Modeling Wind Turbines in Power System
Dynamics Simulations
J.G. Slootweg’ S.W,H, de Haan2
Member, IEEE
1 Electrical Power Systems, 2 Electrical Power Processing
Faculty of Information Technology and Systems, Delft Umversity of Technology
P.O. Box 5031, 2600 GA Delft, The Netherlands
Phone: +31 152786219, Fax: +3 I 152781182, e-mail: j,g.slootweg@Jits. tudelft.nl
Abstract: In this panel contribution, the modeling of wind
turbines in power systems dynamics simulations is discussed.
First the three most important actual wind turbine concepts
are described. Then, various classes of wind turbine models
are introduced and it will be discussed which model type can
be integrated in power system dynamics simulation software.
To conclude, it will be argued that it is possible to model
various kinds of variable speed wind turbines with only one
model in power system dynamics simulations.
Keywords: wind tmrbine, modeling, simulation, power system
dynamics, grid integration
I. INTRODUCTION
As a result of increasing environmental concern, the impact of
conventional electricity generation on the environment is
being minimized and efforts are made to generate electricity
flom renewable sources. The main advantages of electricity
generation from rtmewable sources are the absence of harmtirl
emissions and the infinite availability of the prime mover that
is converted into electricity. One way of generating electricity
from renewable sources is to use wind turbines that convert
the energy contained in flowing air into electricity. Up to this
moment, the amount of wind power integrated into large scale
electrical power systems only covers a small part of the total
power system load. The rest of the power system load is for
the largest part cc,vered by conventional thermal, nuclear and
hydro power plants.
Wind turbines often do not take part in voltage and frequency
control and if a disturbance occurs, the wind turbines are
disconnected and reconnected when normal operation has
been resumed. Thus, notwithstanding the presence of wind
turbines, frequency and voltage are maintained by controlling
the large power plants as would have been the case without
any wind turbines present. This is possible, as long as wind
power penetration is still low.
However, a tendency to increase the amount of electricity
generated from wind turbines can be observed. Therefore, the
penetration of wind turbines in electrical power systems will
increase and they may begin to influence overall power
system behavior, making it impossible to run a power system
by only controlling large scale power plants. It is therefore
important to study the behavior of wind turbines in an
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H. Polinderz W.L. Kling’
Member, IEEE Member, IEEE
electrical power system and their interaction with other
generation equipment and with loads.
In this panel contribution, first the three most important actual
wind turbine concepts are described. Then, various classes of
wind turbine models are introduced and it will be discussed
which model type can be integrated in power system
dynamics simulation software. Such a model can be used to
investigate the interaction of wind turbines with other
generation equipment and with loads within the framework of
power system dynamics studies. To conclude, it will be
argued that it is possible to model various kinds of variable
speed wind turbines with only one model in power system
dynamics simulations.
II. THREE MOST IMPORTANT ACTUAL WIND
TURBINE CONCEPTS
A. Squirrel cage induction generator
The first concept is a grid coupled squirrel cage induction
generator. This concept consists of a rotor coupled to a
squirrel cage induction generator through a gearbox. The
gearbox is needed, because the optimal rotor and generator
speed ranges are different. The generator is directly grid
coupled. Therefore, rotor speed variations are very small,
because the only speed variations that can occur are changes
in the rotor slip. The order of magnitude of these speed
changes is in the per cent range. Because speed variations are
very small, the turbine is normally considered to operate at
constant speed.
A squirrel cage induction generator consumes reactive power.
Therefore, in case of large wind turbines and/or weak grids,
often capacitors are added to generate the induction generator
magnetizing current, thus improving the power factor of the
system as a whole.
The power extracted from the wind needs to be limited,
because otherwise the generator could be overloaded or the
pullout torque could be exceeded, leading to rotor speed
instability. In this concept, this is oflen done by using the stall
effect. This means that the rotor geometry is designed in such
a way that its aerodynamic properties make the rotor
eftlciency decrease in high wind speeds, thus limiting the
power extracted from the wind and preventing the generator
ffom being damaged and the rotor speed from becommg
unstable. Thus, during normal operation of a stall regulated
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 Rotor
Squirrel
cage
induction
‘earbow
Compensating
capacitors
k Because the mechanical rotor frequency and the stator
Figure 1. Grid couple(i squirrel cage induction generator
wind turbine no controller sareactive. This system concept is
also known asthe'Danish concept' andisdepicted in figure 1.
B. Doubly fed indiiction generator
The second concept is a wind turbine with doubly fed (wound
rotor) induction generator in which a back-to-back voltage
source converter feeds the rotor winding. Like in the former
concept, a gearbc~x is necessary to couple the rotor to the
generator, because of the difference in the rotor and generator
speed ranges.
