Toward Wide-Area Oscillation Control Through Doubly-Fed Induction Generator Wind Farms

Several studies have recently reported the capability of doubly-fed induction generator (DFIG) wind farms in improving the dynamic performance of power systems. Since wind farms are more often located far from the system conventional generation centers, local signals do not comprise enough content for damping inter-area oscillations. This paper presents a particle swarm optimization (PSO)-based wide-area damping controller (WADC) for the DFIG wind farms. The proposed controller is designed with a centralized nature on the basis of latest technological development of wide-area measurement system (WAMS). Damping both inter-area and local oscillatory modes are intended in the design process. The most challenging deficiency against WAMS real-time applications is the variable communication latency which can deteriorate the system stability if not properly accounted for in the controller design process. The proposed WADC hence incorporates effective means to compensate for the destructive characteristics of WAMS delayed signals. The PSO technique is applied to normalize and optimize the parameters of WADC. A set of comprehensive case studies are conducted on a 16-bus six-machine test system and the obtained numerical evidences are thoroughly discussed.