Conference of the Wind Power Engineering

Community

Analysis of the Effectiveness of Grid Codes for

Offshore Wind Farms Connected to Onshore Grid via
VSC-Based HVDC

Moritz Mittelstaedt,
Andreas Roehder,.Hendrik Natemeyer,
Prof. Dr.-Ing. A. Schnettler
Institute for High Voltage Technology
RWTH Aachen University

Moritz Mittelstaedt, VDI COWEC in Berlin 2013

Content

Motivation and objectives

Overview of relevant Grid Codes

Model of an Offshore wind farm connected via VSC-HVDC

Exemplary results from the stationary analysis

Dynamic wind farm analysis under different fault cases

Conclusion

Moritz Mittelstaedt, VDI COWEC in Berlin 2013 2

Motivation

High share of offshore wind power (>20 GW targeted

for 2020 in German North Sea)

Especially distant large Wind Farms are connected to

Onshore-Grid via VSC-HVDC

Source: TenneT GmbH

Guarantee for a reliable, but also efficient energy supply

High Wind Farm requirements, based on the demands in

Onshore-Grid, applied to Offshore Wind Farms

Unknown effectiveness of the Grid Codes, especially in

Source: UK Offshore Wind Report 2012 case of Offshore Wind Farms connected via VSC-HVDC

Moritz Mittelstaedt, VDI COWEC in Berlin 2013 3

Central objectives

Steady-State and fault behaviour investigation of a representative Wind Farm

including a VSC-HVDC Model

Presentation of the main studies on the effectiveness and possible simplifications of

legal Grid Codes and requirements

Motivation to discuss a possible modification of existing Grid Codes

Who is responsible for System Services - Grid Operator or Wind Farm Operator?

Moritz Mittelstaedt, VDI COWEC in Berlin 2013 4

Content

Motivation and objectives

Overview of relevant Grid Codes

Model of an Offshore wind farm connected via VSC-HVDC

Exemplary results from the stationary analysis

Dynamic wind farm analysis under different fault cases

Conclusion

Moritz Mittelstaedt, VDI COWEC in Berlin 2013 5

Overview of relevant Grid Codes
Grid Codes in Europe at a glance

Legal Framework Contents

Germany Classification of Wind Energy Units (WEU)
German Ordinance on System Services by regarding their size and connected voltage-
Wind Energy Plants (SDLWindV), grid level
Transmission Code 2007 Requirements for the WEU in steady-state
regarding e.g. Active/Reactive Power Supply
Spain
Conditions for a disconnection from the Grid
Operation Procedures P.O.12.1-3
during faults
Denmark Dynamic System Services during faults
Technical Regulation 3.2.5
Purpose
Great Britain
Necessary Flexibility for Grid Operators
The Grid Code Issue 5, Revision 3
(incl. Offshore part) Avoiding cascading active power loss
Fast and safe Return to stable Operation
Point

Moritz Mittelstaedt, VDI COWEC in Berlin 2013 6

Overview of relevant Grid Codes
Requirements for German Offshore-WF

Transmission Code 2007 / SDLWindV

Guideline of a PQ-Diagram for the Operating Points

Voltage- and Frequency-Control

LVRT-Capability, WEU have to stay connected to the Grid during faults and
accomplish a contribution for system stability

Control of reactive current injection by the WEU in relation to significant voltage

deviation

No specific requirements or exceptions for Offshore-WEU

Grid Codes of the operators for a seaside connection

Similar to requirements for the Onshore WEU
Exception is only a different reactive current supply during faults

Moritz Mittelstaedt, VDI COWEC in Berlin 2013 7

Overview of relevant Grid Codes
PQ-Diagram for the WEU-Operating Points

The PQ-Diagram defines the

minimum obtainable Operation Area

Three variations of PQ-Diagrams

can be forced by the Grid Operator

PQ-Diagram depends on Grid

Voltage

Depending on the Grid situation the

Grid Operator can order to operate
at specific points

Onshore: Necessary flexibility to

react on deviations in the grid

Moritz Mittelstaedt, VDI COWEC in Berlin 2013 8

Overview of relevant Grid Codes
Control of reactive current supply

In case of a voltage deviation the WEU must

back up the voltage by adjusting the reactive
current

reactive current deviation ( ) must be

proportional to the relevant deviation, defined by
the factor k

For 3-pole faults e.g., WEU must be able to feed

in a reactive current of min. 100% of the rated
current

active current can be reduced to obtain an

increased reactive current
Source: System Service Ordinance SDLWindV
additional time progressing requirements