The stator winding of the doubly fed induction generator is
coupled to the grid, the rotor winding is coupled to a back-to-
back voltage sourt;e converter. The other side of the converter
that feeds the rc,tor winding is coupled to the grid. The
converter decouples the electrical grid frequency and the
mechanical rotor frequency, thus enabling variable speed
operation of the wind turbine. The sum of the mechanical
rotor frequency, multiplied by the number of pole pairs, and
the electrical rotor frequency equals the grid frequency
applied to the statm. The system is depicted in figure 2.
Normally, the converter has current control loops. The ability
to control the rotor current substantially contributes to the
controllability of the wind turbine, because when the stator
resistance is neglected, the electro mechanical torque and
stator reactive pclwer are dependent on the quadrature and
direct component of the rotor current respectively. The grid
side of the converter is normally operated at unity power
Rotor Doublyfed
(woundrotor)
induction
generator
Gear box
u Converter
u,
Converter
IF ‘~“ I, 1,
Q +
Figure 2. Doub[yfed (wound rotor) induc[ion generator with back-to-
back voltage source converter feeding the rotor winding
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factor, thus not taking part in the reactive power exchange
between the turbine and the grid. In this mode of operation,
rotor current control enables full active and reactive power
control.
Active power is controlled in the following way. With a
frequency of about 20 Hz, an electrical power set point is
generated, on the basis of the actual rotor speed and using the
rotor speed versus power control characteristic. From this, a
torque set point is calculated, again taking into account he
actual rotor speed. Using this torque set point and a number
of other parameters, the required rotor current is calculated.
frequency differ, a three phase voltage is induced in the rotor
winding. Through the converter, a three phase current with
the same frequency and the calculated amplitude is fed into
the rotor winding.
The generator and converter are prevented from being
overloaded in high wind speeds by controlling the back-to-
back voltage source converter in such a way that the nominal
power of generator and converter is not exceeded. However,
when the wind speed increases, the mechanical power
extracted from the wind increases as well if no
countermeasures are taken. This would make the rotor speed
increase because mechanical power becomes higher than
electrical power. To limit the rotor speed, the blades are
pitched, thus reducing the mechanical power extracted from
the wind and restoring the balance between mechanical power
and electrical power. In this way, the rotor speed is prevented
from becoming too high. Thus, in contrast to the last concept
described, this concept is equipped with pitch control.
C. Direct drive synchronous generator
The third important contemporary wind turbine concept is the
direct drive synchronous generator. In this concept, the rotor
is directly coupled to the generator and no gearbox is needed.
The system is depicted in figure 3.
The synchronous generator is a ring generator with a large
number of poles. In view of the low mechanical frequency, it
is necessary to use a ring generator to achieve an acceptable
generator weight for the desired power rating. The stator
winding of the direct drive synchronous generator is coupled
to voltage source converter or a diode rectifier. When a back-
Rotor
Grid
Grid
“
()
‘d
Figure 3. Direct drive synchronous generator grid coupled through a
back-to-back voltage saurce canverter or a diade rectifier and vollage
source converter
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to-back voltage source converter is used, the generator torque
is controlled by changing the stator currents through
controlling the generator side converter voltage. When a
diode rectifier is used, the generator is controlled indirectly
by controlling the DC link voltage using the voltage source
converter at the grid side.
Because a voltage source converter is self-commutated,
reactive power can both be generated and consumed by the
grid side of the converter by injecting a leading or lagging
current. Thus, the current on the grid side of the converter is
controlled in such a way that the generator real power is
transferred to the grid and the terminal voltage (nearly) equals
a reference value. Like the variable speed wind turbine with
doubly fed induction generator, this concept enables full
active and reactive power control.
In high wind speeds the generator power is again limited to
protect both the generator and the converter, resulting in an
unbalance between mechanical power extracted from the
wind and generated electrical power. This leads to an increase
in rotor speed, which needs to be limited. This is again done
by pitching the blades. Like the former concept, this concept
is equipped with pitch control.
III. CATEGORIES OF WIND TIJRBINE MODELS
A. Introduction
In this section, various categories of wind turbine models will
be discussed. Only the electrical part of the wind turbine is
considered, the mechanical part is not taken into account.
Therefore, the distinction between the model categories is
based on the modeling of the electrical part of the wind
turbine. Each model category can be combined with various
representations of the mechanical ]part, reaching from an
algebraic relation between wind speed and mechanical power
combined with a lumped mass representation of the shaft and
the rotor, to a detailed high order dynamic model of the rotor,
the shaft and if applicable the gearbox, in which the blade
element method is used to calculate the mechanical power
extracted from the airflow.
