Crowbar Control Algorithms for Doubly Fed Induction Generator During Voltage Dips SARASOLA Izaskun

Crowbar Control Algorithms for Doubly Fed Induction Generator During

Voltage Dips
Miguel Rodriguez1, Gonzalo Abad1, Izaskun Sarasola', Alex Gilabert2

Escuela Politecnica Superior, Universidad de Mondragon

Loramendi 3, Aptdo 23
20.500 Mondragon (Spain)
Phone/fax: +34 943 79 47 00 / +34 943 79 15 36

Ecotecnia, s.coop.c.l.
2

Roc Boronat 78
08008 Barcelona (Spain)
Phone/fax: +34-932257600 / +34-932210939
agi ertecoecnia.comL

Keywords
Wind energy, Adjustable speed generation systems, Doubly fed induction motor, Active damping,
Simulation

Abstract
The paper presents different control strategies of the crowbar protection when a variable speed wind
turbine based on a doubly fed induction machine is generating electrical energy during a voltage dip in
the grid.
The proposed control strategies provide the wind generator with the capacity for don't disconnect from
the grid while a voltage dip occurs, and return to the normal operation conditions. This will be
achieved by a protection circuit called crowbar.
In addition, complementary control algorithms for flux damping and voltage recovery will be
proposed.
Finally, the presented control strategies will be validated in simulation for a 1700KW generator.

Introduction
The wind power installed is increasing approximately 35% in Europe per year, since the last five
years. When a large number of wind turbine generators are connected to the system and replace a
substantial number of conventional synchronous generators, they begin to affect different aspects of
the system's behaviour, potentially leading to destabilization of the power system network. Hence, the
necessity to study the integration of the wind energy generators into the grid arises, in order to
guarantee the stability of the power system.
Wind power generators are confronted with increasing number of standards from the power utilities in
aspects as power quality, grid integration, control capacities, or voltage dips behaviours [1], [2]. The
wind turbines installed up to now are mainly of the fixed speed type; this type of wind turbines during
a short circuit fault in the network are disconnected from the grid. Variable speed turbines are now
prevailing, as their performance is superior and the energy they produce is of better quality. Within
variable speed wind generators, the most widely used and cost-effective are those based on a doubly
fed induction generator (DFIG) as they use a power converter rated to a fraction of the total power.

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A modern wind turbine generator allows these systems to not only produce energy but also meet the
most restrictive technical requirements. In the present paper, the behaviour of the wind turbine will be
studied during a voltage dip and the control strategies that allow to:
* Remain connected to the power system and do not consume active power during the fault.
Provide with reactive power during the fault to assist voltage recovery.
Return to normal operation conditions after the fault.
When a voltage dip occurs in the network, current transients in the stator windings (due to the stator's
direct connection to the grid) and grid side converter are produced. Hence, these two behaviours are
completely different:
* Grid side converter doesn't lose the current control in most of the cases.
* Stator disturbance is transmitted to the rotor causing uncontrollable currents that can produce
a damage of the rotor converter due to the over currents and the over voltage of the DC link.
Frequently there is a high transformation ratio between the stator and rotor windings, thus the
rotor converter has restricted control over the generator.
A circuit called crowbar is connected to the rotor to protect the rotor converter. The crowbar avoids
the voltage bus to grow up, once the rotor control loses the control of the currents providing a path for
them and avoid the overvoltage in the DC link, see figure 1.
In order to deal with these problematic situations several control and coordination strategies will be
proposed in this paper, focusing the analysis on:
Crowbar and bus voltage control.
Flux damping control.
* Reactive power injection to assist voltage recovery.

System description
Figure 1 shows a block diagram of the complete system, it is made up of the following elements:
* Wind turbine: It transforms the kinetic wind energy to mechanical energy by providing torque
on the low speed axis. It is connected to the asynchronous machine by a gearbox.
* DFIG.: It converts the mechanical energy into electric energy.
* Grid and rotor converters. These are two three-phase inverters based on IGBT, modulated by
PWM technique.

Tcm=k Stator breaker

10
TT ,0 PPbQl$00*0
< P9Grid
mTodel

Contr (Vtector Control

Wm VTcm
V55* Qs *
Qf*
* Level 11
(X(WM conbtrol strategy)
ttrbine

Fig. 1: Block diagram for a wind turbine control based on DFIG.

