Development of a controller to provide primary frequency response capability for a wind farm

Given the continuously growing contribution of renewable resources to energy generation, the operation of these renewable resources, such as Wind Turbine Generators (WTGs) and their response to disturbances or other changing conditions on the power system has a very significant impact on system operation and performance. These concerns will continue to grow in importance as the amount of wind generation increases. Independent System Operators around the world are starting to look for this type of renewable resource to provide primary frequency response capability to help ensure safe and reliable power grid operations. Using a wind farm configuration loosely based on an actual wind farm, this paper investigates the effectiveness of a wind farm to supply primary frequency response capability, that is, to adjust its power output in response to a change in system frequency. The controller structure demonstrated is a general purpose controller that interfaces with the park controller(s) so it could be applied to wind farms with any type of turbines including vintage ones where manufacturers supplied advanced frequency control features may not be available. This control logic has been applied at a large wind farm in Texas and has been operating successfully for over a year.