Power quality enhancement for Thailand's wind farm using 5 MWh Li-ion battery energy storage system

Abstract

Several studies have stated that an increase in wind power plants and unpredictable wind energy generation face several issues during over-voltage. In this study, an operational 8 MW wind farm in Nakhon Ratchasima province faced severe annual feeder trips 146 times, which is not permissible according to the manufacturers. The feeder trips are mainly attributed to high grid voltage caused by low load demand. This study developed a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) to minimise feeder trips using DigiSILENT and utilized the higher feeder trip period of September to optimise BESS capacity with a 10 % grid load. Notably, a 5 MWh BESS maintained the grid voltage within an allowable range compared to the 1–4 MWh (increment of 1 MWh) throughout the operational period. Furthermore, a 5 MWh BESS was tested during low and high wind periods to assess the stability of over-voltage management. We found that the 5 MWh BESS controlled over-voltage and prevented feeder trips, resulting in enhanced power generation on selective days with high feeder trips, low wind speed, and high wind speed, generating 28.34 MWh, 0.33 MWh, and 76.67 MWh, respectively, compared to conditions without BESS. Additionally, we recommend that the 5 MWh BESS can enhance wind farm power stability and uphold the manufacturer's warranty.