EPSRC logo

Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: GR/R31652/01
Title: Increasing Wind Power Capacity and Stability with Improved Control and Protection
Principal Investigator: Fox, Professor B
Other Investigators:
Flynn, Dr D
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
B9 Energy Ltd Northern Ireland Electricity Networks Scottish Power
Department: Sch of Electronics, Elec Eng & Comp Sci
Organisation: Queen's University of Belfast
Scheme: Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts: 01 January 2002 Ends: 31 December 2004 Value (£): 110,191
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Sustainable Energy Networks Wind Power
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Energy
Related Grants:
Panel History:  
Summary on Grant Application Form
Despite the rapid development of wind power in Europe over the last decade, and a UK target of 10% electricity generation from renewables by 2010, expansion of wind generation is being limited by planning difficulties and utility requirements. This proposal will enable utilities to relax these restrictions by providing improved wind farm control and protection. In particular, intelligent power factor correction schemes will be examined for improved network voltage quality, allowing a potential increase in wind farm capacity at a given location. Enhanced protection will be used to distinguish between loss of mains conditions, following which wind farms should be tripped, from normal system frequency transients and voltage sag behaviour. This will improve power quality and wind farm economic performance; it will also remove a significant limitation on the total wind farm capacity which a power system can accept.The work will use network simulations and laboratory based development, backed up by monitored data from Lendrum's Bridge, a local wind farm. The data collected will enable improved control and more robust protection schemes to be designed, before being evaluated under field conditions at the wind farm.
Key Findings
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Potential use in non-academic contexts
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Impacts
Description This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Summary
Date Materialised
Sectors submitted by the Researcher
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Project URL:  
Further Information:  
Organisation Website: http://www.qub.ac.uk