Development of an Inverter System for Korean 750-kW Gearless PM Synchronous Wind Turbine

S. D. Jang1. J. S. Oh1, Y. G. Son1, J. H. Suh1, S. J. Kwon1, W. W. Lee1, D. E. Kim1. Ch. H. Chun1, C. W. chung1, K. S. Han1, J. S. Hwang2, J. Y. Ryu2, O. J. Kwon3, G. W. Park3, H. J. Kim3 PoWER-C/PAL, POSTECH San 31 Hyojadong, Namgu, 790-784, Pohang, Korea Phone: +82.54.2791146 Fax: +82.54.2791199. e.mail: sdjang@postech.ac.kr 2 Unison Co., LTD 803, Jangsan-ri, Sooshin-myun Cheonan City, Chung-nam, Korea 3 PLASPO Co., LTD 1005, Ilsan Techno Town, Baekseok-dong, Ilsan-gu, Gyeonggi-do, Korea Abstract :Wind turbines require an electromechanical converter in order to convert the rotary motion of the blades into electrical power. The converter system is connected to between a generator system and a grid network. The fluctuation of power output can be reduced applying torque control through the electrical power converter. The use of permanent magnets (PM) for the magnetic field system in the rotor of the synchronous power generator allows for reduction of loss in electrical power and enables for high efficiency operation. A variable speed gearless synchronous wind turbine employing a PM type synchronous generator has been being developed to achieve this task. Pohang Wind Energy Research Center (PoWER-C) is developing a 750-kW inverter system for KBP-750D wind turbine in this year. This system includes an IGBT based electronic converters. Its design specifications are as follows; a rated grid voltage of 690 V with a output frequency of 60 Hz, a maximum output current of 643 A, a rated DC link voltage of 1250 V, an inverter efficiency of over 94%. In this paper, a principle of a power conversion, a basic design and initial test results of the inverter system are presented. Keywords: 750-kW Inverter System, Permanent Magnet (PM), IGBT Based Electronic Converters
1

1.

Introduction

Nowadays, several technologies may be used for the electromechanical conversion in wind turbines. The electromechanical converter may be generally referred to as a component or group of components, which converts the rotary motion created by the blades, into electrical power. In most cases, this electrical power must be compatible with the requirements of the public electricity company. Wind turbines require an electromechanical converter, in order to convert the rotary motion of the blades into electrical power. Several technologies have been developed to achieve this task, and the development continues. The latest developments include a permanent magnet direct-drive generator, connected to an IGBT based electronic converter. The direct-drive technology, using a permanent magnet generator is especially interesting for wind turbines that are erected in cold countries. The absence of a gearbox indeed excludes the need for lubricating oil, which in gearbox systems may contribute to the early failure of the gears, for such cold environments [1]. Even though the direct-drive technology offers several advantages over the geared technologies, it has not yet achieved competitiveness in terms of selling price. Progress in the development of permanent magnet of the rare earth has brought the feasibility of PM generators for lager-sized wind systems. Our wind turbine systems also have employed such generators. The loss of flexibility in the PM generator can be compensated for largely with semiconductor power processing. Through the use of variable speed control technology, we have designed highly efficient power generation capable of supplying stable power even when wind velocity fluctuates. Pohang Wind Energy Research Center is developing a 750-kW inverter system for KBP-750D gearless PM wind turbine. The average power rating of Wind Turbine Inverter Systems for the KBP-750D is 750 kW. This system includes an IGBT based electronic converters connected to the electric grid. And also, a 10-kW small-scale simulator is developed to study the control dynamics of the inverter for the 750-kW wind turbine. The rotor blades torque of the winds is simulated by a torque control of a DC motor. The torque controller evaluates equivalent torque according to the wind speed, wind direction, blade-pitching angle. In this paper, a basic design and initial test results of the inverter system will be presented together with the test results of the simulator.

2.

System Design of 750-kW Electronic Power Converter

2.1 System Description

The continuing progress in the development of larger and less expensive semiconductor devices is opening the way to variable-speed, constant-frequency wind energy systems. The conversion of the entire variable-voltage,

variable-frequency output of a wind machine to direct current and then reconverting it to utility-quality ac power can be realize by power semiconductor converters. Figure 1.depicts a simplified system overview for a gridconnected wind energy conversion system with IGBT converter and inverter. The converter system that includes inverter is connected to between a generator system and a grid network.

