AS 61400.

21—2006
IEC 61400-21 Ed.1.0 (2001)
AS 61400.21—2006

Australian Standard™
This is a free 9 page sample. Access the full version at http://infostore.saiglobal.com.

Wind turbines

Part 21: Measurement and assessment

of power quality characteristics of grid
connected wind turbines
 This Australian Standard was prepared by Committee EL-048, Wind Turbine
Systems. It was approved on behalf of the Council of Standards Australia on
24 May 2006.
This Standard was published on 14 June 2006.

The following are represented on Committee EL-048:

Australian Business Council for Sustainable Energy

Australian Electrical and Electronic Manfacturers Association
Australian Greenhouse Office, Department of the Environment and Heritage
Australian Wind Energy Association
Electrical Regulatory Authorities Council
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Engineers Australia
University of Newcastle

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This Standard was issued in draft form for comment as DR 03080.

 AS 61400.21—2006

Australian Standard™
This is a free 9 page sample. Access the full version at http://infostore.saiglobal.com.

Wind turbines

Part 21: Measurement and assessment

of power quality characteristics of grid
connected wind turbines

First published as AS 61400.21—2006.

COPYRIGHT
© Standards Australia
All rights are reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or copied in any form or by
any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, without the written
permission of the publisher.
Published by Standards Australia GPO Box 476, Sydney, NSW 2001, Australia
ISBN 0 7337 7499 7
 ii

PREFACE

This Standard was prepared by the Standards Australia Committee EL-048, Wind Turbine
Systems.
The objective of this Standard is to provide owners and operators of wind turbine systems and
electricity distributors with a uniform methodology for consistency and accuracy in the
measurement and assessment of the power quality characteristics of grid connected wind
turbines.
This Standard has been reproduced from IEC 61400-21 Ed.1.0 (2001), Wind turbine generator
systems, Part 21: Measurement and assessment of power quality characteristics of grid
connected wind turbines. An informative annex, ZA, has been added to assist users understand
the effects of wind turbines on power quality.
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As this Standard is reproduced from an International Standard, the following applies:

(a) Its number does not appear on each page of text and its identity is shown only on the
cover and title page.
(b) In the source text ‘this part of IEC 61400’ should read ‘this part of AS 61400’.
(c) A full point should be substituted for a comma when referring to a decimal marker.
(d) The term ‘rated active power P n ’ should be substituted for ‘rated power P n’.
To assist users of this Standard, the following explanations of some terms used in the Standard
are provided:
Flicker: Impression of unsteadiness of visual sensation induced by a light stimulus
whose luminance or spectral distribution fluctuates with time as a result of
short duration fluctuations in the voltage of the electrical supply to the light
source.
Power quality: A term used to describe the performance of a power supply at a given point
in the electricity supply system. The term covers the variability of the
system characteristics, mainly in regard to voltage, current and voltage
waveform and frequency.
The terms ‘normative’ and ‘informative’ are used to define the application of the annex to
which they apply. A normative annex is an integral part of a standard, whereas an informative
annex is only for information and guidance.
 iii

CONTENTS

Page

1 Scope .............................................................................................................................. 1
2 Normative references ....................................................................................................... 2
3 Definitions........................................................................................................................ 3
4 Symbols and units............................................................................................................ 6
5 Abbreviations ................................................................................................................... 7
6 Wind turbine power quality characteristic parameters ....................................................... 7
6.1 General................................................................................................................... 7
6.2 Rated data .............................................................................................................. 7
6.3 Maximum permitted power ...................................................................................... 7
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6.4 Maximum measured power ..................................................................................... 7

6.5 Reactive power ....................................................................................................... 8
6.6 Voltage fluctuations ................................................................................................ 8
6.6.1 Continuous operation .................................................................................. 8
6.6.2 Switching operations ................................................................................... 8
6.7 Harmonics .............................................................................................................. 9
7 Measurement procedures................................................................................................. 9
7.1 General................................................................................................................... 9
7.1.1 Test conditions.......................................................................................... 10
7.1.2 Test equipment ......................................................................................... 11
7.2 Rated data ............................................................................................................ 12
7.3 Maximum permitted power .................................................................................... 12
7.4 Maximum measured power ................................................................................... 12
7.5 Reactive power ..................................................................................................... 12
7.6 Voltage fluctuations .............................................................................................. 13
7.6.1 Fictitious grid ............................................................................................ 13
7.6.2 Continuous operation ................................................................................ 14
7.6.3 Switching operations ................................................................................. 17
7.7 Harmonics ............................................................................................................ 19
8 Assessment of power quality .......................................................................................... 19
8.1 General................................................................................................................. 19
8.2 Steady-state voltage ............................................................................................. 20
8.3 Voltage fluctuations .............................................................................................. 20
8.3.1 Continuous operation ................................................................................ 21
8.3.2 Switching operations ................................................................................. 21
8.4 Harmonics ............................................................................................................ 22
Annex A (informative) Sample report format ........................................................................ 24
A.1 General data ......................................................................................................... 25
A.2 Rated data ............................................................................................................ 25
A.3 Maximum permitted power .................................................................................... 25
A.4 Maximum measured power ................................................................................... 25
A.5 Reactive power ..................................................................................................... 26
A.6 Voltage fluctuations .............................................................................................. 26
A.7 Harmonics ............................................................................................................ 28
Annex B (informative) Voltage fluctuations and flicker ......................................................... 29
 iv