Moritz Mittelstaedt, VDI COWEC in Berlin 2013 9

Content

Motivation and objectives

Overview of relevant Grid Codes

Model of an Offshore wind farm connected via VSC-HVDC

Exemplary results from the stationary analysis

Dynamic wind farm analysis under different fault cases

Conclusion

Moritz Mittelstaedt, VDI COWEC in Berlin 2013 10

Model of an Offshore wind farm
DFIG Model

Chopper DC-Circuit with

Turbine
Generic Model of doubly-fed induction generator capacitor

(DFIG)

Representation of the mechanical behaviour as a Generator

oscillating Two-Mass-Model Filter

Inverter Rectifier
Implemented pitch control, Power-Frequency Crowbars
Source: Perdana, Dissertation
Control, Protection Systems e.g. Overvoltage- Chalmers Universitiy of Technology
Protection, Crowbar-Protection

LVRT-Capability

In model 50 Wind Turbines of 6 MW in 10 rows are

applied
33/0.69 kV
Embedding in a 33 kV-Offshore-Grid
Transformer
6,7 MVA

Moritz Mittelstaedt, VDI COWEC in Berlin 2013 11

Model of an Offshore wind farm

1
Overview of the model components

Inverter Station with

Wind Turbines Wechselrichterstation
Connection
und Anschlusstoan
the
das
Transmission Grid
bertragungsnetz 0

Internal grid and G

~

connection to the Transmission

bertragungsnetz
SeaSeekabel
Cable mitGrid
GKW
offshore converter
Rectifier Station
Gleichrichterstation
DC-Transmission link

Onshore converter 0

Windkraftanlagen
AC and DC Filter Wind Turbines

systems
Chopper
Connection to the
onshore grid,
Representation by
the first periphery

30.07.2013 Moritz Mittelstaedt, VDI COWEC in Berlin 2013 12

Model of an Offshore wind farm

1
VSC-HVDC Control Scheme

Inverter Station with

Wind Farm: Weak Grid Wechselrichterstation
Connection
und Anschlusstoan
the
das
Transmission Grid
bertragungsnetz 0

Rectifier controls
voltage amplitude Udc , Uac G
~

Transmission
bertragungsnetz
SeaSeekabel
Cable mitGrid
GKW
and phase
Rectifier Station
Gleichrichterstation
Rectifier works as
reference machine
Uac , 0

Windkraftanlagen
Wind Turbines
Onshore Grid
Inverter controls
and A /
Control of and
A independently

Moritz Mittelstaedt, VDI COWEC in Berlin 2013 13

Model of an Offshore wind farm Wechselrichterstation
und Anschluss an das
bertragungsnetz
Reactive Power Control

Seekabel
Realised Reactive Power Controls: Gleichrichterstation

Fix voltage or power factor control

Fix cos()
by every WEU at local bus or Vbusbar
0

Windkraftanlagen
(A power factor of cos()=1 leads to
an infeed of Q=0 MVAr at the 33kV Fix cos()
Bus) or Vbus
Fix voltage or power factor control
by every row at the Central Wind
Farm Busbar
Reactive Power Supply depending
on the Active Power Operation Point
of every WEU to minimize internal
Wind Farm losses
Minimize
PLosses

