General Electric Company

General Electric Renovables Espana, S.l.

Saurabh Shukla

Govardhan Ganireddy

Robert Gregory Wagoner

Rajni Kant Burra

Ravisekhar Nadimpalli Raju

Anthony Michael Klodowski

Harold Robert Schnetzka

John Leo Bollenbecker

Rajib Datta

Rui Zhou

Yashomani Yashodhan Kolhatkar

Arvind Kumar Tiwari

Kapil Jha

Zhuohui Tan

Wei Ren

Steven Wade Sutherland

Olive Ray

Randal Voges

Baraa Kadhum

Sumeet Singh Thakur

Sumeet Thakur

A method for reactive power control of a wind farm having a plurality of clusters of wind turbines with a cluster transformer connecting each cluster of wind turbines to a power grid is provided. The method includes receiving, via a plurality of cluster-level controllers, a reactive power command from a farm-level controller. The method also includes generating, via the cluster-level controllers, a cluster-level reactive current command for each cluster of wind turbines based on the reactive power command. Further, the method includes distributing, via the cluster-level controllers, a turbine-level reactive current command to turbine-level controllers of the wind turbines based on the cluster-level reactive current command.

System and method for reactive power control of a wind farm

A method for isolating faults in an electrical power system connected to a power grid includes dividing the electrical power system into a plurality of power modules each including a plurality of electrical power subsystems and a substation. Each of the electrical power subsystems defines a stator power path and a converter power path for providing power to the power grid and having a partial power transformer. The method also includes coupling each of the power modules to the power grid via a primary electrical line. Further, the method includes monitoring the electrical power system for faults. In response to detecting a fault in one of the power modules, the method includes isolating the fault to the power module experiencing the fault. In contrast, if the fault is detected in the primary electrical line or the power grid, the method includes tripping the electrical power system.

Systems and methods for isolating faults in electrical power systems connected to a power grid

An electrical power system includes a cluster of electrical power subsystems, each of the electrical power subsystems including a power converter electrically coupled to a generator having a generator rotor and a generator stator. Each of the electrical power subsystems defines a stator power path and a converter power path for providing power to the power grid. The converter power path includes a partial power transformer. The electrical power system further includes a subsystem breaker configured with each of the electrical power subsystems, and a cluster transformer for connecting each cluster of electrical power subsystems to the power grid. The electrical power system further includes a cluster power path extending between each subsystem breaker and the cluster transformer, and a distortion filter electrically coupled to the cluster transformer. The distortion filter reduces harmonics in current flowing from the electrical power subsystems to the cluster transformer.

Electrical power systems and methods using distortion filters

An electrical power subsystem includes a generator comprising a generator stator and a generator rotor, and a power converter electrically coupled to the generator. The power converter includes a plurality of rotor-side converters electrically coupled in parallel, a line-side converter, and a regulated DC link electrically coupling the plurality of rotor-side converters and the line-side converter. The electrical power subsystem further includes a stator power path for providing power from the generator stator to the power grid, and a converter power path for providing power from the generator rotor through the power converter to the power grid.

Electrical power systems and subsystems

A wind power generation system including a doubly fed induction generator (DFIG) of a wind turbine is presented. The DFIG includes a rotor and a stator, a rotor-side conversion unit coupled to the rotor, a direct current (DC) link, and at least one line-side conversion unit coupled to the rotor-side conversion unit via the DC link and coupled to the stator of the DFIG. The at least one line-side conversion unit includes exactly one first converter, high frequency transformers, and second converters, where each of the second converters is coupled to the first converter via a respective high frequency transformer, and inverters, where each of the inverters is coupled to a respective second converter and includes an alternative current (AC) phase terminal.

Power conversion systems and associated methods

Systems and methods for operating a cluster transformer operably coupled to cluster of DFIG wind turbines in low-wind conditions are provided. A wind turbine cluster system can include at least one DFIG module, a cluster transformer, and a control device configured to control operation of the cluster transformer based at least in part on a wind parameter. Each DFIG module can include a doubly fed induction generator comprising a rotor configured to generate AC power at a first voltage, a stator configured to generate AC power at a second voltage, and a power conversion system coupled to the rotor to convert power at the first voltage to power at the second voltage. The cluster transformer can be configured to receive power at the second voltage from the at least one DFIG module and convert the power at the second voltage to power at a third voltage.