PWM converter

PWM inverter

Reactor

Power transformer Grid Network line

DC link Vdc Cd Protection & Distribution

PM synchronous generator

Incoming panel Fig.1: Simplified system overview for a grid-connected wind energy conversion inverter system

DBM Inverter panel

Electronic power converter consists of AC/DC/AC power converter, reactor and protection panel. AC/DC/AC power converter consists of AC/DC conversion module (PWM converter), capacitor bank (Cd), DC/AC conversion module (PWM inverter), dynamic braking module (DBM) and cooling module. AC/DC conversion module provides the maximum power of generator within variable speed range with torque control and PWM technology. The DC/AC conversion module provides the high quality power to grid and soft grid connection. Dynamic braking module provides protection from rotor over-speed with abnormal condition in the event that a large amount of energy is regenerated back into the DC bus. Regenerated energy is dissipated as heat in the resistor. Above rated rotor speed, the generator torque is controlled in order to keep constant power output. DC/AC converting is performed by PWM technology. During DC/AC controlling, some control method is performed for satisfying the condition for parallel operation with gird and getting high power quality such as DC link voltage, AC voltage control, AC current control, power factor control. Power converter maintains DC link voltage higher than grid voltage for transmitting the power to grid. It uses D-Q coordinate method for controlling the voltage as well as the current. It controls power factor in order to improve the power efficiency.

2.2 Conceptual Design

A wind turbine is an energy-producing machine and must be equipped with control and safety systems. The back-to-back topology of the converter and inverter systems for the KBP-750D is determined. It consists of several units such as an input/output power monitoring part, power supply for control system, an incoming panel that contains protection devices for grid network and a reactor. This system has been chosen because it is simpler. The power converter for conversion of a.c. to d.c. or vice versa is designed with consideration for access, maintenance, troubleshooting, and repair. When selecting and designing components, following items are considered as a necessary condition: high performance, high power density, high reliability, scalable and modular, flexible configuration, high-speed communication, high noise immunity. Main design philosophy and its implementation of an inverter are listed in Table 1.
Main design philosophy 1.Strong enough to get long life 2.Compact size to fit in the tower or nacelle 3.Efficient switching to get low loss conversion 4.Smart logic to realize MPPT control 5.Simple configuration to make it easy 6.Reliable to get high availability 7.Safe design to be free from a unexpected risk 8.Realistic simulation to get the correct tuning of a system dynamics Implementation 1.Multi-layer Busbar configuration 2.Snubberless operation of IGBT switching 3.High voltage grade IGBT (3300V) 4.Self-healing capacitor 5.Proven Cooler system 6.Simple torque control for MPPT control 7.Virtually equal simulator for testing and tuning

Table 1. Design philosophy and Implementation of an inverter The power converter for Wind Turbine Systems of the KBP-750D is designed by the design parameters described in Table 2. It operates within the specifications.

Description Grid voltage Output power DC link voltage Output current Input power Input voltage Rated RPM Input current Switching frequency

Value 690 768 1250 643 805 780 25 598 2

Unit V kW V A kW V RPM A kHz

Description Collector Emitter Voltage DC Collector Current(at 80 degree) Repetitive peak Collector Current Collector-Emitter Saturation Voltage Gate Charge Turn-off energe loss per pulse Turn-on energe loss per pulse Gate-emitter peak voltage Thermal resistance, juction to case Thermal resistance, case to heatsink

Symbol Vces Ic nom Icrm Vce sat Qg Eoff Eon Vges Rthjc Rthch

Value 3300 1200 2400 3.4 22 1300 1400 +/-20 8.5 6.0

Unit V A A V uC mJ mJ V K/kW K/kW

Table 2. Design parameters of a power converter.

Table 3. Main specification of IGBT module

2.3 IGBT Ratings Design

A rated current of IGBT for a converter and inverter can be expressed an equation (1).

I c 2 I inv ripple OL

(1)

Where Iinv: a rated RMS current of an inverter, ripple: the ripple current factor due to PWM (=1.1), OL: over load (=1.2). From above equation, a rated current of IGBT is 1200 A. In addition, the power loss and heat transfer conditions should be considered in the design stage [2]. For optimum operation of the IGBT, the total switching losses have to be minimum. Power loss analysis is carried out using commercial tools. Through the calculations, the ratings of IGBT stack, DC link capacitors are estimated. IGBT module (EUPEC FZ1200R33KF2C, 1200A, 3300V) was selected for a safe and reliable operation. Table 3 describes its specification.

2.4 Calculation of Cooling Capacity

The electrical components and the electrical plant as a whole are designed as to be able to resist the temperatures that occur at the installation site, the prevailing humidity and the corrosion that results. For the calculation of cooling capacity, the power loss of IGBT switch and other devices were investigated. Figure 3 shows the specified results. The total losses coming from IGBT module are estimated to be about 35 kW.
Phase Leg Current Operating DC Link Voltage Simulation Voltage Frequency Switching Frequency Junction Temp. Case Temp. Heat Sink Temp. Cooling Water Inlet Max. Temp. Cooling Water Outlet Temp. Ambient Temp. Gate Resistance 630 1250 1440 17.5 2000 118.4 87.9 69.9 58.7 60.6 40 1.2 Arms Vdc Vdc Hz Hz Degree Degree Degree Degree Degree Ohm
Phase leg current[Arms] Av erage losse s Pav [W]

IGBT: EUPEC FZ1200R33KF2C IGBT Loss ~ 3 x Diode Loss Total ~ 35 kW

Loss : 3kW/Module at 630[Arms]

Degree

Fig.3: Power Loss of IGBT Switch Also, the temperature analysis of heat sink and the specification of IGBT water-cooling system are resulted in Figure 4.

