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The Implementation of Variable Speed Wind Turbine

Aerodynamic and Drive Train Modeling for Transient Analysis

Bing Liu
Department of Electrical Power Engineering, NTNU, Norway

ABSTRACT
This paper presents wind turbine aerodynamic and drive train modelling for the purpose of
transient stability analysis using PSCAD. Firstly, a detailed aerodynamic and 2-mass drive
train model are given numerically; secondly, a ready-to-use Fortran code is given for
modelling implementation in PSCAD. Comparing with the standard wind turbine models in
PSCAD, the presented model provide the possibility of setting the initialization condition, also
can easily be extended or revised for other study purposes.
KEYWORDS
Variable speed, Wind Turbine, Modeling, PSCAD

1 INTRODUCTION
Accurate wind turbine mechanical parts models are essential for transient stability analysis.
However, in the simulation tool PSCAD [1] ,the function of standard MOD2 type wind turbine
component models is limited; for example, they don’t provide the possibility of set the initial
speed of both rotor and generator, which is necessary for some cases simulation. For this
reason, the author has been working on the mechanical parts modeling, which can be easily
revised for various study purpose.
Table 1: List of Symbols
Symbols Notes Symbols Notes
Generator electronic magnetic
PWT Mechanic power extracted Tem
torque
AWT Wind turbine Rotor area Tgen Generator torque
ρ Air density Twtr Wind turbine shift torque
cp Power Coefficient Ta Aerodynamic torque
λ Tip speed ratio Jgen Generator moment of inertia
θ Pitch angle in degrees Jwtr Wind turbine moment of inertia
R Rotor radius Kse Equivalent turbine shaft stiffness
Vw Wind speed N Gearbox Ratio
Ωg e n Generator mechanic speed De Equivalent turbine shaft damping
Ω w tr Turbine mechanical speed Dgen Generator damping constant

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2 WIND TURBINE MECHANIC PARTS MODELING

The model of wind turbine mechanic part is divided into two parts: blades model and drive
train model. The aerodynamic torque extracted by blades is the interface between these two
parts. The modeling processes are detailed as below.

Figure 1: Equivalent diagram of wind turbine drive train looking on the generator side. [6]

2.1 Aerodynamic model

The aerodynamic model of wind turbine rotor is based on following well known algebraic
equation, which gives the relationship between wind speed and the mechanic power
extracted [5] [6].

PWT = 0.5 ρ AWT c p ( λ,θ )Vw3 (1)

The aerodynamic torque can be expressed by following equation:

Ta = 0.5πρ R 2Vw3c p ( λ,θ ) (2)

As cp is an un-linear function, a three-dimension look-up table was developed in respect with
the variation of tip speed ratio and pitch angle, each specific wind turbine blades type has its
own look-up table.
Furthermore, the wind speed can be set as constant value, or imported from files which
containing real time wind speed data. If the wind speed value is less than cut-in speed or
greater than cut-out speed, the aerodynamic torque will be set to zero, as the blades will be
set to feather position under such situation.

2.2 Drive train Model

It is repeatedly argued that the damping effect of drive train gives significant oscillations to
active power output; so the one mass drive train model is not accurate enough for transient
stability analysis (See Akhmatov, Kunden and Nielsen, 2000). Most commonly, multi-mass
drive train models are used. Furthermore, the gearbox and shaft inertia are relatively much
more smaller than rotor generator inertia, which facilitate the possibility of two-mass model
reduction by considering an equivalent system with equivalent stiffness and damping factor.
Several lectures show that a two-mass keeps a good balance between the accuracy of
transient analysis and complexity of model. The proposed two-mass structure drive train
model is shown in Fig. 1. The drive train dynamic equations are [3]:
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Ta − Twtr = Jwtr Ω (3)
wtr


Tgen − Tem = J gen Ω (4)
gen

And the shaft torque (written on generator side) can be expressed as below:

Ωgen Ωgen
= K se ∫ (Ωwtr − )dt + De' (Ωwtr −
' ' ' '
Twtr ) (5)
N N
Where the whole drive train equivalent stiffness constant can be given by [6], which is similar
as calculation of two parallel resistances.
1 1 1
'
= +
K se K wtr K gen (6)
2
N
According equations 3, 4, and 5 the dynamic equations of the drive train can be written as:

 = −T − D Ω − De Ω + De Ω − K se (Ω' − Ωgen )dt

N ∫
J gen Ωgen em gen gen gen wtr wtr
(7)
N2 N N
 = −T − D (Ω' − Ωgen ) + K (Ω' − Ωgen )dt
Jwtr Ω se ∫
wtr a e wtr wtr
(8)
N N
It shall be mentioned that [7]: ‘if the stiffness constant of low speed side is lower than the
stiffness constant of high speed side, then the gearbox inertia need to be added into high
speed side, and vice versa’.

