Comparing Single and Multiple Turbine Representations in a Wind Farm Simulation: Preprint

Utility system operators and engineers want a better understanding of the impacts of large wind farms on grid stability before they are interconnected to the grid. Utilities need wind electrical models and methods of analysis that will help them analyze potential problems of grid stability. Without the necessary tools and knowledge of the behavior of large wind farms, utilities are reluctant to integrate more wind power into the grid. This work compares single turbine representation versus multiple turbine representation in a wind farm simulation. While single turbine representation presents a simpler model, it has some disadvantages compared to multiple turbine representation. One disadvantage is that a single turbine representation does not capture the composite behavior of the wind farm, another, is that the single turbine represents the worst-case scenario when a fault occurs in the wind farm where the farm either stays connected to the grid or becomes completely disconnected from the grid. In this work, we tried to identify the advantages and disadvantages of the two system representations when simulating dynamic response of a wind farm exposed to a fault condition. We want to determine the impact of diversity in a wind farm, such as different impedances in the line feeders connected to each turbine, on the turbine behavior during fault. This paper emphasizes the dynamic behavior of the power system.