The control system of the wind turbine is divided in several controls:
* Vector co-ntrols: It carries out the torque and stator reactive control of the asynchronous
generator. It also regulates the DC link voltage and the reactive power exchanged by the grid
side inverter [3].

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Wind turbine control. It generates the necessary instructions for the vector controls so as to
obtain maximum performance from the system, for a given wind incident [4].
* Crowbar control. Activates the crowbar during faults, and it is located between the rotor of
the generator and the back to back converter.
The crowbar power converter may be implemented with several power structures [5], in this paper we
will analyse two configurations that allows performing a passive and an active crowbar. Both schemas
rectify the rotor current and short-circuit the rotor by means of a resistance. The passive crowbar is
constructed with a thyristor and allows closing the circuit but not to open it until the crowbar current is
extinguished. The active crowbar is constructed with an IGBT and allows opening the circuit in forced
commutation.

Crowbar analysis and control

Stator current transitory analysis during voltage dip
When a voltage dip occurs in the DFIG stator voltage, and it is not compensated immediately with the
rotor voltage a high current is driven through the stator and rotor which is only limited by the total
leakage inductance of the machine in the first instance. In addition, the transformation ratio between
the stator and the rotor windings (around 3) further complicates the compensation of the voltage dip in
the stator. The system behaviour will be characterized by its short-circuit properties. A simplified
expression of short circuit stator current is made in [6]:

i5(t)~rti (O) Te eC10t+ iK(O)+ Lm .ir(O)CeT(-eJ"') (1)

L L 1L21
where: T = T =
r
and anT-T+
+
RsR Ls Lr T7 S~'

The analysis of the expression shows, that after a current maximum determined by the initial currents
and the leakage factor, the current decreases with the total leakage time constant T,. The maximum
current is approximately 3 times the rated current stator for the simulated generator (see appendix for
details) at full speed and torque.
Crowbar control
The control system of the crowbar may be materialized in many ways depending of the power
converter structure and the desired performances. After a voltage dip, the rotor current regulators lose
the control and an energy flow from the stator to the rotor charges the bus capacitor. To avoid the bus
voltage reaches the converter limits, it is necessary to break this energy flow, and the simplest method
is to short circuit the rotor when the bus voltage reach a limit value.
With a passive control the crowbar actuates as a protection system, the time necessary to open the
stator breaker is approximately 100 milliseconds, causing at the end the disconnection of the wind
turbine. When the control objective is to keep the wind turbine connected to the grid during fault, it is
necessary to control the bus voltage. The simplest technique, consist on compare the bus voltage with
its maximum and normal operation reference values, and depending on that comparison, keep the
crowbar circuit opened or closed. This technique is called active crowbar control [5]. The bus
capacitor load dynamics comes determined by the rotor-bus energy flow, and the discharge, by the
capacity of the grid side inverter (bus to grid energy flow).
In this paper, an innovative solution is presented, it regulates the bus voltage to a reference value
during the grid transient, using a PWM control of the crowbar IGBT, with a bus voltage PI regulation.
Next Figure shows the control structure, the bus voltage control provides a duty cycle for the IGBT of
the crowbar:

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Vbus*
- Kp~~1 + Pcrowbar* rowba * Icrowbar*
Rcrowbar
Vus

Pred

Protor Ic_max

Fig. 2: Active crowbar with PWM.

Flux damping control

Flux oscillations occur when the stator voltages contain transients, after a voltage dip, the control must
attenuate those oscillations with an active flux damping to avoid the active power oscillations at the
frequency of the grid.
Stability analysis
The mathematical model of the DFIG was developed in [7] for a stator-flux oriented reference frame:
dVs =-V -SinAO+Rs. Lh *i Rs 'V (2)
dt --v s
Ls Ldr/1s
Lh

dAO
v5 cosAO+Rs Liqr
= _ (3)
dt s VVs

where AO is the stator flux angle error.

