Module 2.

2-
2.2-2

WIND TURBINE TECHNOLOGY

Electrical System
Gerhard J. Gerdes

Workshop on Renewable Energies

November 14-25, 2005
Nadi, Republic of the Fiji Islands

Contents Module 2.2

4-Nov-05 (11:23)

J Types of generator systems

J Variable and fixed speed
J Inverter technologies
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1
 Types of generator systems
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Converter type Application

induction (asynchronous) applied in a large number of
generator turbines (Danish type)
synchronous generator only used for a small number
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of small wind turbines, mainly

asynchronous or
synchronous generator with
electronic inverter system
for stand alone systems
a widely used concept for
variable speed machines,
increasing applications with
growing size of wind turbines

Generator concepts of today’

today’s
4-Nov-05 (11:23)

commercially available turbines

16

one speed
14
two speed
variable speed
12
number of different types

10
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30 kW - <500 kW 500 kW - <1MW 1 MW - 2 MW

4

2
 Wind turbine with Induction Generator, direct

4-Nov-05 (11:23)
coupled to the grid

rotor
Gear box
induction generator
transformer
contactor main switch

ASG
fuse
grid

rotor
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speed thyristor starter

compensation

pitch or stall

Electr. quantities

wind speed system management

Control

SG = synchronous generator, ASG = induction generator

Typical induction generator

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(squirrel-cage)

1 shaft
2 ball bearings
3 rotor
4 aluminium sticks
5 aluminium ring
(4,5: squirrel-cage)
6 stator nuts with coils
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7 stator
8 casing
9 coils of stator
10 ventilator
11 connection box

Squirrel-cage

3
 e7 / PPA Workshop on Renewable Energies 4-Nov-05 (11:23) e7 / PPA Workshop on Renewable Energies 4-Nov-05 (11:23)

2 pole and 4 pole generator

2 pole and 4 pole generator

Rotating field
Rotating field

8
7

4
 Synchronous Generator Speeds
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(rpm)
Pole number 50 Hz 60 Hz
2 3000 3600
4 1500 1800
6 1000 1200
8 750 900
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10 600 720
12 500 600

J a larger number of poles means a lower rotational

speed and thus lower gear box ratio
J but it means also a larger dimension of the generator
and more weight
9

Synchronisation of a.c. machines

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J synchronous machines can only be connected to the

grid, when
X frequency
X phase position
X and voltage
are the same
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J induction generators do not have to be synchronised

synchronisation

10

5
 Induction generator
4-Nov-05 (11:23)

J advantages:
X cheap construction, no collector, no brushes
X very low maintenance
X no synchronisation
J disadvantages:
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X requires an external 3-phase grid, no own grid building

capability
X requires reactive power (usually compensated by
capacitor banks)
X no voltage control

11

Wind turbine with induction

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(asynchronous) generator

J rotational speed: fixed rotational speed plus slip (~ 2 %)

J grid coupling: rigid, with low elasticity
J excitation: by the grid
J control: power control by stall or active stall
(also pitch in case of small turbines)
speed control by grid frequency
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J advantage: simple and cheap construction,

lower maintenance standard (stall)
no synchronisation with the grid required
J disadvantage: production of reactive power,
generation of power peaks,
only low compensation of wind speed
fluctuations,
power generation not controllable (stall)
12

6
 Torque diagram – grid connected
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Mp: pull-out torque

linear torque function

under normal operation range
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13

Induction generator for wind

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turbines

for a better matching of the torque characteristic of an

induction generator to that of a wind turbine (rotor) one
can:
J vary the resistance of the rotor windings
J vary applied grid voltage
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J use pole changing induction machines (i.e. two speed)

J use a frequency converter with a squirrel-cage
induction generator
J use a frequency converter with a slip ring induction
generator
J use a double-fed induction generator

14

7
 e7 / PPA Workshop on Renewable Energies 4-Nov-05 (11:23) e7 / PPA Workshop on Renewable Energies 4-Nov-05 (11:23)

Vary applied grid voltage

Vary resistance of rotor windings

16
15

8
 Pole changing induction machines
4-Nov-05 (11:23)
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17

Danish concept – direct grid-

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connection

J stall controlled, three bladed rotor with fixed hub

J wing-tip air brakes for emergency braking
J direct grid connection through thyristors (“soft-starter”)
J generally two generators (small ~ .25 of large) or one
generator with double windings (4 pole small, 6 pole
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large)
J induction generators deliberately designed for a larger
slip
X to avoid overload of generator during stall procedure
X to reduce mechanical stress through high torque
gradients during switching on and over the generators
X to reduce fluctuations of mechanical system and
electrical output
18

9
 Danish concept - schema
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note: smaller turbines < 100 kW used belt drives

19

Danish concept – load curve with

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two induction generators

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from small to large generator

from large to small generator

20

10
 Rotor speed – power diagram 600
4-Nov-05 (11:23)
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kW

source: DEWI

21

Switching from lower to higher rotor

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speed
Example: Stall controlled wind turbine
switching from lower to higher rotor speed (asynchronos generator)

n2
Active power, reactive power

Generator speed
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n1
Active power
Reactive power
Generator speed

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
Time, s
22

11
 Induction generator with variable
4-Nov-05 (11:23)
slip
induction generator with
additional rotor winding
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Thyristor filter

rotor speed partly variable (~2 to 10 % of nominal speed)

elastic grid coupling through increased slip
reduction of power peaks, no synchronisation needed
generates reactive power, reduced efficiency under part load

23

Induction generator with variable

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slip - characteristics
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24

