Voltage Booster Schemes for Fault Ride-Through Enhancement of Variable Speed Wind Turbines

This paper presents series grid interface topologies for enhancing the fault ride-through (FRT) performance of doubly-fed induction generator (DFIG)-based wind turbines (WTs). Two voltage booster schemes, 1) dynamic voltage restorer (DVR) and 2) resistive type high temperature superconducting fault current limiter (HTS-FCL), are designed and implemented. The test system represents a WT connected to an electric grid with alternatively employing DVR and HTS-FCL. Both schemes provide fast mitigation of voltage dip that maintains the nominal operating conditions for DFIG-WT. To achieve a flexible control solution for balanced and unbalanced fault conditions, the DVR employs positive and negative sequence controllers while the HTS-FCL is designed to perform fast quenching for each phase individually. The potential of the two booster schemes is evaluated and analyzed in positive and negative sequence reference frames. Comprehensive simulation studies are presented to verify the capability of the series grid interface schemes for ensuring the normal operation and smooth wind power evacuation with effective isolation from grid faults. Furthermore, the grid code requirements of reactive current support are evaluated for both schemes at various fault scenarios.