Development of a 5kW scaled prototype of a 2.5 MW Doubly-fed induction generator

The increasing penetration of wind power in electricity networks necessitates the detailed modelling of these systems in order to assess their impact on power systems. This is usually conducted by means of computer simulation. However the accuracy of the simulation results is limited by the complexity of the simulation models. Greater accuracy can be achieved by assessing the impact of wind systems experimentally using scaled prototypes of actual systems. In this paper, a 2.5 MW Doubly-fed Induction Generator (DFIG) is scaled down to 5 kW for use in a laboratory-based wind modelling system. A scaling methodology is formulated, with the objective of keeping the dynamic response identical for the two DFIGs. This will be used for laboratory-based experimental investigations of network integration issues associated with DFIG-based wind energy systems. Finite Element Analysis (FEA) is used to verify the analytical design and the machine is prototyped and tested.