Advanced Control Strategies to Integrate German Offshore Wind Potential

into Electrical Energy Supply

Author: Dr. K. Rohrig
Institut fr Solare Energieversorgungstechnik e. V.
Knigstor 59, D-34119 Kassel, Germany

Co-Authors: F. Schlgl, R. Jursa, M. Wolff

Institut fr Solare Energieversorgungstechnik e. V.
Knigstor 59, D-34119 Kassel

Dr. F. Fischer, S. Hartge

Enercon GmbH R&D
Dreekamp 5, D26605 Aurich

Dr. B. Valov, Dr. S. Heier

Universitt Kassel
Wilhelmshher Allee 71-73, D-34121 Kassel

Topic: IT technology for an large-scale integration of wind power

ABSTRACT: The paper describes the technical status and presents new concepts, models and approaches for the
technical assistance of large scale wind power integration into the electrical energy supply system in Germany. It
shows the technical and economic problems with the integration of high penetration of wind power plant in the
network and the total electrical system. After an analysis of the effects of increased wind power generation on
system planning and grid operation, we discuss innovative operational control concepts for large (offshore) wind
farms. These concepts will provide a multitude of new possibilities to enable simple, flexible and undisturbed
reaction to the demands of participants (wind farm operators, grid operators). These operational control strategies
are mainly based on ISETs successful employed wind power prediction tools, operated by all German TSOs, and
will enable energy and power control, as well as the provision of reactive power, in order to achieve comparable
properties to conventional power plant types.

1 INTRODUCTION large offshore wind power into the electrical supply

At the end of 2004, more than 16.300 Wind
Turbines (WTs) with an installed capacity of
16.500 MW generated approx. 26 TWh and supplied
about 5,5 % of the German electricity consumption [1]
[2]. Today, the electrical power generated from wind
already covers the total grid load in some grid areas
temporarily. According to Federal German
Government planning, in the medium-term (2015)
wind turbines will be erected with a total power of 36
GW on- and offshore which would cover around 15%
of the German electricity consumption [3]. This large
intermittent generation has growing influence on the
security of grids, the operation of other power plants
and on the economics of the complete German supply
system. In frame of a governmental funded project, a
consortium of Transmission System Operators (ENE,
VE-T), WT manufacturers (Enercon), meteorological
service providers (Deutscher Wetterdienst DWD) and
research institutes (ISET, Uni Kassel) investigate
solutions for an optimized integration of the expected
system. Based on a detailed analysis and evaluation of
the time behavior of the wind generation for future
scenarios, the possibilities of new and innovative
operational control concepts for large (offshore) wind
farms to provide energy and power control (reserve
power, constant power output, profile based
generation, energy compliance) as well as reactive
power and their effects on system planning and grid
operation will be examined.
2 NEW DEMANDS ON WIND POWER
INTEGRATION TOOLS
2.1 DEMANDS ON SHORT-TERM PREDICTION
TOOLS
One task of transmission system operators (TSO)
is the permanent grid balancing within its control
area. The grid load and the feed-in from conventional
power plants is available in form of power exchange

1
balance group schedules and is calculated with occurring power for the control areas of ENE, VE-T
adequate accuracy. The need for balancing power and RWE currently is about 8% of the installed
arises; therefore, from the difference in the predicted capacity. The prediction error for the total German
feed-in from WTs and the actual feed-in values. grid amounts to 7%.
Therewith, the accuracy of the wind power prediction
has direct influence on the amount of control power to
be procured.
In the last few years ISET has developed a forecast
model, which is today in use at all German TSOs. It
delivers the temporal course of the expected wind
power for control areas, for up to 72 hours in advance
[4]. To achieve this, representative wind farms, or
wind farm groups, were determined and equipped
with measurement technology. For these locations, the
DWD provides forecasted meteorological data in 1-
hour intervals for a prediction horizon of 3 days. The
corresponding power is calculated with the aid of
artificial neural networks (ANN).
Figure 2: Online monitoring and prediction

In addition to the forecast of the total output of the

WTs for the next days (up to 72 hours), short-term
high-resolution forecasts of intermittent generation in
separate network regions or for wind farms and their
clustering are the basis for a secure power system
management. Apart from the meteorological values
such as wind speed, air pressure, temperature etc.,
online power measurements of representative sites are
an important input for the short time forecasts (15-
minutes to 8 hours).