2.5 Design of Cooling System

Typically, the cooling system for power converter contains the air cooler, pumps and inverter heat sink. The power module life is shortened at increased temperature, so its important to keep the temperature inside the enclosure as low as practically possible. The power converter is energized dissipates heat all the time. Finally, the stack has to protect itself during the over-temperature conditions. When the temperature conditions goes out of normal range, the temperature interlock turns the inverter system off. The cooling system itself is 1,60 m x

1,10 m x 0,70 m, with a built in water-cooling, where the hot water is led into a radiator. The basic cooling circuit diagram for inverter power cubicle is shown in Figure 5.
Item Symbol Dimension Material Heat Sink Hydraulic Liquid Heat Power Delta T Flow Rate Pressure Drop Dimension Capacity Radiator Water Delta T Flow Rate Pressure Drop Value 273 x 187 x 18 CU Water 3500 12 21.7 38 692 x 720 x 1716 1.34 1.9 260 2.1 W Degree l/min kPa mm kW/degree Degree L/min bar Unit mm

FLUENT 6.1 Temperature Analysis of Heat Sink 74.5 1.5C @ 3.5 kW

Fig.4: IGBT water-cooling system

Conditioned Space V alve W ater Flow Inverter Stack

FA N Expansion tank Air

Filter Air Cooler

P Valve Pum p H eat Source

Fig.5: Basic cooling circuit diagram for cooling system The components specification of the cooling system was totaly reviewed before assembly. The components specification and design result of radiator cooling system is listed in Figure 6. The radiator used to cool the coolant is based on the Hyundai Olaer model SQI44-4. The dependence of the cooling power of the various radiators is shown in Figure 6 varying coolant flow rate. In our case, the coolant flow should be greater than 260 liters/min to maximize the cooling capacity. For further details, please consult specification sheet from Hyundai Olaer that describe parameters for all radiators.
M o d e l: H yu n d a i O la e r S Q I4 4 -4 F an M o to r: A C 3 p h a se, 4 p o les, 3 8 0 V 6 0 H z M ax im u m W o rk in g P ressu re: 2 1 b ar M ax im u m O il F lo w : 3 5 0 /m in C o o lin g C ap acity ( T = 4 0 C ): 5 8 4 8 0 k cal/h M ax im u m O il In let T e m p e ra tu re: 1 2 0 C

D esig n V a lu es
P ressu re D ro p : 2 .4 b ar W ater F lo w : 2 6 0 /m in C o o lin g C ap ac ity : 1 .7 k W /C W ater In let T e m p eratu re: 6 0 C

Fig. 6: Design of radiator cooling system

3.

Initial Test Results

3.1 Dynamics Test for 10-kW Simulator System

A 10-kW small-scale simulator is developed to study the control dynamics of the inverter for the 750-kW wind turbine. A prototype 20-kW PM generator is used as a 10-kW generator in the simulator [3]. The rotor blades torque of the winds is simulated by a torque control of a DC motor. The torque controller evaluates equivalent torque according to the wind speed, wind direction, blade-pitching angle. A flywheel attached to the DC motor implements the rotational inertia of turbine blades. A design principle is implemented on the 10-kW simulator. In partial load conditions, the torque will be controlled by a predefined torque speed curve. This torque speed curve is chosen to achieve operation at the optimum tip speed ratio of the rotor. For rotor speeds just above the lower rotor speed limit and just below the nominal rotor speed, a PI controller controls the torque of the rotor blades. The PI controller uses the rotor speed difference as a control input. Above rated rotor speed, the torque is controlled in order to achieve constant power output. A PI controller is used for the torque controller. A predefined torque vs. rotor speed curve in medium wind conditions for region I, II in the Fig. 1 limits the output of the torque controller. The torque speed curve is chosen in order to operate the turbine at the optimum tip speed ratio of the rotor, which gives maximum efficiency. The torque, T is given by the rotor speed, by the following equation,

T =

, Where is air density, R is blade radius, opt is optimum tip-speed ratio at the maximum torque coefficient CP, max. 400
350

0.5 R 5 2 3 C P, max opt

Generator torque [N-m]

300 250 200 150 100 50 0 0 5 10 15 20 25 30

Generator speed [rpm]