B. Models based on wind turbine power curves
The first kind of wind turbine models is formed by models
that are based on the wind turbine power curve. This kind of
model is mainly used for calculations of the energy that a
wind turbine will produce if erected at some site. This value
then can further be used for calculations concerning the
financial performance of the envisioned project. Normally
hourly or half hourly measured wind speed values measured
during a long time period are used for these calculations.
Models of this kind are not adequate for power system
dynamics simulations, because they do not contain any
equations describing the dynamic behavior of the wind
turbine or its interaction with the grid. Further, they do not
take into account that in the case of variable speed wind
turbines, the power generated at a certain wind speed not only
depends on the wind speed, but on the actual values of rotor
speed and pitch angle as well.
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The only way they can be used for power system dynamics
simulations is by modeling the wind turbine as a wind speed
signal or measured wind speed sequence combined with a
controllable power source. The power curve can then be used
to calculate the amount of generated power at a certain wind
speed. This will however result in inaccuracies in the case of
variable speed wind turbines.
A model of this kind can be used for investigating slow
voltage fluctuations at some point in the network or the
reaction of other generation equipment to the fluctuations in
wind turbine power output. It can, however, not be used for
the simulation of grid faults, neither in the case of constant
speed wind turbines, because the squirrel cage induction
generator reacts to changes in grid frequency or voltage, nor
in the case of variable speed wind turbines, because in these
turbines the power electronics controllers will react very
quickly if voltage and frequency changes exceed certain
limits and have therefore to be modeled as well.
C. Subtransient models
The second kind of wind turbine models are subtranslent
models. A constant speed wind turbine model of this kind
would consist of some model of the mechanical part, from
which for a certain wind speed the generator mechanical
power or torque results. This value then must be applied to a
subtransient model of a squirrel cage induction generator.
Such an induction generator model has at least five states,
namely stator and rotor fluxes in the d- and q-axis and the
mechanical speed. The smallest time constant in this model is
in the range of 10 ms, depending on generator size. If a
constant time step is used for the simulations, it should be a
number of times smaller than this time constant, depending on
the integration algorithm used in the calculations and
therefore be equal to about 1 ms.
The first part of subtransient models of variable speed wind
turbines again consists of a conversion from wind speed to
mechanical generator power or torque. Depending on the
wind turbine type being modeled, the result is applied to a
subtransient model of a doubly fed induction generator, which
has at least five states, or a subtransient model of a
synchronous machine which has at least five states and if the
damper windings are taken into account seven or eight.
Further, detailed models of the power electronic converters
are needed, including the semiconductor switches. Both the
current control loops of the power electronic converters and
the higher level controllers controlling generator torque and
real and reactive power injected in the grid must be modeled.
The switching frequency of power electronic converters used
in wind turbines varies tlom above 10 kHz for small wind
turbines to about 1 kHz for larger ones. The smallest time
step should be a number of times smaller than the switching
frequency, resulting in time steps in the range of 0.1 ms to
0.01 ms, depending on the size of the wind turbine studied.
The following problems complicate the integration of
subtransient models in power system dynamics simulation
software:
. They are complicated, particularly in the case of
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 variable speed wind turbines. Advanced knowledge of
power electronics and control system theory is
necessary to develop and tune the model of the power
electronic converter and the controllers.
● The simulation time step is too small to make these
models practically usable in power system dynamics
simulations, resulting in the infeasibility of simulation
of large power systems with many wind turbines as
well as other generation equipment and loads,
. The number of parameters required to fully speci$
these models is large, whereas the influence of some
parameters on the relevant aspects of wind turbine
behavior is small and many of the parameters are not
known in the early stages of power system studies.
Furthermore, the subtransient models do not comply with an
important characteristic of power system dynamics simulation
software, namely the modeling of the network using a
constant admittance or impedance matrix. This implies that in
power system dynamics simulations only fi.mdamental
tlequency components are taken into account and subtransient
phenomena are neglected. To get a consistent model of the
whole power syst:m including the wind turbines, the latter
should also im;orporate only fundamental frequency
components and no higher harmonics. Therefore, transient or
dynamic models hive to be developed.
D. Transient or d)natnic models
The third kind of wind turbine models are transient or
dynamic models. Starting from a subtransient model, a
transient model can be developed in the following way
. In the constant speed wind turbine model and in the
model of ?, variable speed wind turbine with doubly
fed induction generator, the d$/dt terms in the stator
voltage equations must be neglected.
● In the models of the variable speed wind turbines, the
grid side of the power electronic converters must be
modeled as a controlled voltage source, that is
equipped with such a controller that a set point for the
grid current is reached within about 10 ms.