Low-wind operation of clustered doubly fed induction generator wind turbines

An electrical power system includes a cluster of electrical power subsystems, each of the electrical power subsystems including a power converter electrically coupled to a generator having a generator rotor and a generator stator. Each of the electrical power subsystems defines a stator power path and a converter power path for providing power to the power grid, the converter power path including a partial power transformer. Each of the electrical power subsystems further includes a low voltage distribution panel electrically coupled to the converter power path, a first switch on the stator power path, and a second switch on the converter power path.

A method for optimizing reactive power generation of an electrical power system includes generating, via a plurality of cluster-level controllers, a cluster-level reactive power command for each cluster of electrical power subsystems based on a system-level reactive power command. The method also includes determining, via the cluster-level controllers, a subsystem-level reactive power command for each of the electrical power subsystems based on the cluster-level reactive power command. Further, the method includes evaluating, via a plurality of subsystem-level controllers, reactive power capability of a plurality of reactive power sources within each of the electrical power subsystems. Moreover, the method includes generating, via each of the subsystem-level controllers, an actual reactive power for each of the electrical power subsystems based on the evaluation by allocating a portion of the subsystem-level reactive power command to each of the plurality of reactive power sources.

System and method for optimizing reactive power generation of a wind farm

A method for controlling an electrical power subsystem includes determining an auxiliary voltage error value based on a measured voltage of the low voltage distribution panel. The method further includes receiving an active current command. The method further includes calculating a switching pattern for a line-side converter of the power converter based on the auxiliary voltage error value and the active current command. A current level produced by the line-side converter controls a voltage to the low voltage distribution panel.

Electrical power subsystems and methods for controlling same

Power converters for use in wind turbine systems are included. For instance, a wind turbine system can include a wind driven doubly fed induction generator having a stator and a rotor. The stator is configured to provide a medium voltage alternating current power on a stator bus of the wind turbine system. The wind turbine system includes a power converter configured to convert a low voltage alternating current power provided by the rotor to a medium voltage multiphase alternating current output power suitable for provision to an electrical grid. The power converter includes a plurality conversion modules. Each conversion module includes a plurality of bridge circuits. Each bridge circuit includes a plurality of silicon carbide switching devices coupled in series. Each conversion module is configured to provide a single phase of the medium voltage multiphase alternating current output power on a line bus of the wind turbine system.

Power converter for doubly fed induction generator wind turbine systems

Power converters for use in energy systems are included. For instance, an energy system can include an input power source configured to provide a low voltage direct current power. The energy system can include a power converter configured to convert the low voltage direct current power provided by the input power source to a medium voltage multiphase alternating current output power suitable for provision to an alternating current power system. The power converter can include a plurality conversion modules. Each conversion module includes a plurality of bridge circuits. Each bridge circuit includes a plurality of silicon carbide switching devices coupled in series. Each conversion module is configured to provide a single phase of the medium voltage multiphase alternating current output power on a line bus of the energy system.

Power converter for energy systems

Systems and methods for grounding power generation systems with silicon carbide MOSFET power converters are provided. A power generation system can include a power generator comprising a multiphase rotor configured to generate multiphase alternating current power at a first voltage and a power converter comprising one or more silicon carbide MOSFETs and an isolation transformer. The power converter can be configured to convert the multiphase alternating current power from the power generator at the first voltage to multiphase alternating current power at a second voltage. The power generation system can be electrically grounded to shunt a leakage current associated with the isolation transformer of the power converter to a ground.

Grounding scheme for power converters with silicon carbide MOSFETs

Systems and methods for protecting the redundancy of inverter blocks are provided. In one example implementation, a system can include a plurality of inverter blocks. Each inverter block can include a first conversion entity configured to convert DC power to AC power, a second conversion entity configured to convert AC power to DC power, and a third conversion entity configured to convert DC power to AC power. An isolation transformer can be coupled between the first conversion entity and the second conversion entity. The system includes an inverter block switching element coupled to an output of each inverter block. A protection element is disposed in each inverter block. The system includes one or more control devices configured to isolate at least one of the plurality of inverter blocks based at least in part on a status of the protection element disposed in the inverter block.

Protection for redundancy of isolated inverter blocks

Systems and methods for grounding power generation units with silicon carbide MOSFET power converters are provided. A power generation unit can include a power generator configured to generate multiphase alternating current power at a first voltage. The power generation unit can also include a power converter configured to convert the multiphase alternating current power from the power generator at the first voltage to multiphase alternating current power at a second voltage. The power converter can include one or more silicon carbide MOSFETs and at least one heatsink configured to remove heat from the power converter. The at least one heatsink of the power converter can be electrically connected to a local ground formed by one or more components of the power generation unit.

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Clifton Park, NY, United States of America

Saurabh Shukla