Performance evaluation of FESS in mitigating power and voltage fluctuations due to aerodynamic effects of wind turbine

Abstract

This paper presents how a Flywheel Energy Storage System (FESS) can improve the power quality of the electric power delivered by a Fixed Speed Wind Turbine (FSWT). The aerodynamic and mechanical aspects of a wind turbine (WT) (i.e., wind shears, tower shadow, yaw error, and turbulence) generally affect the output power and voltage of the WT. This paper used a method to simulate the aerodynamic and mechanical aspects of a WT using TurbSim, AeroDyn, and FAST. Through this method, a comprehensive model was presented for a wind farm including FSWTs. In the study system, WTs are directly connected to the electrical grid, where a FESS is employed to improve the power quality. Owing to the fast response of the FESS, it has been implemented as an appropriate device for smoothing the output power fluctuations of WTs, and hence, it can mitigate the problems caused by WTs. All electrical parts of the WTs, FESS, controllers, and electrical grid are modeled by Simulink blocks, as explained in this paper. Moreover, the impact of turbulence and yaw error on the output power of WTs is observed, and the capability of a FESS in mitigating power and voltage fluctuations is assessed.