Fig.7: Converter torque control scheme

Fig.8: Demonstration of converter torque control scheme

The controller distinguishes three different control zones. These control zones are zone I, II and III in figure 3.1. The control zones I and II are active in partial load conditions and control zone III is active in full load conditions (rated power). In the control zones I and II, the pitch controller is not active. In the control zone III, the rotor speed is kept at rated speed in a range of about 10 % by the pitch and torque controller. The rotor speed difference is used as a control input for the pitch controller. Because of the non-linear interaction between change of pitch angle and change in output power for different wind speeds, a correction factor is used in the pitch controller. Above rated rotor speed in region III, the generator torque is controlled in order to keep constant power output. DC/AC converting is performed by PWM technology. During DC/AC controlling, some control method is performed for satisfying the condition for parallel operation with gird and getting high power quality such as DC link voltage, AC voltage control, AC current control, power factor control. The converter torque control scheme of a PI controller for the torque control is well demonstrated according to a predefined torque vs. rotor speed curve in figure 8. The minimum torque below 26 rpm is no-load torque due to frictions at the bearings or gearbox. Due to the system inertia, the measured values show little amount of overshoot or hysteresis. The overall pattern is well controlled and is similar to figure 7.

3.2 Initial Test for a 750-kW Inverter System

At first stage, a 750-kW inverter system is assembled and tested with the following procedure: a visual & sequence test, gate driver test, spike test of Vce, and thermal test. The thermal test is carried out in the rated current (630 A) and overload current (700 A), respectively. In case of a rated condition, the total losses coming from IGBT module are estimated to be about 33 kW, which is compatible with a 35 kW of designed loss. The

total power losses of an inverter system including a 10-kW reactor loss are approximately 43-kW. The dependence of the temperature rise on the peak output current change is shown in Figure 9. This graph shows the temperature characteristics at the overload conditions. Through the above estimation of power losses, the efficiency has been evaluated as the ratio between the output power from a generator and the output power on grid network (excluding an losses of auxiliary equipment such as pumping and control power, etc.). If input power from the PM generator is 805 kW, an inverter system gives the efficiency of 94.6% when the power factor is actively controlled.
45 40 35

Temperature

30 25 20 15 10 5 0 0 0 283 424 424 495 566 566 566 636 707 707 778 778 849 891

Tm heatsink p. Tm water inlet p. Tm water outlet p. Tm am p. bient

Output Current peak

Fig.9: Converter torque control scheme

4.

Conclusions

The 750-kW converter system has been designed with an engineering discipline in accordance with reorganized industrial standards and it will function reliably throughout its specified life. The engineering design efforts and some results for wind turbine converter equipment and assemblies that will be used for KBP-750D WEC are discussed in this paper. It features direct drive and PM excitation for higher energy yield and less maintenance demands. The power loss and heat transfer conditions of the system should be considered in the design stage. For optimum operation, the ratings of IGBT stack, DC link capacitors and other devices are analyzed. For the calculation of cooling capacity, the power loss and thermal analysis of IGBT switch and other devices were investigated to estimate the temperature rise at the rated and overload conditions respectively. The initial test results of a 750-kW converter system for the wind turbine are complied with the designed one. A 10-kW small-scale simulator is developed to study the control dynamics of the inverter for the 750-kW wind turbine. A PI controller is used for the torque controller. The torque speed curve is chosen in order to operate the turbine at the optimum tip speed ratio of the rotor, which gives maximum efficiency. It was demonstrated to limit the output of the torque controller according to a predefined torque vs. rotor speed curve in medium wind conditions. Now, the 750-kW converter system has been fully assembled. We are on the way to set-up this system to test the operational performance according to prepared test procedure [4]. Our goal in the test operation during the next fiscal year is to demonstrate and improve the reliability of main combined wind turbine system as well as an inverter system for a real site application, together with the research effort to improve the power efficiency through the understanding of the nonlinear characteristics of the WEC system. Future developments are aimed at improving their efficiency and power development for a stable system.

5.

References

[1]. M. R. Dubois, H. Polinder, J. A. Ferreira Generator Topologies for Direct-Drive Wind Turbines, an Adapted Technology for Turbines Running in Cold, Delft University of Technology, Lab. of Electrical Power Processing, The Netherlands, m.dubois@its.tudelft. [2]. R. S. Ramshaw, Power Electronics Semiconductor Switches, First Edition, 1993. Published by Chapman & Hall. [3]. D. E. Kim, J. H. Chung, J. S. Hwang, J. Y. Ryu, D. H. Kim, Development of 20 kW Class PM Direct Drive Synchronous Generator, Proceeding of the KIEE Summer Annual Conference 2003, pp. 1398-1400. [4]. International Standard, IEC 146-1-1, Third Edition, 1991-03 Semiconductor convertors, General Requirements and Commutated convertors.