Moritz Mittelstaedt, VDI COWEC in Berlin 2013 14

Content

Motivation and objectives

Overview of relevant Grid Codes

Model of an Offshore wind farm connected via VSC-HVDC

Exemplary results from the stationary analysis

Dynamic wind farm analysis under different fault cases

Conclusion

Moritz Mittelstaedt, VDI COWEC in Berlin 2013 15

Stationary Analysis
Selected control schemes

Operation Points of the WEU

Different control schemes 1,20
1,00
disencumber the converter
0,80
or the WEU electively 0,60
0,40
Due to the VSC-HVDC the 0,20
wind farm is totally 0,00
-0,50 -0,30 -0,10 0,10 0,30 0,50
decoupled from the
1) x Q=0 LB underexcited - Reactive Power Q [p.u.] - overexcited
Onshore grid regarding
2) Q=0 WF BB Operation Points of the Converter
Reactive Power demand 0
-0,2
No impacts of voltage or -0,4
load variations on the Wind -0,6
-0,8
Farm, contrary to the
-1
operation in Ohnshore grid, -1,2
occur -0,6 -0,4 -0,2 0 0,2 0,4 0,6
Reactive Power Q [p.u.]

Moritz Mittelstaedt, VDI COWEC in Berlin 2013 16

Stationary Analysis
Optimal Operation Points

Dispersion of the given Active

Operation Points of the WEUs
Power infeed P inside between -0,1 p.u. < Q < 0,2 p.u.
the units 5%

Optimal power flow for minimum

Losses in the Offshore wind farm

Investigation for (n-0) as well as (n-0)

for any possible combination of (n-1)
1-3 Wind Energy Units outages (n-2)
x (n-3)
More than 99% of all
constellations are within a range
of -0,1 p.u. to 0,2 p.u.

Possible downsized minimum

reactive power supply range?

Moritz Mittelstaedt, VDI COWEC in Berlin 2013 17

Content

Motivation and objectives

Overview of relevant Grid Codes

Model of an Offshore wind farm connected via VSC-HVDC

Exemplary results from the stationary analysis

Dynamic wind farm analysis under different fault cases

Conclusion

Moritz Mittelstaedt, VDI COWEC in Berlin 2013 18

Dynamic wind farm analysis

1
Fault in Offshore wind farm

Inverter Station with

Fault at one Wechselrichterstation
Connection
und Anschlusstoan
the
das
Busbar in the Transmission Grid
bertragungsnetz 0

G
~

wind farm Transmission

bertragungsnetz
SeaSeekabel
Cable mitGrid
GKW
Voltage drop to Rectifier Station
Gleichrichterstation
40 % of nominal
voltage 0

Feed-in of short Windkraftanlagen

Wind Turbines

circuit current by
converter and
WEUs

Fault clearing
after 100 ms

Moritz Mittelstaedt, VDI COWEC in Berlin 2013 19

Dynamic wind farm analysis
Offshore wind farm fault - Results

1.20
Voltage drop to 40 % nominal voltage 1.00
0.80
successful clearing after 100 ms 0.60
0.40

Fast increase of the voltage with overshot 0.20

0.00 0.05 0.10 0.15 0.20 [s] 0.25
380 kV Onshore: Amplitude Voltage [p.u.]
155 kV Offshore: Amplitude Voltage [p.u.]
Reactive current supply by the WEU 1.10

according to the k-factor 1.00

0.90
0.80
Voltage settling time almost independent of 0.70
the previous OP (WEU) 0.60
0.00 0.05 0.10 0.15 0.20 [s] 0.25
DC Onshore: Amplitude Voltage [p.u.]

Still significant impact by the additional 1.50

1.00
reactive current injection (k-factors) 0.50
0.00
Downsized DFIG current injektion has -0.50
-1.00
almost the same efficiency as a not 0.00 0.05 0.10
DFIG: Reactive Power [p.u.]
0.15 0.20 [s] 0.25

downsized one DFIG: Active Power [p.u.]