For small signal stability analysis a linearized model for small perturbations is used [8]:
AidrO
L- Aqi0 1- u = Aiqr (4)
LAvso
-Rvs
L-
~~~LS so
*cosAO0 0 sin A0O
A-=
Vs0 *cos A00+Rs *qrO vso *sin A 0O Rs Lh Cos AO0 (5)
L Vf
so I"sO
Vfso Ls Vfs

The eigenvalues analysis for different operation points shows that the machine is poorly damped with
a natural frequency near to the grid frequency (Figure 3).
Sinking
Im' i r(7(dYc
r-ow,Lr

Fig. 3: Evolution of eigenvalues for different equilibrium points: torque (left) and stator reactive
power (right).
As shown in figure 3, the machine becomes unstable when it actuates as a reactive power source. The
maximum value of d axis rotor current is:

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rO
2COS Lh Ls (6)

Or aproximately two times the magnetizing current im,

idro <2 ims 7
VS
i = (8)
co Lh
Flux damping strategy
A voltage dip produces oscillations in the stator flux modulus, that causes an active and reactive power
oscillation in the machine too. A simple algorithm has been developed to mitigate them. From the
stator voltage equation it is possible to obtain the steady state value of the flux, which only depends of
the voltage modulus:
s-j .s (9)

Vs

Ts (10)
From the stator and rotor currents referenced to the stator reference frame, it is possible to obtain the
evolution of the stator flux:
vfs = LSs is + Lh ir (1
The oscillatory component of flux can be extracted:
A = - (12)
and then a damping current is injected superposed to the d axis of rotor current.
Aidr = -A tVf * K (13)
where the gain K affects the damping speed.
Figure 4 shows a block diagram of the flux damping control strategy. The damping current is added to
the magnetizing rotor current provided by the stator reactive power regulator, and finally it generates
the reference to the d axis current regulator.

Lid
Stator

Steady State

Fig. 4: Flux damping control.

Coordination between the flux damping control, the torque vector control and the crowbar control is
necessary in order to avoid undesired transients during voltage dips, especially when the current
controllers are resuming the control after the stator voltage dip.
It is necessary to point out, that the algorithm implementation implies oversizing of the rotor converter
taking into account the damping current.

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Voltage recovery
The voltage recovery is a complementary requirement, for the wind generators that tries to minimize
the impact of wind parks in the power system during the short circuit and fault clearing. The voltage
recovery is performed by reactive current injection of the wind generator.

Thus, in addition to remaining connected to the power system, the wind generator is required to assist
the voltage recovery. In technical terms, during a short circuit in the power system that produces a
voltage dip, the wind generator is able to supply with reactive current in two different ways:
from the stator, once the rotor current control is operative.
* from the grid side converter in every moment, as it does not lose the control.
For a DFIG based wind turbine, the electrical generation system is usually sized to provide with a
power factor of 0,95..0,97 at full power operation conditions. If the generator does not work at full
power conditions (nominal torque conditions), it can increase the reactive power contribution to the
grid, but always within the maximum current ratting of the grid and rotor side converters, the overload
capacity and the stability limit shown in the previous section.

r di qr (14)

If i
max |d+ qf -+
(5
(15)

On the other hand, the generator voltage recovery capacity mainly depends on two factors:
the line characteristic from the generator, to the connection point with the power system
* the quantity of reactive power (current) injection
Hence, for a specific wind generator with given maximum current ratting characteristics, it presents
bigger voltage recovery capacity in lines with lower impedance. Figure 5 describes a typical electrical
design for the connection of a wind turbine to the power system. The analysis is simplified to only one
wind turbine connected to the power system, but it can be extended to several wind turbines. In
general, the installed power is less than a 5% of the short circuit power in the wind park connection
node. Consequently, the voltage recovery capacity in the internal grid of the wind park (Vp), mainly
depends on the substation transformer leakage inductances.
Wind turbine Wind park substation Power system model
~~TR2 E

-t :VP Ci

0,69/20KV 20/66KV
FCC 6% CC12%
c

Fig. 5: Electrical connection from the wind turbine to the power system.

Simulation results
To achieve simulation results, Power System Blockset Simulink library was used. The simulation has
been performed for a 1700KW generator (see the appendix for characteristics).
Active flux damping
Figure 8 shows the behavior of the most interesting electrical variables, during a voltage dip of 10%
