Patent Description:
During over frequency events, the power plant may be requested to react to the frequency event by reducing the power production according to the given power reduction. <CIT> describes an example of a known control method for a power plant.

In a given control mode of the wind turbines they are controlled to produced power according to the available wind power. Accordingly, a wind gust can lead to an increase of the power production, even though the power reference to the power plant has been reduced by said given power reduction.

Accordingly, it is a problem that changes in the available wind power can lead to an increase in the wind power during an over frequency event where the power plant is requested to decrease its power production. The present invention has been devised to solve this problem.

It is an object of the invention to improve control of power plants to alleviate one the above mentioned problems, and therefore to provide a method which provides improved control of power plants comprising wind turbines during a grid frequency fault such as an over frequency event.

In a first aspect of the invention, a method for controlling a power plant during an event which requires a change of the power produced by the power plant is provided, wherein the power plant comprises a plurality of power generating units including at least one wind turbine generator, wherein the power plant is connected to an electrical power grid for supplying power from the power generating units to the electrical power grid, and wherein the power plant is controlled to produce power according to a power reference, the method comprises.

The event which requires a change of the power produced by the power plant may be a grid frequency event such as a situation where the grid frequency becomes too high or too low, but the event could also be triggered by other changes relating to the power grid or the power plant such as operational conditions of the wind turbines.

Advantageously, by memorizing a power level such as the produced power or the available power at the time of detection of the first event and limiting the modified power reference during the period of time between the first and second event, it is guaranteed that unintended changes of the power production does not worsen the situation that led to the occurrence of the first event.

For example, in case of an over frequency event, the power plant may support the grid by reducing the power production. In this case a maximum power limit is set to ensure that the power production does not exceed the limit e.g. due to an increase of the available power.

In case of an under frequency event, the power plant may support the grid by increasing the power production. In this case a minimum power limit is set to ensure, or at least attempt, that the power production does not decrease below the limit e.g. due to a decrease of the available power or due to other conditions.

According to an embodiment, the method comprises.

The gradual change may be achieved according to a predetermined function such as a ramping function, in contrast to instantaneous changing the power reference or change the power reference as a step change.

According to an embodiment, the method comprises, in response to the detection of the second event, removing the power limit. Thus, when the grid event is over, the, power limit is removed before the modified power reference is ramped towards the available power.

According to an embodiment, a rate of changing the modified power reference is dependent on an input variable. Advantageously, the input variable may relate to an actual grid frequency. Thereby, the ramp rate may be set dependent on the deviation between the actual grid frequency and the nominal grid frequency.

According to the invention, the memorized power level is equal or substantially equal to the actual power production at the time of the detection of the first event.

According to an embodiment, the changing of the power reference to the modified power reference comprises reducing the power reference by the power variation.

According to an embodiment, the first event is a grid frequency event occurring when the grid frequency deviates from the nominal grid frequency by a predetermined amount.

A second aspect of the invention relates to a central controller for controlling power production of a power plant which comprises a plurality of power generating units including at least one wind turbine generator, where the power plant is connected to an electrical power grid for supplying power from the power generating units to the electrical power grid, where the power plant is controlled to produce power according to a power reference, and where the central controller is arranged to perform the method according to the first aspect.

A third aspect of the invention relates to a power plant which comprises a plurality of power generating units including at least one wind turbine generator and the central controller according to second aspect.

A fourth aspect of the invention relates to a computer program product comprising software code adapted to control a power plant when executed on a data processing system, the computer program product being adapted to perform the method of the first aspect.

In general, the various aspects and embodiments of the invention may be combined and coupled in any way possible within the scope of the claims.

These and other aspects, features and/or advantages of the invention will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter.

<FIG> shows a power plant <NUM> which comprises a plurality of power generating units <NUM> such as wind turbines. The power plant <NUM> may be a renewable power plant comprising only renewable power generating units. In general, the power generating units <NUM> may consist of different types of power generating units, e.g. different types of renewable power generating units such as solar power units <NUM> (e.g. photovoltaic solar panels) and wind turbines. According to an embodiment, at least one of the power producing units <NUM> of the power plant <NUM> is a wind turbine. The power plant <NUM> may comprise at least three power generating units <NUM> of the same or different types, i.e. a mix, of different types of power generating units. For example, the power plant <NUM> may consist only of wind turbines <NUM> and in this case at least three wind turbines <NUM>. In another example, the power plant <NUM> comprises at least two wind turbines <NUM> and at least one or two other power generating units <NUM>.