6000

perr
nerr
5000 Online

Figure 1: ANN layout of prediction module

Forecast

4000
Power [MW]

3000

The ANNs are trained with predicted

meteorological parameters and contemporaneous 2000

measured power data from the past, in order to learn

physical coherence of wind speed (and additional 1000

meteorological parameters) and wind farm power

0
output. This method is superior to other procedures, 09.10.2003 10.10.2003 11.10.2003
Time
12.10.2003

which calculate the relation between wind speed and

power by the use of power curves of individual plants,
as the actual relation between wind speed (and other Figure 3: Measured and predicted wind generation
meteorological parameters) and wind farm power incl. tolerance area
output depends on a multitude of local influences and
is therefore very complex, i.e. physically difficult to
describe. The advantage of artificial neural networks In addition to the expected value of power, the
over other calculation procedures is the learning of forecasting system also provides a tolerance band (i.e.
connections and conjecturing of results, also in the a reliability measure), which is determined from the
case of incomplete or contradictory input data. experiences (prediction errors) of the past and from
Furthermore, the ANN can easily use additional the data of the meteorological services.
meteorological data like air pressure or temperature to
improve the accuracy of the forecasts. The deviation
(Normalized Root Mean Square Error NRMSE)
between the (day ahead) predicted and actual

2
2.2 DEMANDS ON OPERATIONAL CONTROL OF
LARGE WIND FARMS
The demands on modern wind turbines are not
only high reliability and maximum energy yield, but
also - caused by the important role, which wind
energy takes in a future power supply structure - the
assumption of important functions of conventional
power stations, which are partly replaced by large
wind farms (wind power stations) [5]. These functions
(system services) are in principle reactive power
supply, supply of reserve power, the ability of primary
control as well as profile based operation for
individual wind farms or groups of wind parks by
wind farm cluster management. The supply of reactive
power can be realized as feed with given power factor
or amount of reactive power at the point of mains
connection, in addition, in the context of a voltage
regulation on the high and/or extra-high tension level.
Further demands on wind energy plants concern a
driving through of a voltage drop with voltage support
during the error by reactive power feed and immediate
feed of the available active power after error
clarifying as well as the prevention of the immediate
disconnection of wind turbines at high wind speeds.
This protection concepts will avoid an increasing of
the primary reserve. An individual wind turbine is
functional as an autonomous system.
Figure 4: Wind farm power output control by
Enercon
The controlling of the WT supervises and
regulates amongst others the start-up at a defined
value of wind speed, the power control (and
subordinate the control of the number of revolutions
and the pitch angle) during operation, the feed of
reactive power and if necessary the limitation of
active power to a given maximum value. Operating
values, warning and error messages are recorded and
passed on by a SCADA system (Supervisory Control
and DATA Acquisition). The operation of a wind
farm consisting of several WTs of one manufacturer
and one operator is equipped with one common
SCADA system. The controlling of the WTs are
3
linked to the SCADA system by data lines.
For active and/or reactive power control of
individual wind farms, current and voltage measuring
at the grid connection points is necessary. The control
variables for active and reactive power are determined
by transducers and transferred to the SCADA system,
implemented in the wind farm controller who admits
the wind turbines with time-variable defaults for
maximum active power and/or reactive power. The
controller can be parameterised regarding dynamic
and limit values. For a control of several wind farms
at the grid connection point, the wind farm controller
must be implemented as central, common element for
all related wind farms. For the processing of external
desired values (e.g. production management, default
power factor) of a super ordinate operational control
unit as well as for the feedback of status information
(e.g. technical availability of the WT, available active
power, available reactive power, mean wind speed) to
a super ordinate operational control unit a wind farm
process data interface in combination with a wind
farm controller is used. With these features the
following functions (features) are already realized as
state of the art:
- reactive power feed in (default reactive power
desired value or default power factor) in the
context of the WTs ability of reactive power
provision and the wind supply.
- generation management (default maximum active
power feed) by control or regulation at the grid
connection point
- process data interface realized by current loops,
floating distance contacts or bus protocols
- maximum gradients during start-up of wind farms
- power output limitation at upper frequency
The time constants of the control functions range
from 5 to 20 seconds. With the possibilities
mentioned, the following functions are realizable
today:
- schedule setting
- voltage control at high and extra-high voltage level
based on reactive power provision of the WTs and
the wind supply
In addition first applications with the following
goals exist
- fast voltage control in the medium voltage grid
- fast supply of reserve power by power reduction of
wind farms (delta control)
On this basis the following, in the future
technically possible control and management
strategies can be indicated:
- reactive power provision (default reactive power
desired value or default power factor) in a
conventional-power-station-usual setting range
independently of the wind supply
- generation management (default maximum active
power feed)
- schedule setting
- voltage control on the high and/or extra-high
voltage level
- control power provision
- ability for primary control
In spite of these advanced functions, the active
contribution of wind farms in grid operational
management can, however, no longer be performed
alone by individual operational control units of single
New concepts for cluster management will include
the aggregation of geographically dispersed wind
farms according to various criteria, for the purpose of
an optimised network management and optimised
(conventional) generation scheduling. The clusters
will be operated and controlled like large conventional
power plants.
TSO control unit

