Development of a 5-kW Scaled Prototype of a 2.5 MW Doubly-Fed Induction Generator

The increasing penetration of wind power in electricity networks necessitates the detailed modeling of wind generators in order to assess their impact on power systems. This is usually done by means of computer simulation. However, the accuracy of the simulation results is limited by the complexity of the simulation models. Greater accuracy can be achieved by assessing the impact of wind generators experimentally using scaled prototypes. In this paper, a 2.5 MW doubly-fed induction generator (DFIG) is scaled down to 5 kW for use in a laboratory-based wind energy system. This is proposed to be used for laboratory-based experimental investigations of network integration issues associated with DFIG-based wind systems. A scaling methodology is formulated with the objective of keeping the dynamic response identical for the two DFIG. Finite-element analysis is used to verify the analytical design, which agrees with the test results.