with and without the active flux damping. After the transient produced by a voltage dip in the DFIG,
the stator flux oscillates at the grid frequency during several seconds, causing the oscillation of the
torque, the active and the reactive power.
When the damping algorithm is activate, the stator flux oscillations are extinguished approximately in
a second, otherwise the steady state would be reached in longer time interval. The time needed to

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cancel the flux oscillations, depends on the current damping amplitude as shown in the previous
section.
Stator voltage (V) Statorflux (Wb)
580 2r
without damping
560t with damping
540
520 1.6 _
500 1.4 _
480
0.6 0.8 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2 1.2
0.6 0.8 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8
Electromagnetic torque (Nm) Rotor oltage (V)
2000 600 without damping
without damping
with daniping with damping
T Tern ret 400

-2000 200

-4000
0.6 0.8 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2
06
0.6 0.8 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8

Fig. 6: Flux damping simulations.

When fast damping is required, high current damping amplitude is needed, but also higher converter
ratting design.
Passive crowbar simulations
Voltage dip profile for crowbar simulations has been chosen in accordance with standards of the
power utilities [1], [2], and the worst case has been selected: a 80% voltage dip of rated voltage during
500 milliseconds (in 0.6 seconds) when the DFIG is working at full speed (1800 rpm) and torque
(9.OOONm). The grid model corresponds to a strong grid, and thus the current transients do not
influence the grid voltage.
Several simulations have been carried out for different crowbar resistance values, in order to choose its
best value (figure 7). After the voltage dip, the rotor current starts increasing until the over current
protection inhibits the rotor side converter and activates the crowbar. For a short period of time, the
rotor side converter works as rectifier until the bus voltage reaches the maximum value. Meanwhile
the crowbar works for 100 ms, after that, the main circuit breaker finally disconnects the wind turbine
from the grid.
Comparing the simulation results for different crowbar resistance values, the evolution of the main
electrical variables are slightly different. Small resistance values produce great current and torque
transient peaks, but the bus voltage does not exceed the limit (1300 V) value, decreasing later quickly.
On the other hand, great resistance values reduce the transient current and torque peaks, but the bus
voltage reaches higher levels (1400 V).
Bus witahe (V) Rotor currrent (A)
1600 4000
0,1 ohm
1400 _ t 0,25 ohm 3000
0,4 ohm
1200 0,5 ohm 2000
T 0.75 ohm
1000 S.=.=..L 1 Ohm 1000

800 0L
0.58 0.6 0.62 0.64 0.66 0.68 0.7 0.72 0.58 0.6 0.62 0.64 0.66 0.68 0.7 0.72
x 104 Electromagnetic torque (Nm) Growbar current (A)
4000
3000
2000
-1
0
1000

0.58 0.6 0.62 0.64 0.66 0.68 0.7 0.72 0.58 0.6 0.62 0.64 0.66 0.68 0.7 0.72
Stator current (A) Converter current (A)
t
10000 3000

2000
5000 0
1000

0
0.58 0.6 0.62 0.64 0.66 0.68 0.7 0.72 0.58 0.6 0.62 0.64 0.66 0.68 0.7 0.72

Fig. 7: Passive crowbar simulations.

Finally, based on these simulations, a 0.4 Q crowbar resistance value has been established for the next
two crowbar control strategies.

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Active crowbar simulations

In this section, active crowbar simulations (ON-OFF and PWM control) have been carried out. The
generator operating conditions are the same as in the previous section. Figure 8 shows the evolution of
the main electrical magnitudes.
Stator voltage (V)

400

200

0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8

Bus voltage (V)
1400
on-off
pwm
1200 0

1000|

O00
0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8
Electromagnetic torque (Nm)
x 104
on-off
pwsm
ref.
4 1.6 1
-2
-4

-6
0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8
Stator current (A)
10000
on-off
pwm

5000 0

O
0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8
Stator flux (Wb)
3
on-off
pwm
2

0L
0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8
Rotor current (A) and converter inhibition
4000
on-off
3000 _ pwm
inhibit. on-off
2000 inhibit. pwm

1000 _
0
0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8
Crowbar current (A)
4000
pwm
on-off
2000

-2000 L
0.4 0.6 0.8 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8

Fig. 8: Active crowbar simulations.

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The bus voltage evolution is different in both controls. For the PWM control, the voltage is controlled
to 1000 V, while in the ON - OFF control, the bus voltage takes alternatively 1300 V (limit) and
1 OOOV (normal) until the rotor side converter starts working again.

The electromagnetic torque starts oscillating in the voltage dip limits, at higher amplitude in the
voltage recovery. The torque reference is set to zero during the dip, and it is activated when the
voltage reaches 80 % of the nominal value and the crowbar is not active (second 1.2).
