1

Modeling of the energizing of a wind park radial

Tarik Abdulahović 1∗) , Torbjörn Thiringer 1∗∗)
1) Division of Electric Power Engineering, Department of Energy and Environment,
Chalmers University of Technology, 412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden
∗) e-mail tarik.abdulahovic@chalmers.se
∗∗) e-mail torbjorn.thiringer@chalmers.se

Abstract— This paper presents measurement and modeling of of 275 A. The other important parameters of the cable such
the energizing of a wind park radial. The measurements in this as the capacitance, inductance and resistance per unit length
paper are taken from the Utgrunden wind park that consists of are:
seven wind turbines each of 1.5 M W rated power. This park is
connected to the Öland 55 kV grid at the Degerhamn station. Ckm = 0.281 µF/km
The wind turbines in the Utgrunden wind park are of the pitch- Lkm = 0.352 mH/km
regulated doubly-fed induction generator (DFIG) type. Rkm = 0.14 Ω/km.
The transient voltage and the energizing current graphs are
presented and both active and reactive powers are analyzed as In order to use these parameters in the advanced
the radials to the wind park is connected.
Furthermore, the model of the Utgrunden wind park radial
PSCAD/EMTDC cable model, the dimensions of the cable
is built using PSCAD/EMTDC software. For the cable model, have to be determined. Observing the data sheets in ABB’s
the frequency-dependent (phase) model built in model is used. A ”XLPE Cable Systems - User’s guide” a perfect match could
built-in model with the saturation modeling is simulated for the not be found. The cable with electrical parameters that is the
purpose of the transients analysis and the results are compared closest match, is a 24 kV cable with 240 mm2 cross-section
with measurements.
The results show that the measured resonance frequency
of the conductor. The outer diameter of this cable matches to
agrees well with the measurements while the damping is the outer diameter of the cable used in the Utgrunden WP.
underestimated in the simulations. The parameters of this cable such as the capacitance and
Index Terms— wind turbine, transient, cable energizing,
inductance per unit length are:
transformer energizing Ckm = 0.31 µF/km
Lkm = 0.35 mH/km.
I. I NTRODUCTION - U TGRUNDEN WIND PARK
For the cable length of 12 km the total cable capacitance,
The Utgrunden wind park (WP) is a wind park located in inductance and reactances are calculated to be:
southern Kalmarsund in Sweden with a rated power produc-
C12km = 3.72 µF
tion of 10 M V A. The WP is connected to the 55 kV grid L12km = 4.2 mH
on Öland at the Degerhamn substation. The Utgrunden WP XC = 855 Ω
consists of 7 wind turbines (WT) each rated at 1.5 M V A. The XL = 1.32 Ω.
Utgrunden WP is placed 8 km west of Öland and the power
is transported using the sea cable. A simplified presentation In the WTs, the 24 kV XLPE cable is connected to
of the Utgrunden WP can be observed in Figure 1. the local WT transformer which transforms the 21 kV
voltage level to 690 V which is appropriate for the induction
55(kV) grid
21/55 generators. The rating of the transformer is 1.6 M V A with
4 km cable 8 km cable
an assumed short-circuit impedance of 6 %. A calculation
of the base impedance at the 20 kV bus gives the value
T2
of ZbT 1 = 250 Ω and the reactance and inductance of the
0.69/20

0.69/20

0.69/20

...
T1

T1

T1

transformer seen from the 20 kV bus are XT 1 = 15 Ω and

LT 1 = 47 mH.
The transformer in the Degerhamn substation has a Y/Y
...
DFIG DFIG DFIG
winding connection with a 21kV /55kV ratio and a rated
power of 12 M V A. On the high-voltage side of the trans-
former, there is a tap changer used for the adjustment of the
Utgrunden WP
transformer ratio with steps of ±1.67 %. The primary voltage
can be adjusted in 8 steps. The base impedance referred
Fig. 1. Utgrunden WP, sea cable and 21/55 kV/kV substation to the 21 kV side of the transformer is ZbT 2 = 36.75 Ω.
The short circuit impedance is ZT 2 pu = 0.4 + j6 % or
The WTs used at Utgrunden are of doubly-fed induction ZT 2 = 0.147 + j2.2 Ω
generator (DFIG) type. XT 2 = 2.2 Ω
The cable used in the Utgrunden WP is a 24 kV XLPE RT 2 = 0.147 Ω.
cable. The length of the cable from the WP to the 21/55 kV
transformer in the Degerhamn substation is 8 km and the The inductance of the transformer seen from the low-
park is about 4 km long. The sea cable has a rated current voltage side is LT 2 = 7 mH.
 NORDIC WIND POWER CONFERENCE, NWPC2007, 1-2 NOVEMBER 2007, ROSKILDE, DENMARK 2