The power plant is connectable with an electrical power grid (not shown) for supplying power from the power generating units <NUM> to the electrical power grid.

The power plant <NUM> is controlled by a central controller <NUM>. The central controller <NUM> is arranged to control power generation from the power generating units <NUM> according to a power plant reference Pref which defines the desired power to be supplied to the grid from the power plant <NUM>. Furthermore, the central controller is arranged to dispatch power set-points Pset to the power generating units, i.e. individual power set-points to each power generating unit <NUM>, or at least the wind turbines <NUM>, which sets the desired power productions of the individual units. The power set-points Pset may be determined by the central controller <NUM> dependent on the power plant reference Pref so that the sum of power set-points Pset corresponds to the power plant reference Pref.

The central controller <NUM> may in addition be configured to control the power plant's reactive power production, grid frequency control and/or other functions <NUM> such as determining a maximal allowed power production value Pmax for the power plant.

Thus, an objective of the central controller <NUM> is to ensure that the demanded power (e.g. from the Transmission System Operator (TSO)) is delivered, this applies both to increases and decreases in the power plant reference, Pref.

The wind turbine <NUM> may comprise a tower and a rotor with at least one rotor blade, such as three blades. The rotor is connected to a nacelle which is mounted on top of the tower and being adapted to drive a generator situated inside the nacelle. The rotor is rotatable by action of the wind. The wind induced rotational energy of the rotor blades is transferred via a shaft to the generator. Thus, the wind turbine is capable of converting kinetic energy of the wind into mechanical energy by means of the rotor blades and, subsequently, into electric power by means of the generator. The generator may include a power converter for converting the generator AC power into a DC power and a power inverter for converting the DC power into an AC power to be injected into the electrical power grid.

The generator of the wind turbine <NUM>, or other power generating unit <NUM>, is controllable to produce power corresponding to the power set-point Pset provided by the central controller <NUM>. For wind turbines, the output power may be adjusted according to the power set-point by adjusting the pitch of the rotor blades or by controlling the power converter to adjust the power production. Similar adjustment possibilities exist for other power generating units <NUM>.

The available power Pava_i of a wind turbine <NUM> can be determined based on the current wind speed and other parameters limiting the power production. For example, the available power Paval_i may be defined as the maximum possible power output of a wind turbine under the given wind conditions. Thus, the available power will be close to the power output according to the power optimised power curve of a specific turbine. The power curve used herein is understood as the power Coefficient (Cp) optimised power curve for the specific turbine. In other words, the power curve represents the maximum power output of a turbine under normal operation as a function of the wind speed.

The available power Pava of the power plant <NUM> may be determined based on the sum of available power levels of each power generating unit <NUM>. Particularly, the available power Pava of the wind turbines <NUM> of the power plant <NUM> may be determined as the sum of the available power levels Pava_i of the wind turbines <NUM>. Accordingly, the available power Pava or the available wind power Pava defines an estimate for the expected future available power. For a power plant <NUM> comprising a combination of solar power units <NUM> and wind turbines <NUM>, the available power Pava therefore represents an estimate of the future solar and wind energy. Alternatively, in a power plant <NUM> comprising wind turbines <NUM>, optionally in combination with solar power units <NUM>, the available power may be an available wind power Pava representing an amount of the future wind energy.

The power plant <NUM> may be configured to determine the power reference Pref dependent on an available power Pava, e.g. by setting the power reference Pref equal to the determined available power Pava in order to achieve a maximum power production. In other modes, the power reference Pref may be determined in other ways. For example, the power reference Pref may be curtailed to a maximum power level.

<FIG> shows in the upper graphs to the left and right, a grid frequency event where the grid frequency has increased by an amount relative to the nominal grid frequency fnom during the period t1-t2.

