Wind Farm Collector System Optimization Considering Cost, Loss and Reliability

H. Mohammadi Sarab, Member, IEEE, R. Zeinali, H. Siahkali

Abstract--Wind farms are required to set up in suitable areas with high wind velocity. After choosing wind turbines with characteristics fulfilling the maximum energy extraction, the place of these wind turbines erection will be known, some software developed to give wind turbine right points. These points should connect to each others and build an electrical collector system to gather all wind turbines power. It will be useful that an optimum configuration be found based on the given WTs coordination. This optimization will reduce the wind farm electrical network system cost to a minimum value. A novel approach finding the best and optimum collector system is presented in this paper. Every connection, according to the amount of carried power, needs a specified cable class (with a defined cross section). More power leads to bigger cable cross section and it will bring more cost. Optimal selection of cable classes will reduce costs. Some times, its required to set up a collector system considering reliability and loss parameters. To apply these effects, in each step and for every possible configuration, the cost of reliability and loss plus the cost of cables should be taken into account. The optimum configuration will be found based on a predefined cost for the lost energy.

I. INTRODUCTION IND farm technology is considered as a clean and renewable energy resource which is being invested more. The world found out that they should seek for appropriate sites with a high extractable amount of wind enrgy. These places usually loacated in faraway regions which have a little access to the electrity transmission systems. Some of the wind farms are being used to supply an isolated area with an alternative energy and some of them are connected to the electricity grid. Wind energy is one of the fastest growing electrical energy sources in the United States. Wind capacity in the United States and in Europe has grown at a rate of 20% to 30% per year over the past decade. The vision of the wind industry in the United States and in Europe is to increase winds fraction of the electrical energy mix to more than 20% within the next two decades [1]. When a land is chosen to be a wind farm, after evaluation of wind historical velocity data, the position of every wind turbine (WT) is determined as a conclusion of an optimization process based on the fluid mechanic to extract maximum power from the wind and some commercial softwares provide the outputs[2],[3]. To construct a collector system, it will be useful that an optimum configuration be found based on the given WT coordinations. Objective
H. Mohammadi Sarab, R. Zeinali and H. Siahkali are with System & Energy Study Center in Monenco Iran Consulting Engineers(Mapna Group), No. 12, Attar st, Vanak sq, Tehran, Iran, (E-mail: Mohammadi.Houshang@Monenco.com)

function of this optimization is collector system cost. In the design of a collector system, it is required to connect all points to the main bus, delivering the power to the network. These connections are the selection of different cables or overhead lines which have different cross sections and consequently different prices. The main function of the internal electrical system is to collect power from each wind turbine generator spread over the entire wind power plant and transmit it to the power system. Electrical collector systems can be designed using different topologies depending on the size, location (onshore or offshore), and terrain of the wind power plant [4],[5]. Because of the practical limitations, collector system design must be evaluated from economic and reliability point of view [6],[7]. Design of a wind farm collector system is a complex problem and can be time consuming. Finding the lowest cost design requires good skils and judgement. However, particularly when the number of turbines increases, even the best judgement can fail to find the optimal solution[8]. Other than cable costs, the ohmic loss of cables due to carrying power to the electrical grid and the lost energy cost due to the cable failures (Unavailability, during their repair time) incorporated into wind farm life time operational costs[9]. Wind farm collector systems use both cables and ovehead lines. The apparent distinctions between overhead and underground transmission lines are the aesthetic and the construction materials. Overhead transmission has received complaints over the years regarding its non-aesthetic landmark. Underground transmission is invisible as all humans live above ground. Thus, from aesthetic point of view, overhead transmission is a liability. Underground transmission is more reliable than overhead transmission, as it has lower probability for a fault to occur per mile. The expected lifetime of overhead transmission is 40 years, twice as long as the expected lifetime of underground transmission[10]. Most modern day large scale wind farms consist of hundreds of wind turbines and are generally electrically connected in a radial feeder cable configuration or daisy chains. While these configurations are generally accepted as convention, not much research has been done to analyze other cable layout configurations[11]. This study includes an approach to draw connection lines between different WTs coordination in a way which total cost of collector system becomes minimized. In a collector system different cable classes are used. Any cable class has a limitation to transmit a determined amount of power. More power required bigger cross section and higher price. In part II the approach is introduced and the optimization process is described. Part III is a proof to the proposed

approach and it includes a discussion about its philosophy. In part IV a case study to implement the approach is explained. Possibility of being two main buses in a wind farm is shown in part V. Reliability effect on collector system is evaluated in part VI. Part VII is an analysis of considering loss effect in wind farm collector system. II. APPROACH A wind farm consists of WTs and they must be connected to a substation (main bus) which may increase the voltage level suitable to connect to the transmission lines. This substation is a place for collector system feeders, switchgears, control room, measurement devices, step-up transformers and transmission line feeders. In a wind farm with given coordinations, minimum cost configuration has to known to reach an optimum collector system. From a set point as a main bus which all the WTs have to connect in a way to give their power to the network, the approach is started optimization involves subsequent steps: Step 1: Determination all WT points distance from the main bus. Step 2: Sorting out all WT points according to their distance from the main bus. Step 3: Starting from the closest point and connecting this point to the main bus, Fig 1.

