Reduction of Power Production Costs in a Wind Power Plant–Flywheel Energy Storage System Arrangement

Abstract

The paper presents issues of optimisation of a wind power plant–energy storage system (WPP-ESS) arrangement operating in a specific geographical location. An algorithm was developed to minimise the unit discounted cost of electricity generation in a system containing a wind power plant and flywheel energy storage. In order to carry out the task, population heuristics of the genetic algorithm were used with modifications introduced by the author (taking into account the coefficient of variation of the generation in the quasi-static term of the penalty and the selection method). The set of inequality restrictions related to the technical parameters of turbines and energy storage and the parameters of energy storage management has been taken into account with the application of the Powell–Skolnick penalty function (Michalewicz modification). The results of sample optimisation calculations for two wind power plants of 2 MW were presented. The effects achieved in the process of optimisation were described—especially the influence of the parameters of the energy storage management system on the unit cost of electricity generation. The use of a system with higher unit costs of energy generation compared to independently operating wind turbines was justified in the context of improving the conditions of compatibility with the power system—the strategy belongs to a power firming group.