WTs or wind farms. Large (offshore) wind farms will Generation Requirements: Generation Group Cluster

be controlled by a system operational control center in Group Cluster Profile Based Operation Mode
uninfluenced operation
power limitation
order to coordinate and control the operation of energy compliance
constant power output
individual wind turbines with correspondingly defined supply of control energy

demands. As the current operational data of large Generation

Group
Requirements:
maximum power limitation
Generation
Group 1
Generation
Group 2
Generation
Group N

wind farms will be joined together by the grid (dynyamic threshold values)
short circuit current

operator and desired values are given, a type of emergency cut-off (disconnection)
by network outages
coordinated start-up and shut-down
control center for clusters of large wind farms is procedures (gradients limitation)
Gen1.1 Gen1.2 Gen1.3 Gen2.1 Gen2.2 Genn.n
Requirements:
established, which increasingly takes on the character
Single
Generator safe and reliable operation
maximum energy yield
of conventional power plants. This, however, requires
the rejection of production maximization of the wind
farms. Figure 6: Wind Farm Cluster Management

3.1 PROFILE-BASED OPERATION (WIND

GENERATION SCHEDULE)

Since 100% accuracy of wind power forecasting is

Figure 5: Control Panel of Wind Power Management
System operated at RWE
The utilization of operation management, to be
newly developed, would provide a multitude of new
applications to enable simple, flexible and
uninterruptible reaction to the demands of participants
(wind farm operators, TSOs and electricity traders).
These operation control centers must facilitate energy
and power control, as well as the provision of reactive
power, in order to enable wind farms comparable to
conventional power plants.
not realisable, the difference between the forecasted
and actual supply must be minimised by means of
control strategies of Wind farm Cluster Management
(WCM) to ensure generation schedule. Power output
in this case will be controlled in accordance to the
schedule determined by short-term forecasting. This
strategy has a large impact on wind parks operation
and requires matching of announced and actual
generation on a minute-to-minute basis. The schedule
execution should be realised within a certain
(determined by forecast error) tolerance band. Time-
variable set-points should be constantly generated and
refreshed for an optimum interaction of wind parks
with WCM. A continually updated short-term
forecasting for wind farms and cluster regions is
assumed for this kind of operation management. The
following control strategies will be worked out:
- limitation of power output;
- energy control;
- capacity control;
- minimisation of ramp rates.

3 WIND FARM CLUSTER MANAGEMENT

The pooling of several large (offshore-) wind

farms to clusters in the GW range will make new
options feasible for an optimised integration of
intermittent generation into electricity supply systems.

4
 180
cluster
turbines to fault currents which requires a need of
160
cluster new
wind farm
additional voltage support by conventional power
140
wind farm control
plants.
120
Power [MW]

100

80
3.5 LOSSES REDUCTION, OPTIMIZATION OF
60
ACTIVE AND REACTIVE POWER FLOWS
40

Wind power generation is variable not only in time

20
domain, but also geographically that can lead to
power flows over large distances with associated
0
23:15 01:15 03:15 05:15 07:15 09:15 11:15 13:15 15:15

losses. Such situation can also be identified

Time

Figure 7: Profile based operation beforehand and reduced or even completely prevented
by redispatch processes.
The implementation of these operating methods
Non-controllable wind farms can be supported by will significantly increase the economical use of wind
controllable ones of that cluster. So, the strategy energy. Until now, criticism has often been made that
allows hybrid clusters to fulfill their requirements. the positive contribution of wind energy in CO2
reduction would be decreased through the control
power reserve in thermal power plants. By the manner
3.2 SUPPLY OF BALANCING POWER of operation outlined above, it would be possible to
provide control power by rejection of production
Partly curtailed wind farms generation can be maximization. Thereby, the possible/feasible wind
kept within a pre-defined capacity band and be farm power in feed would be reduced to the desired
available within seconds. Potential control power of a control band to provide balancing power by the
wind park can be determined by means of short-term demand of the grid operator. Therefore, wind farms
forecasting and reference capacity measurements and can be categorized by their forecasting accuracy (e.g.
be aggregated to the cluster reserve. offshore > coastline > onshore). Wind farms on
locations with high prediction accuracy can primary
used for the supply of balancing power. It is also
3.3 CONGESTION MANAGEMENT reasonable to consider the current (i.e. forecasted)
output of a wind farm. Wind farms with minimal
Temporarily wind power generation already today power output are not expedient applicable for supply
achieves and can exceed maximum permissible of balancing power.
thermal ratings of grid components. The situations can Based on innovative wind farm operational
be foreseen and avoided by network simulations, control, a control unit between system operators and
based on wind generation forecasting and the wind farm clusters, the WCM will enable a profile
limitation of wind power output to a pre-calculated based generation and manage the following tasks:
threshold. Moreover, a direct intervention of TSO to - consideration of data from online acquisition and
the wind farm clusters will be necessary for the cases. prediction
Different wind farms in a cluster can be curtailed - aggregation and distribution of predicted power
differently, that gives an opportunity for an generation to different clusters
economical optimization of the process. - consideration of network restrictions arising from
network topology
- consideration of restrictions arising from power
3.4 REACTIVE POWER SUPPLY AND VOLTAGE plant scheduling and electricity trading
CONTROL - scaling of threshold values
- allocation of target values to different clusters
Wind turbines are already required to support - allocation of target values to different intermittent
voltage and supply reactive power. In contrary to grid- generation plants.
connected asynchronous generators, which only
consume inductive power, new wind turbines are able The combination and adjustment of advanced
to supply reactive power in accordance to set values. wind farm control systems for the cluster management
The demand for and scheduled supply of reactive will be realised by the WCM. Furthermore, the WCM
power can be determined by forecasting and prepares and administrates power output schedules for
simulations. Post fault recovery of wind turbines can the wind farm control systems based on forecasts,
be improved by grid code requirements. Nevertheless
operating data, online-acquired power output and
there will be always a small contribution of wind
defaults from the system operators. If the online