The 55 kV grid has a short-circuit power of 126 M V A 25

with a grid impedance angle of 73◦ . The short-circuit
impedance referred to the 55 kV grid side is Zgr = 24 Ω. 20
Taking into account the value of the impedance angle, the 15
short circuit reactance and resistance of the 55 kV grid

Voltages (kV)
10
connected in the Degerhamn substation is:
5
Xgr = 23 Ω
Rgr = 7.02 Ω.
0
−5
This gives the inductance and resistance of the 55 kV −10
grid to be Lgr = 73 mH and Rgr = 7 Ω. Referred to the
21 kV voltage level, the inductance of the grid is Lgr(21) = −15
10.6 mH and the resistance is Rgr(21) = 1.02 Ω
0 1 2 3 4 5
time (s)
II. R ESONANCE IN THE U TGRUNDEN WIND PARK
The Utgrunden WP presented in a single-line diagram can Fig. 3. Phase volgates during energizing
be seen in the Figure 2.
55(kV) grid 500
21/55
4 km cable 8 km cable
400
300
T2
Phase currents (A) 200
100
0
0.69/20

0.69/20

0.69/20

... −100
T1

T1

T1

−200
−300
... −400
DFIG DFIG DFIG
−500
0 1 2 3 4 5
Utgrunden WP time (s)

Fig. 2. Simplified single phase diagram Fig. 4. Phase currents during energizing

As the switch of the transformer T2 is closed (on the 7

21 kV side) the cable and the WT transformers are energized.
Active and Reactive Power (MVA)

The capacitance of the cable is dominating in the system 6

and the other capacitances are neglected. The calculated 5
resonance frequency, taking into account the total inductance
of the system consisting of the T2 transformer inductance 4
LT 2 , the cable inductance L12 km , the inductance of the
3
55 kV grid referred to the 21 kV level and the total system
capacitance consisting of the cable capacitance C12 km is : 2

1
1
fres = p = 559 Hz
2π C12km (L12km + LT 2 + Lgr(21) ) 0
(1)
−1
0 1 2 3 4 5
III. M EASUREMENTS AND ANALYSIS OF CABLE
Time (s)
ENERGIZING IN U TGRUNDEN
In Figure 3 and Figure 4 the voltage and current of T2 is Fig. 5. Active and reactive power when cable is energized
presented.
After the cable has been energized, the voltage rises
slightly due to the reactive power generated by the cable differs from the measured frequency for 235 Hz. The cal-
capacitance. The amount of the injected reactive power and culation of the resonance frequency is quite sensitive to
the rise of the voltage can be seen on Figure 5 and Figure 6 small deviation of capacitances and inductances present in the
A zoom of the voltages and currents are shown in Figure 7 system and such deviation was expected given the difficulties
and Figure 8 in defining cable parameters.
In these figures the resonance frequency of approximately In the very beginning of the transient, between the time
794 Hz can be observed. The calculated resonance frequency instants of t = 0.0065 s and t = 0.012 s, the current transient
 NORDIC WIND POWER CONFERENCE, NWPC2007, 1-2 NOVEMBER 2007, ROSKILDE, DENMARK 3

20.8
100
20.6

Phase currents (A)

Voltage level (kV)

20.4
20.2
0
20
19.8
19.6
−100
19.4

0 1 2 3 4 5 0.2 0.22 0.24 0.26 0.28

time (s) time (s)

Fig. 6. Voltage level when cable is energized Fig. 9. Phase currents during the transformer energizing transient

