International Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy

2013; 2(3) : 90-92

Published online May 20, 2013 (http://www.sienepublishin!!"oup.o#/$/i$"se)
doi: 10.11%&'/$.i$"se.20130203.12


Technical challenges in connecting wind energy conver-
ter to the grid
Agbetuyi A. Felix , Awelewa A.A ,

Adoghe A.U , Awosope C.O.A
(o)enant *ni)e"sity, +,+ depa"t#ent, (anaanland, -ta, .i!e"ia
Email address:
ayo.a!betuyi/o)enantuni)e"sity.edu.n!(0 0. 1eli2)
To cite this article:
0!betuyi 0. 1eli2, 0welewa 0.0, 0do!he 0.*, 0wosope (.-.0 . 3ehnial (hallen!es in (onnetin! 4ind +ne"!y (on)e"te" to the
5"id. International Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy. 6ol. 2, .o. 3, 2013, pp. 90-92. doi:10.11%&'/$.i$"se.20130203.12.

Abstract: Most de)elopin! nations o7 the wo"ld a"e loo8in! towa"ds "enewable ene"!y sou"es as a sustainable option.
0#on! all the ene"!y sou"es, the one that is #atu"ed to the le)el o7 onnetin! it to the !"id (eithe" dist"ibution o" t"ans-
#ission) is wind ene"!y. 0s wind ene"!y is in"easin!ly inte!"ated into powe" syste#s in so#e ount"ies o7 the wo"ld, the
stability o7 al"eady e2istin! powe" syste#s is beo#in! a one"n and o7 ut#ost i#po"tane to the powe" syste# en!inee"s
and ope"ato"s. 3his is beause the onnetion o7 wind !ene"ato"s to the e2istin! !"id poses new hallen!es whih ha)e a
si!ni7iant i#pat on the syste# and e9uip#ent ope"ations in te"#s o7 steady state, dyna#i ope"ation, "eliability, powe"
9uality, stability and sa7ety 7o" both the utility and usto#e"s. 3hese hallen!es a"e due to the 7lutuatin! natu"e o7 the wind
and the type o7 wind !ene"ato" used. ,n o"de" to supply 9uality )olta!e, :6( and :303(-M an be used to ont"ol the
"eati)e powe" at the point o7 o##on ouplin!. 0lso the use o7 )a"iable speed wind tu"bine !ene"ato" an help in lowe"in!
the 7li8e" le)el. 3his pape" the"e7o"e !i)es the o)e")iew o7 the auses o7 these hallen!es, its e77et on the e2istin! powe"
syste# and possible ways o7 i#p"o)in! the hallen!es.
Keywords: 1li8e", 5"id, Powe" ;uality, :tability, 4ind 5ene"ato"

. !"troductio"
+ne"!y plays a )ital "ole in the eono#i, soial and po-
litial de)elop#ent o7 any nation <1=. Most de)elopin! na-
tions o7 the wo"ld a"e loo8in! towa"ds "enewable ene"!y
sou"es as a sustainable option. 0#on! othe" sou"es, 4ind
ene"!y has been des"ibed to be one o7 the #atu"e and ost
e77eti)e "esou"es <2=. 3his is beause elet"iity !ene"ated
7"o# wind is 7"ee 7"o# ha"#7ul e#issions, )e"y lean and
has al#ost in7inite a)ailability o7 the wind ene"!y that is
on)e"ted into elet"iity <3=.
4hen !ood sites with enou!h wind speed to d"i)e the
wind tu"bine ha)e been diso)e"ed, the ne2t step is to on-
net the wind tu"bine to the !"id but the onnetion o7 wind
!ene"ato"s to the !"id posses new hallen!es to en!inee"s as
these ha)e a si!ni7iant i#pat on the !"id syste# and
e9uip#ent ope"ations in te"#s o7 steady state, dyna#i
ope"ation, "eliability, powe" 9uality, stability and sa7ety 7o"
both the utility and usto#e"s <&=.
3ehnial hallen!es an be b"oadly lassi7ied into two:
those 7"o# the !"id that a77et the 4ind +ne"!y 5ene"ato"
(4+5) and those 7"o# the 4+5 that a77et the !"id <>=.
3his pape" e#phasi?es the latte". ,n "eality, stability and
"eliability studies should be a""ied out whene)e" wind
powe" is onneted to powe" syste# to p"edit possible
se)e"e onse9uenes on the powe" syste# bein! studied <%=.
0 nu#be" o7 lite"atu"e wo"8s a"!ue that the onnetion o7
wind tu"bines into the elet"i !"id #ay in7luene o" a77et
powe" 9uality and /o" stability o7 the syste# due to the "an-
do# natu"e o7 the wind and the ha"ate"istis o7 the wind
!ene"ato"s <@= - <10=. Aeause o7 the "eason abo)e, it is i#-
po"tant to p"edit the i#pat o7 the wind tu"bines on the
elet"i !"id be7o"e the tu"bines a"e installed o" onneted at
powe" dist"ibution le)el.
3his pape" the"e7o"e des"ibes the possible auses o7
these hallen!es, its e77et on the e2istin! dist"ibution pow-
e" syste# and possible ways o7 i#p"o)in! the hallen!es.
#. $tochastic %ature o& the 'i"d
4ind is a pe"7et e2a#ple o7 a stohasti )a"iable. Bue
to this stohasti natu"e, the output powe" !ene"ated by the
wind tu"bine is 7lutuatin! in natu"e.
3he theo"etial powe" in the wind is !i)en by <&=, <@-10=
,nte"national Cou"nal o7 Denewable and :ustainable +ne"!y 2013, 2(3):90-92 91