The frequency fault starting at t1, which could be an over frequency as shown, alternatively an under frequency, is referred to herein as a first event. The first event may be trigged by the detection of the grid frequency exceeding a given threshold such as the threshold of a frequency dead band. Similarly, a second event at time t2 may be triggered by the detection of the grid frequency returning to a frequency within the dead band or other frequency threshold thereby indicating that nominal grid frequency has been reestablished or an acceptable grid frequency has been achieved.

The frequency fault starting at t1, which could be an over frequency as shown, alternatively an under frequency, or other event which demands a change in the power reference Pref is referred to herein as a first event.

The central controller <NUM> or a control system thereof is configured to determine a power variation ΔP in response to the start of the frequency fault, i.e. in response to the first event.

In case of an over frequency, e.g. where the grid frequency exceeds an upper threshold value of a given dead band frequency range, the power plant <NUM> can help stabilizing or restoring the grid frequency by reducing its power production according to the power variation ΔP. Similarly, in case of an under frequency, where the grid frequency has decreased below the nominal frequency, e.g. below a lower threshold of the dead band frequency range, the power plant <NUM> can help stabilizing or restoring the grid frequency by increasing its power production according to the power variation ΔP.

Thus, in response to detecting the first event the power plant <NUM>, such as the central controller <NUM>, is configured to change the power reference Pref to a modified power reference Pref_mod by a power variation ΔP.

Since the power reference Pref is determined from the available power Pava, in an example, the modified power reference Pref_mod is determined as a modification of the available power Pava such as Pref_mod = Pava-ΔP. It is noted that ΔP could also be determined as a negative quantity and therefore added to Pava in response to an over frequency event.

<FIG> shows in an example in the lower graph to the left, that the power reference Pref is changed from Pref=Pava to Pref=Pref_mod=Pava-ΔP. Herein the power reference Pref being modified according to ΔP is referred to as the modified power reference Pref_mod. At time t2, the nominal grid frequency has been reestablished and the power reference Pref is ramped from the modified power reference Pref_mod=Pava-ΔP back to the non-modified power reference Pref=Pava.

This situation is not desirable since at some time after t1, the modified power reference Pref_mod increases above the power level PA which was produced at t1 when the over frequency event started. Accordingly, the power plant <NUM> does not support the over frequency event by reducing the power production.

<FIG>, in the lower graph to the right, illustrates an embodiment wherein the modified power reference Pref_mod is limited to a maximum power limit Pmax.

In this example, the maximum power limit Pmax is achieved by memorizing the power level corresponding to the produced active power at the time of detection of the first event, i.e. when the grid frequency fault is detected. Thus, in this example the memorized power level Pmem is set to the produced power PA (which corresponds to the available power Pava at t1 which was produced at t1). The memorized power level Pmem may be stored in a memory of the central controller <NUM> or other memory of the power plant <NUM>. The produced power such at the power PA produced at t1 may be obtained from measurements or estimations. In practice the produced power at t1, or other corresponding power such as the available power at t1, may be used for setting the memorized power level Pmem at t1.

Then the maximum power limit Pmax is set to the memorized power level Pmem so that the modified power reference Pref_mod is limited to Pmax in case the available power Pava should exceed Pmax.

The memorized power level Pmem need not be identical with the power production level at time t1, but may be set at a value different, i.e. smaller or larger dependent on whether the first event is an over or under frequency event. Thus, in general the memorized power level Pmem may be obtained based on the actual power production Pmeas at the time of the detection of the first event, or based on the available power production Pava at time t1, or other corresponding power level. For example, the memorized power level Pmem may be set to the available power Pava at time t1 modified by the determined power variation ΔP, i.e. Pmem=Pava-ΔP.

Based on the limited modified power reference, i.e. the modified power reference which is limited in case the modified power reference exceeds the maximum power limit Pmax, the central controller <NUM> or other controller of the power plant <NUM> controls the power production of the wind turbines.

<FIG>, in the lower graphs to the left and right, shows that the power reference is ramped from the value of the modified power reference Pref_mod in response to the second event at t2 to the available power Pava. <FIG>, in the lower graph to the right, shows ramping according to solutions described in connection with <FIG>.