25 cable capacitance remains in the system, which is shown in

20
Figure 10.

15
Voltages (kV)

10 15

5 10
Phase currents (A)

0
5
−5
0
−10
−15 −5

0 0.005 0.01 0.015 0.02 0.025 0.03 0.035 −10

time (s)
−15
Fig. 7. Phase voltages during transient
26.68 26.7 26.72 26.74 26.76
time (s)
500 Fig. 10. Steady-state phase currents - no-load current
400
300 Now, the cable and transformer energizing of the Utgrun-
Phase currents (A)

200 den WP is simulated using PSCAD/EMTDC. The system

100 is modeled using master library components. The test is
0 performed by closing the breaker on the 21 kV side of the
−100 T2 transformer. By closing the breaker, the energizing of the
−200 cable and of the transformers in the WT’s is initiated.
−300 In Figure 11 and Figure 12 the voltage and current of T2
is presented.
−400
During the energizing of the cable and the transformers
−500
the positive sequence voltage drops. After the cable has been
0 0.005 0.01 0.015 0.02 0.025 0.03 0.035 energized, the voltage rises slightly due to the reactive power
time (s) generated by the cable capacitance. The initial voltage drop
of the positive sequence voltage and the voltage rise after the
Fig. 8. Phase currents during transient cable is energized can be seen on Figure 13
A zoom of the voltages and currents are shown in Fig-
ure 14 and Figure 15
caused by the cable energizing can be seen in Figure 8. In these figures the resonance frequency is 600Hz and
After the cable is energized, the transformer becomes heavily matches the calculated resonance frequency.
saturated drawing strongly distorted currents with the peak In the very beginning of the transient, between the time
value of 580 A. The current caused by the T2 transformer instants of t = 0.0065 s and t = 0.012 s, the current transient
energizing is shown more in detail in Figure 9. caused by the cable energizing can be seen in Figure 15.
After a time period of 1 s the current transient has After the cable is energized the transformer becomes heavily
ceased and only the no-load capacitive current caused by the saturated producing strongly distorted and very high currents
 NORDIC WIND POWER CONFERENCE, NWPC2007, 1-2 NOVEMBER 2007, ROSKILDE, DENMARK 4

Phase voltages − simulation Phase voltages − simulation

30 30
20 20

Voltages(kV)
Voltages(kV)

10 10
0
0
−10
−10
−20
−20
−30 0 0.01 0.02 0.03 0.04
0 1 2 3 4 5
time(s)
time(s)
Fig. 14. Phase voltages during transient - simulation
Fig. 11. Phase volgates during energizing - simulation

Phase currents − simulation

Phase currents − simulation
600 600

400 400

Currents(A)
200 200
Currents(A)

0
0
−200
−200
−400
−400
−600
−600 0 0.01 0.02 0.03 0.04
0 1 2 3 4 5 time(s)
time(s)
Fig. 15. Phase currents during transient - simulation
Fig. 12. Phase currents during energizing - simulation

RMS Voltage − simulation accurate modeling of the skin effect leading to a better
agreement between the measurements and simulations.
21
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
RMS Voltage(kV)

The financial support provided by the Swedish National

20.5
Energy Administration, GE Wind, Energimyndigheten and
Vindforsk is gratefully acknowledged.
20
R EFERENCES
[1] Research program of the Utgrunden demonstration offshore wind farm,
19.5 Final Report: Part3, WP2, Technical Report, Chalmers University of
Technology/Statens energimyndighet P11518-2, 2005
1 2 3 4 5
time(s)

Fig. 13. Voltage level when cable is energized - simulation

with the peak value about 600 A.

Measured resonance frequency in the PSCAD/EMTDC
simulations varies between 555 Hz and 593 Hz depending
on the cable model. This is in agreement with the calculated
resonance frequency given by (1).
There is a difference in damping between the simulated
and measured results. Since the frequency of the transient
is much higher than the power frequency, the damping is
effected by skin effect. The increased damping due to the
skin effect is modeled only for the cable model, while for
the transformers and the grid the skin effect is neglected.
Improvement in the simulations might be made by more