12
 Wind turbine with inverter system in the main

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power circuit (variable speed)
rotor
gear generator
box excitation unit transformer
inverter system main switch
SG or
ASG
fuse
grid
capacitors if filter
rotor speed
asynchronous
generator
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pitch or stall

electr. quantities

system management
wind speed control

SG = synchronous generator, ASG = induction generator

25

Wind turbine with inverter system in the main

4-Nov-05 (11:23)

power circuit(variable speed)

rotational speed: variable

grid coupling: soft, not coupled to grid frequency,
elasticity produced by using the rotational energy
storage
capacity of the rotor at acceleration or deceleration of
the
rotational speed
excitation: self-excitation (i.e. exciting dynamo)
control: power control by pitch (seldom stall)
speed limitation by pitch
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speed control by power regulation of the inverter

system
advantage: smoothing of power output,
compensation of wind speed fluctuations
controllable power generation
controllable production of reactive power
operation at optimal power coefficient cp due to variable
speed
generation of voltage and frequency for
autonomous energy systems
disadvantage: expensive construction
generation of harmonics,
higher level of maintenance
26

13
 Wind turbine with variable speed
4-Nov-05 (11:23)
rotor

power – rotor
speed curve =
always in
aerodynamic
optimum
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source: DEWI

27

Advantage variable speed

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fluctuations of wind speed

converted into torque
fluctuations
high mechanical strain on
the drive train
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fluctuations of wind speed

converted into rotor speed
increase
rotor stores energy
smoothens output

source: DEWI
28

14
 6 pulse rectifier – inverter system
4-Nov-05 (11:23)

6-pulse
rectifier inverter transformer
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source: DEWI

29

12 pulse rectifier – inverter system

4-Nov-05 (11:23)

two 6-pulse
inverters in parallel
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I1
and
I2
before

special transformer
(three windings, with star/
and after the
triangle configuration)
transformer

source: DEWI
30

15
 Harmonic distortion
4-Nov-05 (11:23)

6-pulse inverter
6-pulse inverter with high level of
harmonic distortion
requires high efforts for filtering

12-pulse inverter normally two 6-

pulse inverter in parallel
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one inverter with star-star, the

12-pulse inverter other with star-triangle
connection
special three-winding transformer
harmonic distortion greatly
reduced
12-pulse inverter more complex,
source: DEWI requires less efforts for filtering
31

Inverter with pulse-width-

4-Nov-05 (11:23)

modulation PWM

inverter
rectifier with transformer
IGBT
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source: DEWI

32

16
 Function of PWM inverter
4-Nov-05 (11:23)

J the condenser between rectifier and PWM inverter acts

like an ideal DC voltage source
J Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBT) switch at
high frequencies (up to 10 kHz) to create a sine wave
J practical no harmonic distortion up to ordinal number
19
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J harmonics with higher ordinal numbers exist, but have

no effect on the grid, because
X inductance of the grid blocks higher frequencies
X capacitance of grid acts like a short-cut for high
frequencies
J ideal for modern variable speed wind turbines
X power output can be controlled (power gradient)
X no harmonic distortion
33

Output of a PWM inverter with IGBTs

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34

17
4-Nov-05 (11:23)
Power switch cabinet
(300 kW) with IGBTs
(Enercon)
Enercon)
IGBT modules

IGBT control
board (MPU)
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AC out

DC in

35

Frequency analysis of a wind with

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PWM inverter
Frequency analysis of a wind with pulse width modulated inverter
frequency resolution: 6,25 Hz

1.5
Current/nominal current, %

Sampling frequency of the PWM inverter

1.0
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2. harmonic
3. harmonic
0.5

0.0
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Frequency, kHz

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18
 Double fed induction generator

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variable speed with pulse width modulated inverter

rotor

gear
box Slip ring
transformer
generator
inverter system main switch

ASG
fuse
grid

rotor speed filter

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pitch or stall

electr. quantities

system management
wind speed control

ASG = induction generator

37

Double fed induction generator

4-Nov-05 (11:23)

rotational speed: variable

grid coupling: soft, elasticity produced by using the rotational
energy storage capacity of the rotor at acceleration
or deceleration of the rotational speed
excitation: by the grid
control: power control by stall or pitch
speed limitation by pitch
speed control by power regulation of the
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inverter system
advantage: smoothing of power output
compensation of wind speed fluctuations
controllable power generation
operation at optimal power coefficient cp due to
variable speed
disadvantage: expensive construction
generation of harmonics

38

19
 e7 / PPA Workshop on Renewable Energies 4-Nov-05 (11:23) e7 / PPA Workshop on Renewable Energies 4-Nov-05 (11:23)
a.c.)

Frequency converter (slip ring a.c.)

Frequency converter (squirrel-cage

40
39

20
 Double-fed induction generator
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(DFIG)

41

Example: Grid connection of a

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variable speed double fed induction

generator
1.2
Generator speed / synchronous speed

1.0

0.8
Active power/rated power
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Generator speed
0.6

0.4
Active power

0.2

0.0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Time, s
42

21
 Rotational speed and power against
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wind velocity

variable rotor speed WT fixed rotor speed WT,

two stage
Power

Power

Rotor Speed
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Power Power

RPM RPM 2

RPM 1

Wind Speed Wind Speed

43

Typical instantaneous power

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behaviour

variable rotor speed, constant rotor speed,

pitch controlled WT stall controlled WT
Power

P rated
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P rated

Time Time

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22
 Measured power curve and power

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curve given by manufacturer

1800

1600

1400
Electrical power, kW

1200

1000
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800

600

400 Calculated power curve

200 Measured power curve

0
0 5 10 15 20 25

Wind speed at hub height, m/s

45

23