<FIG> shows in the upper and lower graphs to the left, the same over frequency situation as in <FIG>, where the memorized power level Pmem is set to PA, the produced power level at t1.

Similarly, <FIG> shows, in the upper and lower graphs to the right, the same over frequency situation as in <FIG>, but where the memorized power level Pmem is set to the produced power PA at t1 modified with the power variation ΔP, i.e. Pmax=Pmem=PA-ΔP.

<FIG> shows, in the upper and lower graphs to the left, the normal situation where the central controller <NUM> is not configured to ramp the power reference Pref at the time t2 of the second event back to the available power Pava, but instantaneously releases the limitation of the modified power reference Pref_mod, being limited according to the memorized power level Pmem. Therefore, in situations where the power level Pava-ΔP has been limited according to Pmax, the power reference instantaneously changes from the limited modified power reference Pref_mod given at the time before the occurrence of the second event to the unlimited modified power reference Pref_mod at the time after the second event, and then the modified power reference Pref_mod is ramped to the available power Pref=Pava according to the ramp rate ΔPramp1 applied to power variations ΔP.

The instantaneous change of the power reference may cause undesirable loads of the wind turbine.

According to an embodiment, the central controller <NUM> is configured to gradually change the modified and limited power reference Pref_mod towards the available power Pava over a period of time. Thus, in situations where the modified power reference Pref_mod has been limited according to the maximum power level Pmax, the power reference is ramped from the limited power reference to the available power Pava.

Further, in response to the detection of the second event at time t2 the central controller <NUM> is configured to remove the maximum power limit Pmax or to disable the limit function <NUM>.

The central controller <NUM> may be configured to determine the a rate of changing the modified power reference Pref_mod towards the available power Pava dependent on an input variable. For example, the input variable may be related to the actual grid frequency fm so that if the grid frequency is within a first threshold the rate is given by a first rate value, and if the grid frequency is within a second threshold the rate is given by a second rate value, wherein the second threshold is closer to the nominal grid frequency fnom than the first threshold and the first rate value is lower than the second rate value.

<FIG> shows an example of a control system <NUM> of the central controller <NUM> which is arranged to determine the modified power reference Pref_mod according to the examples and embodiments described herein.

The control system <NUM> comprises a latch function arranged to memorize the power level of the actual power production Pmeas or equivalently the available power Pava and latch said power level at the time t1 of the detection of the first event. In this example, the latch function is embodied by the memorizer <NUM> and the latch <NUM>, where the memorizer <NUM> is updated on a continuous basis with the power production levels Pmeas or Pava when the grid frequency fm is within an allowed range such as a dead band range as indicated by the input signal from the P-f function <NUM>. If the input signal from the P-f function <NUM> changes due to the grid frequency event where the grid frequency fm exceeds the frequency threshold of the dead band, the memorizer <NUM> stops updating the memorized power level Pmem so that Pmem is frozen to the value of Pmeas or Pava at the occurrence of the first event.

The memorizer <NUM> and the latch <NUM> could also be been combined into a single unit.

The P-f function <NUM> determines the power variation ΔP dependent on a deviation between the measured grid frequency fm and frequency threshold of the frequency dead band or the nominal grid frequency fnom, e.g. by use of function which relates ΔP with the grid frequency fm or grid frequency deviation.

The minimum function <NUM> selects the signal from either the output of the summing function <NUM> or the summing function <NUM> which as has the smallest value, such as the smallest average value over a given period.

Any changes of the of power variation ΔP, such as a change from zero to a given ΔP value, or vice versa, is rate limited by a first rate limiter <NUM>. The rate of the first rate limiter <NUM> is shown as ΔPramp1 in <FIG>.

As shown, the power reference Pref or equivalently the modified power reference Pref_mod is determined as Pref=Pref_mod=Pava-ΔP. Thus, as long as there is no grid frequency fault, the power reference Pref is determined as Pava since ΔP is equal to zero. When a non-zero power variation ΔP is generated due to the frequency fault, the modified power reference Pref_mod is determined as Pava-ΔP.

