Improved Control of DFIG Wind Turbines for Operation with Unbalanced Network Voltages

Abstract

Many wind turbine generators (WTGs) are installed in remote, rural areas, where the power grids are usually weak, characterized by unbalanced voltage conditions. If the voltage unbalance is not taken into account in the control system, it will cause poor power quality and poor operating performance of the WTG systems. This paper proposes a novel control scheme to improve the operating performance of a wind turbine equipped with a doubly fed induction generator (DFIG) under unbalanced network voltage conditions. The rotor-side converter (RSC) and grid-side converter (GSC) of the DFIG are controlled in a positive (dq)+ reference frame as well as in a negative (dq)- reference frame. Control of the RSC and GSC in the (dq)+ reference frame is the same as the regular control under balanced network conditions. The supplementary control of the RSC in the (dq)- reference frame minimizes the electromagnetic torque pulsations of the DFIG caused by the unbalanced network voltage; the supplementary control of the GSC in the (dq)- reference frame contributes to balance the total output currents of the DFIG. The proposed control scheme is implemented in PSCAD/EMTDC on a 3.6 MW DFIG wind turbine connected to a power network with unbalanced voltage. Results show that it improves the operating performance of the DFIG wind turbine system.