EF ( (1)
whe"e Pae is the ae"odyna#i powe" e2t"ated 7"o# the
ai"7low <4att=,
E is the ai" density <typially 1.22>G!/#3=
(p is the powe" oe77iient whih is the 7"ation o7 pow-
e" in the wind aptu"ed by a wind tu"bine, whih depends
on the pith an!le Hpith <de!"ee= and on the tip speed "atio
!i)en by
I J (2)
i.e it is the "atio o7 the blade tip speed KD to the
e9ui)alent wind speed 6e9 <#/s2=,
D is the "oto" "adius;

(p is e9ual to 0.>9 whih #eans, the >9L o7 wind powe"
is the #a2i#u# powe" that a wind tu"bine an utili?e.
+9uation (1) shows that the powe" whih a pa"tiula"
wind tu"bine an e2t"at 7"o# wind is a ubi 7untion o7
the wind speed whih is also )a"iable.
(. Co""ecti"g 'i"d Turbi"e to the
)rid
Ma"!e wind 7a"#s a"e no"#ally onneted to the t"ans-
#ission o" sub-t"ans#ission !"id while s#alle" installations
a"e onneted to the dist"ibution !"id. 3his pape" 7ouses on
the tehnial issue at the dist"ibution !"id.
0o"din! to <11=, the #ost i#po"tant one"n when in-
te"onnetin! wind tu"bine to the dist"ibution !"id a"e
:teady-state )olta!e le)el in7luene.
1li8e"s whih a"e o##only due to "apid han!es in
the load o" the swithin! ope"ations in the syste#.
Desponse to !"id distu"banes/7aults (:tability).
3hese th"ee #ain inte"ests ao"din! to <12= a"e alled
loal tehnial issues beause they depend #ainly on loal
!"id onditions.
3he !"id to whih the wind !ene"ato" is onneted to will
su77e" )olta!e 7lutuations and 7li8e"s, whih is as a "esult
o7 output powe" )a"iation o7 the wind tu"bine.
3.1. Effect of WEG on Distribution network
3"aditionally, dist"ibution netwo"8s a"e desi!ned to be
passi)e i.e. they a"e not desi!ned to ao##odate any othe"
sou"e o7 !ene"ation. 4hen 4ind tu"bine !ene"ato"s with
di77e"ent si?es and types a"e onneted to the netwo"8, the
natu"e o7 the netwo"8 is on)e"ted 7"o# passi)e to ati)e
<13=. 3his will si!ni7iantly i#pat the powe" 7low in the
!"id and )olta!e ondition at the usto#e"sN end <1&=.
3hese i#pats an eithe" be ne!ati)e o" positi)e dependin!
on the dist"ibution syste# ope"atin! ondition and the 4ind
tu"bine !ene"ato" ha"ate"istis.
Bi77e"ent onepts o7 wind tu"bine !ene"ato"s ha)e been
de)eloped o)e" the yea"s and a"e widely used 7o" on)e"t-
in! wind ene"!y into elet"ial ene"!y. 3hey an be di-
)ided into two #ain !"oups depending on the type of gene-
rator used:
(a) 0synh"onous (,ndution) 5ene"ato" whih an be a
7i2ed speed :9ui""el a!e o" 6a"iable-speed doubly-7ed.
3hou!h :9ui""el (a!e indution !ene"ato"s ha)e the ad)an-
ta!e o7 bein! si#ple, "obust, "eliable and well-p"o)en but
annot ont"ol "eati)e powe", but only Osu8s )a"N 7"o# the
syste# and also has li#ited powe" 9uality ()olta!e 7lutua-
tion, 7li8e" e.t.) ont"ol 7eatu"es. -n the othe" hand, ele-
t"ial powe" o7 a doubly-7ed indution #ahines is inde-
pendent o7 the speed, it is the"e7o"e possible to "eali?e a
)a"iable speed wind !ene"ato" <1>=. ,n #ost ases, Boubly-
1ed ,ndution #ahines allow ati)e and "eati)e powe"
ont"ol th"ou!h a "oto"-side on)e"te".
(b) 6a"iable :peed Bi"et B"i)e :ynh"onous 5ene"ato"-
3his type o7 !ene"ato" is )e"y la"!e due to the hi!h nu#be"
o7 poles <1%=. 3o allow )a"iable speed ope"ation, the !ene-
"ato" #ust be onneted to the !"id th"ou!h a 7"e9ueny
on)e"te". 3his suppo"ts the )olta!e by la"!e "eati)e u"-
"ent du"in! 7aults, whih a"e #uh hi!he" than "eati)e u"-
"ent suppo"t that an be ahie)ed by othe" wind !ene"ato"
onepts sine they a"e #ostly e9uipped with e2itation
ont"ol syste#s(e2ept 7o" PM +2ited 5ene"ato"s) <1@=.
*sually, :ynh"onous !ene"ato"s ha)e the ability to supply
and ont"ol "eati)e powe". 3his type o7 !ene"ato" is used
in o77-sho"e appliation <1%=.
:teady*state (load 7low) and dyna#i analysis need to be
a""ied out on the dist"ibution syste# to whih the wind
tu"bine !ene"ato"s will be onneted so as to ase"tain i7 the
e2istin! dist"ibution syste# an ao##odate the new !en-
e"ation.
+. !mpro,i"g the Challe"ges
,t is an established 7at that onnetion o7 wind tu"bines
to the !"id #ay a77et the )olta!e 9uality o77e"ed to the us-
to#e"s. 3he "eason 7o" this is the "apid )a"iations o7 the
wind tu"bine output powe" whih is as a "esult will ause
7lutuations in the supply )olta!e.
3he dist"ibution syste# in 9uestion should ha)e hi!h
sho"t-i"uit "atio whih #ay "edue )olta!e 7lutuation at
the point o7 o##on ouplin! <1@=. 0lso sine these #a$o"
hallen!es (7li8e" and )olta!e 7lutuation) on the !"id a"e
as a "esult o7 the !ene"ato" tehnolo!y used and the 7lu-
tuatin! natu"e o7 the wind, the use o7 stati )a" o#pensato"
(:6() o" :303(-M an be used to "edue the )olta!e
7lutuations and 7li8e" p"odued by the wind powe" !ene"-
ation. 3he :6( o" :303(-M ont"ols the "eati)e powe"
at the point whe"e the wind !ene"ato" is bein! onneted to
the !"id in o"de" to sustain the )olta!e at the point o7 o#-
#on ouplin!.
0lso the 7li8e" le)el p"odued by )a"iable speed wind
tu"bine !ene"ato" is lowe" than that p"odued by 7i2ed
92 0!betuyi 0. 1eli2 et al: 3ehnial (hallen!es in onnetin! 4ind +ne"!y (on)e"te" to the !"id.