5
measures from the wind farms diverge downward
from the forecasted schedules, the WCM will supply
balancing power to compensate this difference. If it The TSO can simulate and optimise more different
diverges upwards, the WCM limits the power output scenarios of power reduction of wind turbine
of the cluster to the determined maximum. generation, in order not to extravagate equipment
capacity, to pay attention the control characteristics of
The fast and secure information exchange between wind turbine generation and not impact an economic
energy supply, transmission, distribution and trading demand of different wind farm owners.
will be supported by powerful and reliable
information systems and databases. The data
processing and administration will cover the following 4 CONCLUSION
kinds of operation:
In the next few years the partial replacement of
- providing installation data of intermittent conventional power plant capacity by wind power is
generators less in focus, but more important is an improved
- processing of operational data and forecasts collaboration between renewable power production
- computing cluster production forecasts and thermal power plants, where operation should be
- processing of preconditions and limits as environmentally friendly as possible. Thereto, fast
- preparation of production data for TSO adjustable power plant units are necessary, which are
- providing network performance data and already increasingly implemented today e.g. gas
prediction of critical events turbines or combined cycle power plants. From the
conventional power plants viewpoint, besides the
During a pilot phase of the project, these new dynamic behaviour of wind power is of particular
operating methods and control concepts will be interest.
verified at large on- and offshore wind farms and the
results will be examined in respect of system
management and grid control. The results of these 5 REFERENCES
investigations will be used to develop long-term
strategies for grid connection and expansion as well as [1] Renewable Energy Information System on Internet
for power plant conversion. (REISI) http://reisi.iset.uni-kassel.de
[2] Wind Energy Report Germany, ISET. Kassel
3.6 OFFSHORE GRID CALCULATION TOOL 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001.
[3] Dena, Energiewirtschaftliche Planung fr die
After start-up of the planned large offshore wind Netzintegration von Windenergie in Deutschland,
farms, the power plant scheduling of system operation Berlin 2005
control centres of ENE, VE-T and RWE have to
consider a feed-in in GW range. The impact of this [4] C. Ensslin, B. Ernst, K. Rohrig, F. Schlgl,
large intermittent generation on grid control is Online-Monitoring and Prediction of Wind Power in
calculated from weather prediction-basis by a grid German Transmission Operation Centres. European
calculation tool of WCM (see Figure 8). In case of Wind Energy Conference 2003, Madrid 2003
bottlenecks or unintentional power flows, the TSO is [5] S. Hartge, ENERCON GmbH, Electrical
able to re-dispatch wind power feed in. Engineering - R&D, Challenges and Potentials of
Wind Energy Converters in Power Supply Systems of
18

16

14

12
Windgeschwindigkeit

Windspped the Future, DEWEK 2004, Wilhelmshaven 2004

(m/sec)
W(m/sec)

10

8
Wirkleistung
6
18
4
16 W(m/ sec)
2
14
0
12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
W(m/sec)

10 t

0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
t

Feed-in from
W irkleistung

18
16
14

windfarm (MW)
12
W(m/sec)

10
8
6
4
2

0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
t

Input
Offshore-

Seegrid
Gridcalcula-
tiontool
WCM
Output
1
Calculation
paths
2

Feed-in from
windfarmcluster
(MW)

Power Transmission System

System of Germany operation
control center

Figure 8: Grid calculation for WCM