Methods to aggregate turbine and network impedance for wind farm resonance analysis

Abstract

Small-signal sequence impedance models have been developed for different types of wind turbines and used in industry to study wind farm and high-voltage direct current (HVDC) system harmonics and resonances. Compared to other small-signal methods, a major advantage of system modelling and analysis based on sequence impedance is its scalability: an equivalent impedance model can be easily built for any complex system by aggregating the impedance of individual turbines and the network. A recent development in the small-signal sequence impedance theory is the modelling of frequency coupling to improve the accuracy of system analysis and explain a common characteristic of harmonics created by system resonance. In light of this new development, this study presents and compares different aggregation methods to build farm-level impedance models in the presence of coupling in individual turbine responses. The objective is to identify practical methods that can meet the needs of different system analyses and are easily to use. Experiences of China State Grid and TenneT with the application of sequence impedance models in renewable energy and HVDC system resonance and harmonic analysis are also discussed, along with an overview of their ongoing efforts to develop new grid codes and system analysis tools based on sequence impedances.