformers.

WIND FARM
3
1

Line
2 y 2bis

Line 1

Line
4 y 4bis

Scc=800 MVA

WT1 (2 MW 690 V)

Line
5 y 5bis

WT2 (2 MW 690 V)

132 kV
P = 10 MW
FP = 0.9

4
7

132 kV
Q = 12 MVAR

132 kV
P = 10 MW
FP = 0.9
132 kV
P = 10 MW
FP = 0.9

Fig. 4. Analyzed power network.

Fig. 5. Model of the power network.

Fig. 6. Model of the wind farm.

Analysis results
Different faults are going to be applied to the considered power network. The study will consists of improving the stability
of the wind turbines by means of the SVCs. For this purpose a series decoupling reactance, Xd, is going to be place at the
low voltage side of the power transformer. This reactance is going to be sized in order to minimize the size of the SVC.
Fig. 7 shows the equivalent circuit used to calculate the size of the decoupling reactance.

Ppe , Qs

Vs

Vpe

Vd

jx s

Ppe , Qc

jx d
Qsvs

S& s

S& pe
Fig. 7. Equivalent circuit for Xd calculation.

For this circuit the following equations can be written for voltages and powers:
r
r
r
Qs = Qc + Q xs + Q x d Qsvs
Vs = Vs s , Vpe = Vd d , Vpe = Vpe pe

Qs = Q c + I 2 ( x s + x d ) Qsvs

Q
S& s = Ppe + jQs = Ppe2 + Qs2 arctan s
P
pe
&S = P + j ( Q Q )
pe
pe
c
svs

Qsvs = Qs Q c I 2 ( x s + x d )
Ppe =

r
r r
r S& *pe
Vpe = Vs I j ( x s + x d ) = Vs r * j ( x s + x d )
Vpe

Vs Vpe
xs + xd

sin ( s pe )

Vs
Vs Vpe cos ( s pe )

xs + xd
With the aid of these equations is possible to calculate the size of the SVC to maintain voltage at 1 p.u. at the wind farm as
a function of the voltage drop for different generated powers (Fig. 8). The following data have been considered:
Qs =

SYSTEM BASES
Sb = 1 MVA

Vb = 690 V

zb =

0.692
= 0.4761
1

DATA
r
Vs = 10 = constant , Qc = 0.54 pu = constant , x s = 0.0043 pu = constant
Qsvs minimum the value of better x d is calculated maintaining Vpe = 1.0 pu
r
Vs = 10 Vs Vs 0% 50%
Pg1 = 0.5 MW , Pg2 = 1.0 MW , Pg3 = 1.5 MW
Pg
Pg 4 = 2.0 MW , Pg5 = 2.5 MW , Pg6 = 3.0 MW

Minumun power of the SVC

Vpe = 1.0 pu
Vs = 1.0 - DV

Qc = 0.54 MVAR (constant)

Pg = -3.0 MW

Qsvc min

Pg = -2.5 MW

Pg = -2.0 MW
3
Pg = -1.5 MW
2

Pg = -1.0 MW

Pg = -0.5 MW

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

DV (sag voltage) %

Fig. 8. SVC power as a function of voltage drop.

The size of the SVC can be optimized by modifying the series reactance Xd. For a 50% voltage drop, the relationship
between Xd and QSVC is given in Fig. 9. As shown, the optimum is a function of the generated power.
System impedance vs. power of the SVC

1
0.9

Pg = -0.5 MW

Vpe = 1.0 pu
Vs = 1.0 - DV

0.8

Qc = 0.54 MVAR (constant)

0.7

Xd (PU)

0.6
Pg = -1.0 MW

0.5
0.4

Pg = -1.5 MW
0.3
Pg = -2.0 MW
0.2

Pg = -2.5 MW
Pg = -3.0 MW

0.1
0

Qsvc (MVAR)

Fig. 9. Decoupling reactance versus SVC power.

Fig. 10, 11 and 12 show the transient response of the wind farm to a grid fault. Voltage of drop of 30% during 0.5 seconds
has been considered. Fig. 10 shows the voltages at the high voltage grid together with the voltage at the wind farm. The
contribution the SVCs to the voltage has been marked. Fig. 11 shows the SVC susceptance and voltage. During the fault
the maximum reactive capability is employed, resulting in a small voltage drop.

PU

Results for the case of DV = 30% and time of fault 0.5 s.

r
Vs = 10 Vs Vs = 30%
x d = 0.246 pu = 0.1171
Pg = 2.0 MW , Qc = 0.54 pu
Qsvs = 2.58 MVAR
x s = 0.0043 pu

Bus of the Wind Farm voltages

Contibucin of the
SVC to the voltage
during the fault
System voltages

Fig. 10. Voltages at the power network buses.

Dynamics of the SVC

PU

B of the SVC
Results for the case of DV =
30% and time of fault 0.5 s.
time

GE and SVC voltages

Fig. 11. SVC susceptance and voltage.

Fig. 12 shows the wind turbine generator rotational speed. The turbine accelerates during the fault, but recovers prefault
slip after the fault.

RPM

Results for the case of DV =

30% and time of fault 0.5 s.

Fig. 12. Generator rotational speed.

Conclusions

The benefits of SVC in wind farms have been investigated. Wind farms become disconnected during grid faults. This
situation is not allowable any more, due to the increasing wind power capacity in the power networks. The inclusion of
SVC in fixed speed wind turbine improves voltage stability and prevents the disconnection of this WECS technology.
Transient stability studies have been carried out, supporting this conclusion.
Acknowledgments

The authors wish to express their acknowledgement to Agencia Espaola de Cooperacin Internacional for supporting the
this work, under P/03/P grant.
References

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

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Produccin en Rgimen Especial, 2004.
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