3 MODELING IMPLEMENTATION IN PSCAD

To implement the upper mentioned modeling in PSCAD, the Fortran codes were given below
for reference:

3.1 Aerodynamic model code:

! To calculate the aerodynamic torque extracted
SUBROUTINE aerodynamic (cut_in, cut-out, Radius, Lambda, Wwtr, Wwtr_pu, Vw, Phi,&
& Beta, P_n,Ta_pu)
! Include the Fortran standard statements
! Define the variables
! Define the cp look up table Function
! Calculate Lambda
Lambda = Radius * Wwtr / Vw
! Load cp value from the look-up table
! Calculate the aerodynamic torque Pwt
Pwt = 0.5* PI_ * Phi * Radius * Radius * Vw * Vw * Vw * cp
IF (Vw .GT. cut_in) .AND. (Vw .LT. cut_out ) THEN
! Calculate torque to per unit
Ta_pu = - Pwt / P_n / 1000000 / Wwtr_pu
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ELSE
Ta_pu =0
ENDIF
RETURN
END

3.2 Drive train model code:

SUBROUTINE drive_train(Wwtr, P_n , Wgen_n, N, Kse, Tem, Tem_pu ,De, Jwtr,Jgen,

&Wgen_pu, Wwtr_pu)
! Include the Fortran standard statements
! Define the variables
! To calculate the shaft angular velocity
Wwtr = Wgen_n / N * 2 * PI_/60
! To calculate the generator angular velocity
Wgen = Wgen_n * 2 * PI_/60
! To calculate the angular difference
Omega = -Ta*( P_n *1000000)/( Wgen2*PI_/60/N) / Kse
! To calculate the angular velocity difference
Delta_Omega = (Wwtr - Wgen /N)
! To calculate generator electronic magnetic torque
Tem_pu = -Tem * (P_n *1000000)/( Wgen *2*PI_/60)
! To calculate Ta_> wind turbine aerodynamic torque
Ta_pu = -Ta * (P_n *1000000)/( Wgen *2*PI_/60)
! To calculate turbine shift torque
Twtr = Kse * Omega + De * Delta_Omega
! To calculate the new turbine rotor angular velocity
Wwtr = Wwtr + ( Ta_pu - Twtr) / Jwtr * DELT
! To calculate the new generator angular velocity
Wgen = Wgen + ( Twtr / N - Tem_pu) / Jgen * DELT
! To calculate the new angular difference
Omega = Omega + Delta_Omega * DELT
! To calculate new turbine rotor angular velocity / PU
Wwtr_pu = Wwtr * 60 / 2 / PI_ * N / Wgen
! To calculate the new generator angular velocity / PU
Wgen_pu = Wgen * 60 / 2.0 / PI_ / Wgen
RETURN
END

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4 CONCLUSIONS
This paper deals with wind turbine aerodynamic and drive train modeling for the purpose of
transient stability analysis using PSCAD, the numerical presentation and Fortran code
detailed here can be significant reference for further extension.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
[1] PSCAD® / EMTDC™ online help.
[2] M. Hogdahl and J. G. Nielsen, “Modeling of the Vestas V80 VCS wind turbine with
lowvoltage ride-through,” in Proc. 5th Int.Workshop Large-Scale Integration Wind
Power Transmission Networks Offshore Wind Farms, Glasgow, U.K., Apr. 7–8, 2005
[3] Modeling and control of variable-speed wind-turbine drive-system dynamics, Novak,
P. Ekelund, T. Jovik, I.Schmidtbauer, B. Control Eng. Lab., Chalmers Univ. of
Technol., Goteborg, Sweden; Control Systems Magazine, IEEE, Aug. 1995
[4] Stability Simulation Of Wind Turbine Systems, Anderson, P.M.; Bose, A.; IEEE
Transactions on Power Apparatus and Systems, Volume PAS-102, Issue 12, Dec.
1983 Page(s):3791 – 3795
[5] Wind Power In Power Systems, edited by Thomas Ackermann; Wiley 2005; 691 pp,
ISBN 0-470-85508-8
[6] Wind turbine blockset in matlab simulink, Aalborg University, Institute of Energy
Technology, RISØ, http://www.iet.aau.dk/Research/research_prog/wind_turbine
/Projects/SimPlatformPrj/htm_files/Project.htm
[7] Comparative study on transient stability analysis of wind turbine generator system
using different drive train models, Muyeen, S.M& Others; Renewable Power
Generation, IET, Volume 1, Issue 2, June 2007

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