Moritz Mittelstaedt, VDI COWEC in Berlin 2013 20

Dynamic wind farm analysis

1
Fault in Onshore-Grid

Inverter Station with

Fault at a bus Wechselrichterstation
Connection
und Anschlusstoan
the
das
near to the Point Transmission Grid
bertragungsnetz 0

G
~

of common Transmission
bertragungsnetz
coupling (PCC) at SeaSeekabel
Cable mitGrid
GKW

Rectifier Station
Gleichrichterstation
the Onshore Grid

Voltage drop to 0

0% nominal Windkraftanlagen
Wind Turbines
voltage

Feed-in of the
short circuit
current mainly by
the Onshore Grid

Fault clearing
after 150 ms

Moritz Mittelstaedt, VDI COWEC in Berlin 2013 21

Dynamic wind farm analysis
Onshore Fault without impacts on the wind farm

Voltage drop to 0 % at the Onshore Grid 1.30

1.00

No more Active Power feed-in by the Inverter into 0.70

0.40
the Onshore Grid 0.10
-0.20
DC voltages rises to threshold voltage 0.00 0.05 0.10 0.15 0.20 [s] 0.25
380 kV Onshore: Amplitude Voltage [p.u.]
155 kV Offshore: Amplitude Voltage [p.u.]
Activation of the Chopper 1.30
1.20
Ripple depends on chopper frequency and control, 1.10
DC-capacitors and leak resistor 1.00
0.90
Absorption of the surplus energy by the chopper of 0.80
0.00 0.05 0.10 0.15 0.20 [s] 0.25
the HVDC-System DC Onshore: Amplitude Voltage [p.u.]

Fault clearing after 150 ms 50

40

No impact on the Wind Energy Units 30

20

Absorption of the whole energy at the onshore 10

0
0.00 0.05 0.10 0.15 0.20 [s] 0.25
station Chopper: absorbed Energy [MJ]

Moritz Mittelstaedt, VDI COWEC in Berlin 2013 22

Dynamic wind farm analysis
Onshore Fault with Fault Reflection

Voltage drop to 0 % at the Onshore Grid 1.20

0.90
0.60
Controlled voltage drop at the offshore-side to 0.30
0.00
50 % nominal voltage with delay -0.30
0.00 0.05 0.10 0.15 0.20 [s] 0.25
380 kV Onshore: Amplitude Voltage [p.u.]
Reduced Active power feed-in by the WEU 155 kV Offshore: Amplitude Voltage [p.u.]

1.30

Acceleration of the generators and activation of 1.20

1.10
the Pitch-control 1.00
0.90

Delayed Re-feed-in of the whole active power 0.80

0.00 0.05 0.10 0.15 0.20 [s] 0.25
DC Onshore: Amplitude Voltage [p.u.]
due to the offshore voltage return
62.5
50.0
Mechanical stress for the Wind Energy Units 37.5
25.0
More than 60 % less absorbed energy by the 12.5
0.0
0.00 0.05 0.10 0.15 0.20 [s] 0.25
chopper of the HVDC-System Chopper: absorbed Energy [MJ]

Moritz Mittelstaedt, VDI COWEC in Berlin 2013 23

Content

Motivation and objectives

Overview of relevant Grid Codes

Model of an Offshore wind farm connected via VSC-HVDC

Exemplary results from the stationary analysis

Dynamic wind farm analysis under different fault cases

Conclusion

Moritz Mittelstaedt, VDI COWEC in Berlin 2013 24

Conclusion and Outlook

Presentation of a representative Model of an Offshore Wind Farm

Examples for the application of the Grid Codes to Offshore Wind Farms connected via
VSC-HVDC

Possible modification of existing Grid Codes towards a downsized steady-state reactive

power supply range for offshore wind turbine generators

Significant contribution of a additional reactive current supply by the Wind Turbines

Undefined Grid Codes for Offshore Wind Farms connected via VSC-HVDC leads to open
question for manufactures, investors and grid operators about the need of abilities of the
Wind Energy Units and the handling with faults (Fault Reflection)

Special Grid Codes have to define the respective contribution to System Services by
Wind Farm Operators and Grid Operators (Active power reduction)

Moritz Mittelstaedt, VDI COWEC in Berlin 2013 25

Institute for High Voltage Technology
RWTH Aachen University

Dipl.-Ing. Moritz Mittelstaedt

mittelstaedt@ifht.rwth-aachen.de

Phone: +49 241 80 94781

Fax: +49 241 80 92135

Thank You for Your Attention!

Moritz Mittelstaedt, VDI COWEC in Berlin 2013