speed wind tu"bine !ene"ato". :o, )a"iable speed wind tu"-
bine !ene"ato"s an be used in plae o7 the 7i2ed speed.
-. Co"clusio"
3he e77iient inte!"ation o7 wind !ene"ato"s into powe"
syste# is )e"y neessa"y in o"de" to en$oy !"een elet"iity
(whih is the elet"iity p"odued 7"o# "enewable sou"es
that a"e en)i"on#ental 7"iendly and non-pollutin!) p"odu-
tion. Aut the"e a"e hallen!es e2pe"iened in onnetin! the
wind !ene"ato"s to the !"id beause o7 the 7lutuatin! na-
tu"e o7 the wind and o#pa"ati)ely new types o7 its !ene"a-
to"s whih "esult in )olta!e 7lutuation and 7li8e". De-
sea"h wo"8 on the i#pat o7 this new !ene"ation (wind) on
the e2istin! !"id should not also be ne!leted. 3he ability o7
a site to su77iiently ao##odate wind !ene"ation does not
only depend on wind speeds but its ability to inte"onnet
to the e2istin! !"id. ,7 the wind !ene"ato" is to be onneted
to the !"id, the )olta!e and the 7"e9ueny li#its o7 the on-
su#e"s #ust not be o#p"o#ised. 3his is beause the
o)e"all pu"pose o7 the powe" syste# ope"ation, independent
o7 wind powe" !ene"ation le)el, is to supply an aeptable
)olta!e to onsu#e"s and ontinuously to balane p"odu-
tion and onsu#ption. ,n o"de" to supply 9uality )olta!e,
:6( and :303(-M an be used to ont"ol the "eati)e
powe" at the point o7 o##on ouplin!. 0lso the use o7
)a"iable speed wind tu"bine !ene"ato" an help in lowe"in!
the 7li8e" le)el.

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