Enhancement of the Flickermeter for Grid-Connected Wind Turbines

Abstract

Distributed generators connected to the power system usually produce voltage fluctuations. For wind turbines connected to a grid, large changes in wind speed can cause voltage flicker at the point of common coupling. The measurement of voltage flicker caused only by wind turbines is difficult. The wind turbine under test is usually connected to a medium voltage point, in which other fluctuating loads may produce significant voltage disturbances at the wind turbine terminal where the measurement is made. Although the IEC 61400-21-1 standard specifies a method to evaluate voltage flicker caused by wind turbines, because of the complex algorithm and process of the IEC standard, there is currently a lack of measurement equipment that meets the IEC standard. In addition, some countries that use other voltage flicker standards, such as ΔV10, do not have suitable flicker measurements for wind turbines. Therefore, this study proposes an enhanced version of the IEC 61400-21-1 standard, which integrates the ΔV10 method, so that the proposed measurement system complies with the IEC and ΔV10 standards. In this study, the voltage flicker measurement system is successfully implemented, which can help engineers to predict the voltage flicker by wind turbines and assess whether a region or grid is suitable for installing wind turbines. Therefore, it can provide wind turbine companies with a quick assessment of voltage flicker to comply with the certification process.