Start

Sorting all WTs distance from the main bus

Connecting the closest WT to the main bus

Holding previous configuration

Moving up to next closest WT to the main bus

For ith WT checking all connection between this point and (i-1) previous points and the main bus

Finding which connections bring minimum total configuration cost

Fig. 1. Connection of the closest point to the main bus

No

If i>N

Step 4: For the ith point, checking the connection of this point to the all (i-1) points closer to the main bus and the main bus itself, based on previous configuration. In this step minimal configuration will be selected to choose the point that ith point should connect to it. Considering previous configuration, it should be repeated above steps for all n points and best configuration will be chosen. Above procedure diagram is shown in Fig 2. III. PROOF To prove that above procedure will find the minimum cost configuration, it will be described as: Starting from the main bus with given coordination, it is clear that the nearest point to the main bus required to connect to the main bus straightly.

Yes

Finish

Fig. 2. Proposed procedure diagram

The reason is that if this point connects through the other points, this points power will transmit through a more far away point which brings more cost, Fig 3. Its supposed that a cable capable of carrying iWT power is defined as a class with cost Ci per meter.

If the previous configuration changes, the new configuration cost will be A/3>A3 and the A/1=A1 (because the only thing related to this cost is the distance between nth point and kth point). Updating cost A/2 is more than A2. The reason for this is that kth point is connected to a point which before was calculated it had minimum updating cost, Fig 4.

Fig. 3. Distances and cable classes

Every point required to connect to a point which is nearer to the main bus. And it will be illogical that one point transmits its power through the more far away points from the main bus. Then moving up to the second point far away from the main bus. This point as mentioned before is P2. Present configuration is the connection of point P1 to the main bus with cable class cost C1. So, now P2 has two way to transmit its power. One is connection straightly with cable C1 to the main bus with vollector total cost C1d2+C1d1 and another way is connecting to P1 with cable class C1 in distance d3 and change the connected cable C1 (between P1 and main bus) to C2 (because, two WT power goes through this line now). The later collector total cost equals to C1d3+C2d1. Comparison between these two costs and selecting the minimum cost depends on the d1, d2, d3, C1 and C2 which required to be calculated and decided which way is cheaper. We should consider that in comparison between two ways, the previous configuration cost is regarded and taken into account to choose the best way and no backward correction to the previous configuration is allowed. Moving up farther to the nth step and trying to find a way to connect the nth point in the cheapest way. But, the question is which point should be connected to nth point? In this step the configuration consists of (n-1) points connected to each others. The nth point has n ways to connect (to (n-1) points and the main bus). It is required that this point connects to every (n-1) point and the main bus. This means if the nth point connects to the kth point and kth point was connected to jth point with cable cost class Cm. Now, Cm class has to be updated to C(m+1), because another WT power goes through this line. Then it should calculate all these n possible ways cost and find the minimum cost connection. To prove that this configuration is really a minimum cost and there is no need to change in previous configuration, it would be defined that connection of the nth point to the kth point results in collector total cost includes three costs: A1, A2, and A3 A1: Cost of connecting nth point to the kth point. A2: Cost of updating the previous configuration. A3: cost of previous configuration.

Fig. 4. Connection of nth point

IV. CASE STUDY To implement the proposed approach on a case study with given WTs coordination and finding the optimum configuration, an example is chosen to study. A wind farm including 10 WTs all required to connect to a main substation bus located in (0,0) coordination. WT points coordination is given in Table 1. An over view of Cartesian plane coordination of WT points is given in Fig 5.
TABLE I WTS COORDINATION X (m) Y (m) 200 -100 400 0 300 200 0 200 200 600 200 -200 100 -400 800 -400 -400 -200 -800 0

WT No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

It supposed that each WT is designated to give 2 MW to the network. Classified cables are in Table II which all are 20 kV cables.
Rated Power (MW) 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 TABLE I CABLE CLASS CHARACTERISTICS Failure Repair Cost per Rate per Time meter $ kilometr (Hour) 23.172 1 100 34.758 1 100 49.650 1 100 69.522 1 100 94.344 1 100 119.178 1 100 148.968 1 100 183.732 1 100 238.362 1 100 297.954 1 100

Cable Class 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Resistance (ohm/km) 1.146 0.524 0.387 0.268 0.193 0.153 0.124 0.099 0.075 0.060

