article · Energy Reports
Integrating large-scale doubly-fed induction generator wind energy conversion systems can improve voltage stability in weak transmission networks, evaluated on the fifty-two-bus, 330 kV Nigerian power grid. Stability limits were established through active power-voltage and reactive power-voltage analyses to evaluate maximum active power margins, minimum reactive power margins, and critical voltage-reactive power ratios across system buses. Simulation modelling reveals that wind system integration successfully mitigates persistent overvoltage challenges in the Northern region, maintaining voltages within acceptable tolerances of 1.0 ± 0.05 per unit. The evaluation identifies an optimal wind power penetration level of thirty-five percent. At this operating threshold, critical equipment loading remains at or below eighty percent while stability margins and voltage ratios stay above baseline levels, demonstrating that managed wind expansion can strengthen weak power grids.
Weak national electricity grids frequently encounter severe voltage instability and capacity strains when attempting to accommodate growing demand. Demonstrating that renewable generation can stabilise weak transmission systems, rather than destabilising them, provides operational confidence to grid authorities. This shows how regional voltage problems can be corrected alongside the expansion of clean energy generation.
This work offers technical insights for transmission system operators, utility planners, and wind project developers seeking to connect large wind installations to fragile grids. Currently at the applied simulation stage, the findings identify specific technical constraints, including an optimal 35 percent penetration ceiling. Direct commercial and operational adoption will require translating these simulated boundaries into formal grid codes and field validation trials.
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This paper investigates the impact of integrating large-scale Doubly-Fed Induction Generator (DFIG)-based wind energy conversion system (WECS) on the voltage stability of the 52-bus, 330 kV Nigerian power grid. Indices derived from Active Power–Voltage (PV) and Reactive Power–Voltage (QV) analyses have been utilized to determine the voltage stability limits in terms of the maximum active power margin (APM) and minimum reactive power margin (RPM) of the system with the associated critical voltage-reactive power ratio (CVQR) of the system buses. Simulations have been done in DIgSILENT PowerFactory and the results analysed using MATLAB. This work also demonstrates the effectiveness of DFIG-based WECS in mitigating the overvoltage issues in the Northern region by ensuring that all bus voltages are within the acceptable limits of 1.0 ± 0.05 p.u. The results show that the optimal DFIG-based WECS penetration level (PL) that satisfies a bus voltage criterion of 1.0 ± 0.05p.u with the APM and CVQR not falling below their respective base case values and the loading of all critical power system equipment not exceeding 80% is 35%. Therefore, this work has demonstrated the possibilities of large-scale DFIG-based WECS as a viable solution for voltage stability improvement of a weak National grid while meeting the increasing energy demand.
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DOI: 10.1016/j.egyr.2021.01.025
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