B.1 Continuous operation ............................................................................................ 29

B.2 Switching operations ............................................................................................. 30
B.3 Weighting of flicker coefficients............................................................................. 31
B.4 Deduction of definitions......................................................................................... 35
Annex ZA (informative) Wind turbine properties and their effects on power quality .............. 37
ZA.1 General................................................................................................................. 37
ZA.2 Effects on the network .......................................................................................... 37
ZA.3 Effects from the network ....................................................................................... 37
Bibliography ......................................................................................................................... 38
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 v

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this part of IEC 61400 is to provide a uniform methodology that will ensure
consistency and accuracy in the measurement and assessment of power quality
characteristics of grid connected wind turbines (WTs). In this respect the term power quality
includes those electric characteristics of the WT that influence the voltage quality of the grid
to which the WT is connected. The standard has been prepared with the anticipation that it
would be applied by:

• the WT manufacturer striving to meet well-defined power quality characteristics;

• the WT purchaser in specifying such power quality characteristics;
• the WT operator who may be required to verify that stated, or required power quality
characteristics are met;
• the WT planner or regulator who must be able to accurately and fairly determine the
impact of a WT on the voltage quality to ensure that the installation is designed so that
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voltage quality requirements are respected;

• the WT certification authority or component testing organization in evaluating the power
quality characteristics of the wind turbine type;
• the planner or regulator of the electric network who must be able to determine the grid
connection required for a WT.

This standard provides recommendations for preparing the measurements and assessment
of power quality characteristics of grid connected WTs. The standard will benefit those
parties involved in the manufacture, installation planning, obtaining of permission, operation,
utilization, testing and regulation of WTs. The measurement and analysis techniques
recommended in this standard should be applied by all parties to ensure that the continuing
development and operation of WTs are carried out in an atmosphere of consistent and
accurate communication.

This standard presents measurement and analysis procedures expected to provide consistent
results that can be replicated by others
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vi

NOTES
 1

STANDARDS AUSTRALIA

Australian Standard

Wind turbines
Part 21: Measurement and assessment of power quality characteristics of
grid connected wind turbines

Any table, figure or text of the international standard that is struck through is not part of this
standard. Any Australian table, figure or text that is added is part of this standard and is
identified by shading.

1 Scope
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This part of IEC 61400 includes:

• definition and specification of the quantities to be determined for characterizing the

power quality of a grid connected wind turbine;
• measurement procedures for quantifying the characteristics;
• procedures for assessing compliance with power quality requirements, including
estimation of the power quality expected from the wind turbine type when deployed at a
specific site, possibly in groups.

The measurement procedures are valid for single wind turbines with a three-phase grid
connection, and as long as the wind turbine is not operated to actively control the frequency
or voltage at any location in the network. The measurement procedures are valid for any size
of wind turbine, though this standard only requires wind turbine types intended for PCC at MV
or HV to be tested and characterized as specified in this standard.

The measured characteristics are valid for the specific configuration of the assessed wind
turbine only. Other configurations, including altered control parameters that cause the wind
turbine to behave differently with respect to power quality, require separate assessment.

The measurement procedures are designed to be as non-site-specific as possible, so that

power quality characteristics measured at for example a test site can be considered valid also
at other sites.

The procedures for assessing compliance with power quality requirements are valid for wind
turbines with PCC at MV or HV in power systems with fixed frequency within ±1 Hz, and
sufficient active and reactive power regulation capabilities and sufficient load to absorb the
wind power production. In other cases, the principles for assessing compliance with power
quality requirements may still be used as a guide.
NOTE 1 This standard uses the following terms for system voltage:

– low voltage (LV) refers to U n ≤ 1 kV;

– medium voltage (MV) refers to 1 kV < U n ≤ 35 kV;

– high voltage (HV) refers to U n > 35 kV.

NOTE FOR AUSTRALIA: These definitions for voltage values are different from those in AS/NZS 3000:2000.
AS/NZS 3000:2000 only has definitions for extra-low voltage, low voltage and high voltage. It is understood that the
definition for medium voltage in this Standard is a common industry term used in some countries and
organizations.
NOTE 2 The issue of interharmonics is not addressed in this standard, though it is under consideration awaiting
proper measurement and assessment procedures to be established by the appropriate IEC committee.

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AS 61400.21-2006, Wind turbines Measurement

and assessment of power quality characteristics of
grid connected wind turbines
This is a free 9 page sample. Access the full version at http://infostore.saiglobal.com.

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