Wind Turbine Generator

© 1996-2009 Operation Technology, Inc. – Workshop Notes: Wind Turbine Generator

 Wind Turbine Generators
• Wind turbine generator (WTG) converts
mechanical energy to electrical energy
• Wind turbine rotor supplies fluctuating
mechanical power (torque)

© 1996-2009 Operation Technology, Inc. – Workshop Notes: Wind Turbine Generator Slide 2
 Traditional Wind Turbine

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 Generating Voltage
• WTG > 150 kW generate 0.69 kV or higher
• Step-up transformer (outside or inside
tower) raises the voltage to 10-30 kV

© 1996-2009 Operation Technology, Inc. – Workshop Notes: Wind Turbine Generator Slide 4
 Generator Technology
• Induction Generator

• Induction generator with

variable rotor resistant

• Doubly fed induction

generator (DFIG)

• Converter interfaced
gearless, multi pole

© 1996-2009 Operation Technology, Inc. – Workshop Notes: Wind Turbine Generator Slide 5
 Doubly Fed Generator

© 1996-2009 Operation Technology, Inc. – Workshop Notes: Wind Turbine Generator Slide 6
 Doubly Fed Generator
• Variable Speed Operation => Higher wind energy
capture
• Can absorb or generate reactive power
• Lower transient torques
• More complex electrical design and control

© 1996-2009 Operation Technology, Inc. – Workshop Notes: Wind Turbine Generator Slide 7
 Rotor Designs

• Two blades are cheaper but do • Options include:

not last as long • Upwind vs downwind
• Three blades are more stable • Passive vs active yaw
and last longer • Common option chosen is to
direct the rotor upwind of the
tower with a tail vane

© 1996-2009 Operation Technology, Inc. – Workshop Notes: Wind Turbine Generator Slide 8
 Rotor Diameter Vs. Output Power

© 1996-2009 Operation Technology, Inc. – Workshop Notes: Wind Turbine Generator Slide 9
 Wind Power
• The lift force (only) turns windmill blades
for useful power output
• Windmill is a fan running backwards.
• The pitch of the blade causes a difference
in air pressure on either side.
• Difference in air pressure provides the “lift
force” (similar to aircraft), and causes the
rotors to turn.

© 1996-2009 Operation Technology, Inc. – Workshop Notes: Wind Turbine Generator Slide 10
 Wind Drag
• If the angle of attack of a blade is too large,
the wind simply pushes against the blade,
exerting a drag force but no lift. When the
drag is too great, a stall occurs.
• Wind turbines are designed to operate in
winds up to 35 mph, but must be able to
survive 100 mph gales.
• Random turbulent winds create strong
torques that can fatigue the structure.
© 1996-2009 Operation Technology, Inc. – Workshop Notes: Wind Turbine Generator Slide 11
 Power Curve
• Electrical Power output at
different wind speeds
• Field measurements
• Site complexity makes it
difficult to produce power
curves exactly
• Does not provide power at a
certain average wind speed

© 1996-2009 Operation Technology, Inc. – Workshop Notes: Wind Turbine Generator Slide 12
 Power Extracted From Wind

© 1996-2009 Operation Technology, Inc. – Workshop Notes: Wind Turbine Generator Slide 13
 Power Extracted From Wind

• Cp is the fraction of the upstream wind

power which is captured by the rotor
blades

© 1996-2009 Operation Technology, Inc. – Workshop Notes: Wind Turbine Generator Slide 14
 Example – 1.65 MW Turbine
• Swept Area = A = 5281 m2
• 4.5 m/s : Power = 0.6125 AV3 = 295 KW
• 5.5 m/s : Power = 0.6125 AV3 = 538 KW
• 6.5 m/s : Power = 0.6125 AV3 = 888 KW

© 1996-2009 Operation Technology, Inc. – Workshop Notes: Wind Turbine Generator Slide 15
 Example
• Calculate how much more power is
available at a site where the wind speed is
12 mph than where it is 10 mph
P ~ V3
P2 /P1 = (V2 / V1)3
P2 = (12/10)3 * P1 = 1.73 * P1