The above measures solve the inconsistency between the
subtransient variable speed wind turbine models and the
model ing of the network and the other generators in power
system dynamics simulations. However, the three other
problems of variable speed wind turbine models, namely the
complexity of the models and the small simulation time step
and large number of parameters required have not been fully
solved yet. Therefore, the following additional simplifications
are proposed:
. In the model of the variable speed wind turbine with
doubly fed induction generator, the d~/dt terms in the
rotor volta;~e equations are neglected.
. In the model of the variable speed wind turbine with
direct drive synchronous generator, the d*/dt terms are
neglected in both the stator and the rotor voltage
equations.
. The power electronic converters are no longer
modeled as controlled voltage sources, but as
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controlled current sources. This is possible due to the
neglect of the d~ldt temns in the voltage equations,
because instantaneous current changes do not lead to
high overvoltages as would have been the case with
the d$/dt terms included.
As a result of these simplifications, an algebraic equation
between generator torque and rotor current in the wind
turbine with doubly fed induction generator and between
generator torque and stator current in the wind turbine with
direct drive synchronous generator results.
This observation enables a last substantial simplification.
When an algebraic relation between generator rotor or stator
current and generator torque exists, a generator torque set
point can be reached instantaneously by injecting the
appropriate rotor or stator currents. However, when torque set
points can be reached instantaneously, it is not necessary to
drag along the equations describing the generator, Instead, the
generator can be modeled as a torque source, which
immediately generates an amount of torque equal to the set
point generated by the controller.
An important advantage of this approach is that it opens the
way to model both kinds of variable speed wind turbines with
one model, a universal variable speed wind turbine model.
The differences in behavior of the two generator types used
are compensated by the power electronic converters and the
controllers and the result is a great similarity with respect to
grid interaction for both kinds of variable speed wind
turbines, which is the main point of interest in power system
dynamics simulations.
Note the difference between the models based on the wmd
turbine power curve, as described above, and the universal
variable wind speed model that results after the
simplifications carried out here. In the first case, the behavior
of the mechanical part of the wind turbine and the protection
system of the power electronic converter are not taken into
account. However, the universal variable speed wind turbine
model derived here must be combined with an adequate
model of the wind turbine rotor including rotor speed control
and pitch control, with power factor or grid voltage control
and with a model of the protection system of the converter.
Otherwise, the resulting model is basically a model based on
the wind turbine power curve, which is not adequate for all
power system dynamics studies as argued above.
IV. CONCLUSIONS
In this panel contribution, the modeling of wind turbines in
power system dynamics simulations was discussed. First, the
most important actual wind turbine concepts were described
Then, various models of each of these concepts were
discussed, namely:
● Models based on the wind turbine power curve, which
do not incorporate the wind turbine reactions to
terminal voltage and frequency changes and contain
inaccuracies in the case of variable speed wind
turbines, because they do not take into account actual
pitch angle and rotor speed values.
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o Subtransiect models, including detailed models of the
generators, power electronics and controllers, which
can not be used in power system dynamics
simulations, because they contain high frequency
components and fimther have a small simulation time
step and their complexity as an additional
disadvantage.
● Transient m dynamic models, which are derived from
subtransient models by neglecting the terms that
introduce higher harmonics and the switching
phenomena and by replacing controlled voltage
sources by controlled current sources.
Finally, it was concluded that after the simplifications that are
necessary to derive a transient model for use in power system
dynamics simulations starting from a subtransient model, the
differences between the two generator types used in variable
speed wind turbines can not be seen in their interaction with
the grid anymore, because they are fully compensated for by
the controllers. Therefore, it is possible to replace the
generator by a controllable torque source, enabling the
representation of both variable speed wind turbine types with
one universal vari:~blespeed wind turbine model.
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However, this model should be combined with an adequate
rotor model, a rotor speed controller model, a power factor or
grid voltage controller model and a model of the protection
system of the power electronic converter, because otherwise
an inadequate model comparable to the power curve based
models described above would result.
V. FURTHER READING
The following references may be consulted for further
information with respect to the topics addressed in this
summary:
[1] S. Heier, Grid integration of Wind Energy Conversion
Systems, Chicester, UK: John Wiley& Sons Ltd., 1998.
[2] J.F. Walker, N, Jenkins, Wind energy technology,
Chicester, UK: John Wiley& Sons Ltd., 1997.
[3] N. Hatziargyriou (cd.), Modeling new forms of generation
and storage, CIGRE TF38.O 1.10, Paris, November 2000
[4] V. Akhmatov, H. Knudsen, A.H. Nielsen, Advanced
simulation of windmills in the electric power supply,
International Journal of Electrical Power& Energy Systems,
VO1.22no.6, 2000, pp.421-434.
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