Coordinated converter-control and grid-protection for HVDC-connected offshore wind farms

Abstract:
Recent years have witnessed the rapid growth of offshore wind power. However, integrating large-scale wind farms poses challenges due to the high-voltage direct current (HVDC) interconnection and the variability of wind power at both the individual wind farm and AC power collection grid. These challenges have significant impacts on the voltage and angle stability of the overall system, as well as its fault response behavior. Moreover, the inverter-based offshore power system blurs the traditional distinction between control and protection. To address these issues, this study aims to develop robust methodologies for integrating the grid protection and control of wind turbines and HVDC under diverse fault conditions. Specifically, this study will focus on the following three objectives
1) Analyzing the fault current of wind turbine converters and the offshore HVDC station under different fault types.
2) Developing a benchmark offshore network with commonly used protection methods.
3) Designing coordinated control and protection strategies for wind turbine converters and the offshore HVDC station.

Funding: WinGrid, an EU-H2020 Grant funded by the Marie Skłodowska Curie Actions-Innovative Training Networks(MSCA-ITN)