At the occurrence of the second event when the grid frequency recovers at a time t2, the value of Pmem is no longer frozen to the value of Pmeas or Pava at the occurrence of the first event, but is released to follow the available power Pava. Therefore, if the available power Pava differs from - e.g. is greater than - the memorized power level Pmem, a step change of the power reference Pref is unavoidable.

To address this problem, the control system <NUM> is configured with a second rate limiter <NUM> and a rate initialization function <NUM> arranged to ramp the power reference Pref from the memorized power level Pmem=Pmax. The function of the rate initialization function <NUM> is:
Just before an occurrence of the second event at t2, the output of the summing function <NUM> is Px + ΔP, where Px is an arbitrary output of the second rate limiter <NUM>. This output need to be set to a suitable value.

Therefore, at the occurrence of the second event, the initialization function <NUM> is triggered by a change of the signal <NUM> from the latch function <NUM> to set its output value to the memorized power level Pmem + ΔP. Thus, at time t2 the output of the second rate limiter <NUM> is Pmem + ΔP or equally Pmax + ΔP.

Accordingly, at t2, the output of the summing function <NUM> is Pmem + ΔP - ΔP = Pmem.

In the situations where Pmem is smaller than Pava at t2 when the second event has been detected, the minimum function <NUM> will select the output from the summing function <NUM> which will be ramp rate limited according to the ramp rate ΔPramp2 of the second rate limiter <NUM>. The effect of the solution involving the second rate limiter <NUM> is shown in <FIG>, to the right.

The limiter <NUM> implements the limitation of the modified power reference Pref_mod to the maximum power limit Pmax.

<FIG> shows an example of an alternative control system <NUM> arranged to determine the modified power reference Pref_mod and to provide a ramping function to gradually change the modified power reference Pref_mod towards the available power Pava over a period of time in the situation where Pmem is smaller than Pava at t2.

Elements of <FIG> have the same or corresponding function.

In comparison with <FIG>, the alternative control system <NUM> comprises a state machine <NUM> arranged to control the rate limiter <NUM> dependent on whether the latch function embodied by the memorizer <NUM> and the latch <NUM> latches the memorized power level Pmem. For example, in the situation where the latch is released in response to the second event at time=t2 and the grid frequency fm is within the acceptable dead band, the state machine instructs the rate limiter <NUM> to apply the ramp rate ΔPramp2 so that, in situations where Pmem is smaller than Pava at t2, the power reference Pref outputted from the minimum function <NUM> will be ramp rate limited according to the ramp rate ΔPramp2 of the rate limiter <NUM> towards the available power Pava.

The state machine <NUM> may be configured to determine the ramp rate to be applied by the rate limiter <NUM> dependent on an input variable such as the actual grid frequency fm and thereby modify the ramp rate dependent on the deviation between the grid frequency fm and the nominal grid frequency fnom.

Similarly, the first and second rate limiter <NUM>, <NUM> may be configured to determine the ramp rate to be applied dependent on an input variable.

Claim 1:
A method for controlling a power plant (<NUM>) during an event which requires a change of the power produced by the power plant, wherein the power plant (<NUM>) comprises a plurality of power generating units (<NUM>) including at least one wind turbine generator (<NUM>), wherein the power plant is connected to an electrical power grid for supplying power from the power generating units to the electrical power grid, and wherein the power plant is controlled to produce power according to a power reference (Pref), the method comprises
- determining the power reference (Pref) dependent on an available power (Pava),
- changing the power reference to a modified power reference (Pref_mod) by a power variation (ΔP) in response to detecting a first event,
- memorizing a power level (Pmem), wherein the memorized power level (Pmem) is obtained based on an obtained power level relating to the actual power production (Pmeas) at a time (t1) of the detection of the first event,
- setting a power limit (Pmax) to the memorized power level (Pmem),
- limiting the modified power reference (Pref_mod) to the power limit (Pmax), and
- controlling the power produced by the wind turbines in accordance with the limited modified power reference,
wherein the memorized power level (Pmem) is equal or substantially equal to the actual power production (Pmeas) at the time of the detection of the first event.