The oscillation present in the stator flux during the voltage dip, complicates the control of rotor
currents, therefore it is important to use the stator flux active damping. Damping control is deactivated
when the rotor converter stays out, it is re-activated gradually since a sudden activation may cause a
new converter inhibition.

Voltage recovery simulations

Figure 9 shows the evolution of the different voltages (E and Vt from figure 5) during a voltage dip.
The wind generator is operating in the same conditions as in previous sections and it is connected to a
weak grid with Xcc=0. 1924 pu. This impedance value is equivalent to the sum of all the total leakage
inductances of the two transformers, plus the short circuit impedance of the strong grid at the wind
park connection, for a single wind turbine.
The analysis is focused on the time period after 1.25 seconds, when the current controllers are
desinhibited, the quadrature current references are set to -1.23 p.u. for the rotor side converter and
-0.15 p.u. for the grid side converter (nominal current values of the converters). Thus, the capacitive
current injected by the wind turbine increases the voltage and provides a better behavior once the fault
is cleared (in time 1.6 seconds).
Grid voltage (V)
800 Vt on-off

i_ I Vt pwm

20 -r-

0
0.6 0.8 1 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2 2.2
Bus ,oltage (V)
400 -_-
pwm
-re

1000

800
0.6 0.8 1 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2 2.2
X 104 Electromagnetic torque (Nm)
on-off

J- pw
J A ~~~~~~~~~~~~ref.
-1

-2

-3
0.6 0.8 1 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2 2.2
Grid current (A), quadrature component
10000 on-off
pwm

5000 pwm

-5000
0.6 0.8 1 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2 2.2

Fig. 9: Voltage recovery simulations.

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Conclusions
In this paper, a new crowbar control strategy (active PWM crowbar) has been developed and
compared with another already existing one (active ON-OFF crowbar), for a DFIG based wind turbine
generator fault protection. Passive crowbar simulations have been carried out, with crowbar resistance
dimensioning purpose, for the other two active crowbar control strategies. In order to achieve fault
ride through, two active crowbar control strategies have been implemented, ON - OFF and PWM
control, and compared under the same voltage dip conditions in simulation. It has been concluded that,
PWM control provides with smoother bus voltage performance during the voltage dip.
Added to this, it has been shown that the generator's vector control strategy together with the crowbar
control strategy, provides with an extra degree of freedom during the fault, i.e. reactive power
injection to assist voltage recovery.
After that, to improve the stabilization of the wind turbine generator transient after the fault clearing, a
flux damping control has been presented, resulting in a quicker damping of the current oscillations for
the DFIG, and consequently in a smother transient behaviour after the voltage dip.
Finally the coordination between all the control strategies have been studied, achieving satisfactory
simulation results and concluding that the whole control, system meets the most restrictive
requirements specified by the standards [1] and [2].

References
[1] C. Jauch, P. Sorensen, B. Bak-Jensen. "International Review of Grid Connection Requirements for Wind
Turbines". Nordic Wind Power Conference, 2004, Chalmers University of Technology.
[2] Spanish Electrical Grid REE. "Technical Conditions applicable to the Non Controllable Special Scheme
Generation ". DDR.E/03/536-22.07.03 Edic 4. 2003
[3] R. Peiia, J. C. Clare, G.M. Asher. "Doubly fed induction generator using back-to-back PWM converters and
it's application to variable speed wind-energy generators". IEE Proc. Electronic Power Applications,
143:231-241, May 1996.
[4] Miguel Rodrlguez, Gonzalo Abad, Haritza Camblong, "Experimental Evaluation of High Level Control
Strategies in a Variable Speed Wind Turbine", EPE 2003 Toulouse.
[5] J. K. Niiranen, " Simulation of Doubly Fed Induction Generator Wind Turbine with an Active Crowbar",
EPE-PEMC 2004, Riga.
[6] A. Dittrich, Alexander Stoev, " Grid Voltage Fault Proof Doubly-Fed Induction Generator System", EPE
2003, Toulouse.
[7] W. Leonard, "Control of electrical drives", Springer Verlag, 2nd Ed., 1996.
[8] M. Heller y W. Schumacher. "Stability analysis of doubly-fed induction machines in stator flux reference
frame". EPE 97, Trondheim.

Appendix
Table I: Generator data (All parameters are related to the stator side)
Rated power Pn 1400 KW
Rated stator voltage Vsn 690 V
Rotor standstill voltage Vro 1867 V
Rated stator current Isn 1400A
Synchronous speed Nsync 1500 rpm
Stator resistance Rs 6,14 10-4 Q
Rotor resistance Rr 1,93 10-3 Q
Main inductance Lh 2,52 10-3 H
Stator leakage inductance Lcys 74,3 1 06 H
Rotor leakage inductance LTrr 85,6 1 0-6 H

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