Actually all WTs tend to connect to the main bus without any assist from other WTs. But, minimization of total collector cost enforces them to connect each others. It should be considered that optimal configuration is depended strongly to the cable class costs. Proposed approach gives the collector sytem is shown in Fig 5. V. CONNECTION TO TWO MAIN BUSES In wind farm collector system, sometimes there are 2 or more opportunities connecting to the electrical network. To study this, the solution is described below: 1- Starting with one of the main buses, connect the nearest WT to that main bus, 2- Moving to next WT and checking the connection to the previous configuration including all main buses. The minimum cost configuration is chosen. 3- Moving to the next WT As its seen in this case possibility of connection to different main buses is examined in each step, and if one WT was close to a main bus, it would connect to that main bus instead of other WTs. To show the results, in the case study its supposed that another main bus rather than the previous bus located in (0, 0) does exist. Its located in (400,-200). Result of optimum configuration is presented in Fig 6. Based on what is the minimum cost configuration, every WT has a chance to connect to the different main buses. Its seen that in the case, the wind farm is separated to 2 parts. VI. RELIABILITY CONSIDERATION One of criteria should be considered in wind farm collector configuration designing is reliability which determines the quality of giving uninterruptible power to the network. The solutions that provide adequate reliability will increase cost and can increase power losses. A technique that translates power losses into initial cost should be used for economic evaluation of the collector system [12]. When WTs are connecting through each others, reliability of providing WT power is reduced. To explain this, it should be recalled that failure in one line (when lines are connected in series connection) causes the interrupt of all WTs are connecting through this line. In Fig 7 WTk failure depends on the failure of lines A, B, C. which is appears in (1)-(3) [13]. To evaluate the reliability of any configuration, AENS index (Annual energy not supplied) is defined to quantifying the reliability.

ri = Line i repair time U WTk = WTk Unavailabilty time

PWTk = WTk Power

Weighting the reliability criteria leads to that WTs tend to connect straightly to the main bus and not through the other WTs. To regard the reliability impact every line is assigned with a failure rate per year and repair time hours in Table. II. Since any MWh, which is lost due to failure in cables, should be compensated by other power plants, the assigned value for a lost MWh is supposed to be 100$. This price is a parameter to evaluate the reliability. Wind farm life cycle is considered to be 10 years with 30% operating time. Results are presented in Fig 8. VII. LOSS CONSIDERATION Every WT should transmit its power through different lines to reach the main bus and inject to the network. Different cables have different cross sections which lead to the different resistance. Its seen that lower cross section, makes more resistance. Collector system losses are typically determined based on the rated output of the individual WTs operating at a specified power factor and the schedule of cable sizes and lengths indicated in the collector system design drawings. Annual energy losses are determined based on the loss factor and the total number of annual hours [5]. To find optimal configuration cosidering loss in collector system, in each step relating to examination of all possible connections and calculation of the minimum collector cost, the cost of lost energy due to the each configuration is computed and added to the cable costs. Cable resistance for the case study is given in Table. II. Result of loss effect on collector system is seen in Fig 9. VIII. CONCLUSION When a site is chosen to set up a wind farm, pointing the WTs is depended on wind profile and other studies. Connecting these WTs to an electrical network is an issue solved in electrical calculation. Collector system design is performed based on different points of view such as cost, reliability and loss. Cables and overhead lines could be used to connect WTs. Different cables and overhead lines are classified according to the maximum power they can transmit. Every class has its own cost, reliability and loss data. A proposed procedure was used to extract optimum configuration. The proposed procedure consists of different steps starting with connection of the nearest WT to the main bus and then moving up to the next far away WT in every step. The previous configuration is hold and this WT connection to all previous WTs including the main bus is examined to extract the minimum cost configuration. It's proven that this could get optimum collector system. It is also seen that bringing in the reliability and loss criteria effects the wind farm configuration. This impact depends on reliability and loss parameters.

WTk i
U WTk i ri
i 1
i 1 j

(1)

(2)

AENS UWTk P WTk

i 1

(3)

i = Line i failure rate

Wind Farm Collector System 600 500 400 300 200

Y (m)

100 0 -100 -200 -300 -400 -800

-600

-400

-200 X (m)

200

400

600

Fig. 5. Optimal collector system

Wind Farm Collector Considering 2 Main Buses 600 500 400 300 200

Y (m)

100 0 -100 -200 -300 -400 -800

-600

-400

-200 X (m)

200

400

600

Fig. 6. Possibility of being two main buses in wind farm

Fig. 7. Incorporating lines in interupt of WTk power

Wind Farm Collector System Considering Reliability 600 500 400 300 200

Y (m)

100 0 -100 -200 -300 -400 -800

-600

-400

-200 X (m)

200

400

600

Fig. 8. Wind farm collector system considering reliability

Wind Farm Collector System Considering Loss 600 500 400 300 200

Y (m)

100 0 -100 -200 -300 -400 -800

-600

-400

-200 X (m)

200

400

600

Fig. 9. Wind farm collector system considering loss

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