• 1.7 x the power (almost a factor of 2

increase), with only 2 mph increase in wind
speed!
© 1996-2009 Operation Technology, Inc. – Workshop Notes: Wind Turbine Generator Slide 16
 Power Coefficient
• Efficiency of wind to electric energy
conversion
• Power Output W/ m2 = Power Curve / Rotor
Area
• Electrical Output / Wind Input
• Depends on pitch angle and AOA
• Depends upon ratio of downstream to
upstream wind speeds (Vo/V)
© 1996-2009 Operation Technology, Inc. – Workshop Notes: Wind Turbine Generator Slide 17
 Power Coefficient
• Theoretical maximum value of 0.59

© 1996-2009 Operation Technology, Inc. – Workshop Notes: Wind Turbine Generator Slide 18
 Cp Curves
• Maximum power generated at P1 max and P2 max

© 1996-2009 Operation Technology, Inc. – Workshop Notes: Wind Turbine Generator Slide 19
 Speed Control
• To capture more energy
• To protect the rotor, generator and electronic
equipment from overloading
• When generator is disconnected, rotor speed may
increase to levels causing mechanical damage

© 1996-2009 Operation Technology, Inc. – Workshop Notes: Wind Turbine Generator Slide 20
 Speed Control Regions
• Cut-in Speed
• Optimum Constant Cp
• Speed-Limited
• Power-Limited
• Cut-out speed

© 1996-2009 Operation Technology, Inc. – Workshop Notes: Wind Turbine Generator Slide 21
 Pitch Control
• Large horizontal axis turbines
• Pitch is varied to hold Cp at largest value possible
up to rated speed of the turbine
• Varied to reduce Cp while power in the wind (Pw)
increases

© 1996-2009 Operation Technology, Inc. – Workshop Notes: Wind Turbine Generator Slide 22
 Wind Turbine Model

© 1996-2009 Operation Technology, Inc. – Workshop Notes: Wind Turbine Generator Slide 23
 Wind Model

© 1996-2009 Operation Technology, Inc. – Workshop Notes: Wind Turbine Generator Slide 24
 Converter Control

© 1996-2009 Operation Technology, Inc. – Workshop Notes: Wind Turbine Generator Slide 25
 Simulated Turbine Operation

• Vc = Wind Velocity
• RPM = Rotor Speed
• Cp = Power Coefficient
• PE = Electrical Power

© 1996-2009 Operation Technology, Inc. – Workshop Notes: Wind Turbine Generator Slide 26
 Power – Height Relationship

© 1996-2009 Operation Technology, Inc. – Workshop Notes: Wind Turbine Generator Slide 27
 Power – Height Relationship

• Wind speed increases with height

• Conservative Approximation:
V2 = (H2/H1) V1
• is the Roughness exponent
– Smooth terrain value (water or ice): 0.10
– Rough terrain value (suburb woodlands): 0.25
– Grasslands: 0.14

© 1996-2009 Operation Technology, Inc. – Workshop Notes: Wind Turbine Generator Slide 28
 Hybrid System

© 1996-2009 Operation Technology, Inc. – Workshop Notes: Wind Turbine Generator Slide 29
 Diesel – Wind Interaction

• Over-sized Diesel
– Engine presents driving torque only to syn. gen
– Diesel engine maintains balance of power
– Increase in wind power means reduction in diesel output
– When wind power output exceeds load requirement, the
diesel starts motoring
– Small braking torque comes from engine compression
– Rotor speed of the diesel increases

© 1996-2009 Operation Technology, Inc. – Workshop Notes: Wind Turbine Generator Slide 30
 Diesel – Wind Interaction
• T = 2.5 sec
– WTG (225 kW)
– Genset (55 / 400 kW)
• T=4 sec
– Load reduced to 100 kW
– Frequency runaway
– Shunt Load to be added
• Water heater, battery charger
• Non-critical load

• Minimum diesel power ~ 15% of rated load

© 1996-2009 Operation Technology, Inc. – Workshop Notes: Wind Turbine Generator Slide 31
 Operating Data

© 1996-2009 Operation Technology, Inc. – Workshop Notes: Wind Turbine Generator Slide 32