Enhancement of DFIG LVRT Capability during Extreme Short-Wind Gust Events using SMES Technology

Wind energy is one of the premier renewable energy sources that have gained popularity during the last decade. Among the currently available wind energy conversion systems (WECS), doubly fed induction generator-based technology has been widely employed due to its superior advantageous. The key features of the DFIG-based WECS include its ability to capture more wind energy and support the grid with large reactive power during short disturbance events. On the other hand, DFIG is very sensitive to grid faults which affect its fault ride through (FRT) capability. Furthermore, extreme wind gust even for short durations may lead to the violation of the low voltage ride through (LVRT) threshold limits set by worldwide transmission line operators. This situation cannot be mitigated by the turbine blades pitch controller since the response of the pitch mechanical control is much slower than the rapid dynamic change in the wind speed during short duration of wind gust events. While DFIG FRT capability has been discussed in several papers in the literature, not much attention was given to the mitigation of the effects of extreme wind gust of short duration on the DFIG performance. In this paper, the effect of various levels of wind gust on the performance of a DFIG-based wind energy conversion grid-connected system is investigated and mitigated using a new controller for superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES) unit. A combination of hysteresis current and fuzzy logic controllers is employed to control the voltage source converter and the DC-DC chopper interfacing the SMES coil with the investigated system. Simulation results reveal the effectiveness of the proposed SMES controller that can be easily implemented within existing as well as new WECS installations.