The impact of wind farm aggregation techniques for analyzing power system dynamics

The introduction and penetration of non-conventional renewable energy based generation technologies in South Africa and the world over has increased grid connection complexities. This has resulted in strict grid code requirements by utilities in order to ensure a reliable, safe and economically manageable grid operation. This justifies the need for adequate system models to represent overall system dynamics of grid connected renewable energy sources during normal and abnormal grid disturbances. Wind generation technology has become the world's largest growing energy source due to its non-emission of carbon gases, it is available in abundance and is reproducible. This research paper presents the different methods that can be used to aggregate a wind farm consisting of the doubly fed induction generator (DFIG) wind turbine for simulation sudies and predicting wind farm dynamic performance during normal and abnormal grid conditions. By comparing the aggregated wind farm models with the full wind farm model, this research paper confirms that the different aggregating techniques used in simulation studies provides identical results, hence confirming that aggregating techniques can be used to reduce computational complexities on the one hand and be able to predict the wind farm's influence on the system dynamic behavior on the other hand.