Supercapacitor energy storage for wind energy integration

The fast growth of wind energy utilization has necessitated research on wind energy integration. Due to the variable nature of wind and the forecasting challenges, it is desirable to utilize wind energy alongside energy storage sources for reliable wind energy integration. This paper details the design of a supercapacitor storage system that is integrated into an in-lab grid that was developed to research methods aimed at optimizing energy production while increasing the predictability of wind farm outputs. The in-lab grid features the emulation of several high-power grid sources and loads including a wind farm, energy storage systems and hydro resources. Results include the storage system simulations generated from a variety of AGC algorithms run on a dSPACE rapid prototyping machine. In addition, this paper presents a model for a supercapacitor developed to be used in characterization and lifetime tests. These tests are useful in predicting performance of the system for purposes of ensuring its efficient and safe use. Results validating the model and estimating the expected performance of the system are presented.