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Abstract—Recent project experience and studies have shown documented and well understood [1][2][3], and are briefly
that Type 3 wind turbine generators with power electronic described in the next section.
converters and controls that operate near series compensated SSCI can present a very serious threat to the safe and
transmission lines are susceptible to un-damped sub-
synchronous oscillations. This paper presents an overview of reliable operation of a wind plant, introducing the potential
the Sub-Synchronous Control Interaction (SSCI) phenomenon. for severe equipment damage. It is also evident that most
Simulations in PSCAD/EMTDC using a Type 3 wind turbine manufacturers of Type 3 wind plants are vulnerable to SSCI.
model are used to demonstrate SSCI, and the design of an The intent of this paper is to highlight and explore the me-
SSCI damping controller is presented to help mitigate the chanisms of the SSCI phenomenon, especially as it relates to
problem. Recommendations are provided to wind turbine wind generators, as well as to present a wind turbine con-
manufacturers, generation developers, and system planners to
appropriately predict and mitigate SSCI concerns before they troller-based mitigation for SSCI. Simulations are per-
severely impact project and system development. formed using generic PSCAD/EMTDC models to demon-
strate the problem, as well as to show the effectiveness of
Index Terms—Wind turbines, doubly-fed induction genera- the proposed controller solution. Finally, a set of recom-
tor, series compensation, sub-synchronous control interactions, mendations are provided to wind generation developers,
sub-synchronous resonance, SSR, SSTI, SSCI manufacturers, and transmission utilities to ensure future
installations of wind plants near series compensated lines do
I. INTRODUCTION not experience damage and outages due to SSCI.
current are measured and are seen inside the wind tur-
150 bine controllers.
100
Reactive Power out of Wind Plkant 3. The wind turbine controllers process this information
50
0
through its controls.
Q (MVAR)
-50
-100
4. The output of the controllers is an equivalent voltage
-150 source signal (or possibly a current reference in some
-200
-250 designs), which are compared to PWM (pulse-width
1.10
RMS Voltage at 345 kV Wind Plant Substation modulation) waveforms, and ultimately fire IGBTs in
1.00 the VSC (voltage source converter) circuit on the tur-
0.90
bine rotor.
Vrms (pu)
0.80
0.70 5. The closed-loop response (of the system, controller, and
0.60
0.50
IGBT firing) results in negative damping, which causes
4.90 5.00 5.10 5.20 5.30 5.40
oscillations (at SS frequencies) to grow.
IRA IRD_Measure
A D
IRB IRQ_Measure
B Q
IRC
C 0
Figure 3. Simplified Rotor Side Current Feedback Loop (No SSCI Damping Controls)
introduce any filtering or delays. A sub-synchronous oscilla- 1. Reduction/optimization of the proportional gains in the
tion in the rotor currents would appear as an oscillation on rotor current DQ PI controller loops. The original gains
the measured DQ currents. were 1.0 and were reduced to 0.4 pu.
Next, the DQ measured components of current are com- 2. A first order real pole was added to the IRD and IRQ
pared to DQ current orders, which come from higher level measurement signals – the gain was 1.0 and the time
PI controllers which control real or reactive power (P or Q). constant was 0.01 seconds.
The difference is sent to PI controllers (or PID). The propor- 3. 2nd order low-pass filtering was added to the real power
tional gain of this inner PID controller means there is a di- measurement signal ( PGX in Figure 4 - this filtering
rect pass-through of the oscillation into the URDQ voltage was already in place for the reactive power
reference signals. measurement signal but is not shown)
The URDQ voltage references are converted back to ABC
4. A damping controller was added, which takes the real
domain (again a direct conversion) and are compared with
power error signal (input to the first PI controller),
PWM carrier signals, resulting in firing pulses to the IGBT
passes it through a lead-lag control block ( transfer
converters. It is suspected that the tuning experience of the
control designers is often limited to inductive systems, whe- function = G*(1+sT1)/(1+sT2), where the G = 0.2, lead
reas the introduction of the series capacitor introduces a time constant T1 = 0.02, and lag time constant T2 =
phase inversion, with unstable results. 0.002), and then adds this signal to the output of the
Oscillations were also evident in the measured real and voltage signal reference (URQOrdered in Figure 4).
reactive power outputs, which can pass through the propor-
tional gain of the first set of PI controllers. This outer loop The generic model used in these tests is comprised of
has also been shown to have an impact on SSCI, although standard PSCAD control blocks for PLLs, filters, etc. These
the effect is not the dominant effect. may not function in exactly the same manner as real con-
It is the fast, direct nature of the current control loop trols. Even measurements such as rms voltages, or P and Q
which is the primary cause of the SSCI problem. Topolo- flows can be performed in many different ways and will be
gies similar to the above described controls are common to unique to each manufacturer.
all type 3 DFIG wind turbines. This explains why the prob- With the 4 controller changes, the DFIG was able to
lem is wide-spread amongst type 3 turbines from most man- operate radially into the series compensated test system with
ufacturers. Type 4 (full converter) wind turbines do not use more than 50% series compensation levels, without the
a rotor side controller, and therefore do not exhibit the SSCI build-up of SSCI oscillations, as shown in Figure 5. It is
problem. noted that even though the simulation shows stable
It has been shown that control changes in type 3 wind tur- operation with no growing sub-synchronous oscillations, the
bines can mitigate SSCI [9][10]. The following section de- transient response following the disturbance at 5 seconds is
scribes several improvements that can be made to type 3 much more severe than that seen when using the un-
wind turbine controls to mitigate SSCI.
modified controls. This is due to a reduction in speed and
increased damping being introduced into the fast rotor
V. DESIGN OF SSCI DAMPING CONTROLLER
current control loop, and illustrates that a trade-off exists
The earlier results showed the nature of the SSCI instability, between reducing SSCI interactions and the speed the
and identified the major control loops which were the cause. device is able to respond to disturbances. For this reason,
To fix this problem, four changes were made to the controls these control changes would not be made lightly, and will
in the generic type 3 model. These changes are shown in require careful tuning by the wind turbine manufacturer.
Figure 4 and are described as follows:
IRA G IRD_Measure
A D
IRB 1 + sT
B Q
IRC G IRQ_Measure
C 0
1 + sT
P P
Q_Order IRD_Order IRD_ERR URD_Order Example Rotor Side VSC Controller
D + - D + - (note signs and DQ convention may vary)
I I
F F
Q_Measure IRD_Measure Change 1: Reduction of P Gain URA_Order IGBT_Pulse_A
D A
URB_Order PWM Comparator IGBT_Pulse_B
Q B Firing Pulse Generator
URC_Order IGBT_Pulse_C
0 C
URQ_Order
P P
P_Order IRQ_Order IRQ_ERR
D + - D + - D + +
I I
F F F
P_Measure IRQ_Measure
Figure 4 – Revised Controls including SSCI Damping Controller and Changes in Rotor Side Current Feedback Control Loop
Real Power out of Wind Plant
800
700
600
500
P (MW)
400
300
200
100
Reactive Power out of Wind Plant
100
50
0
Q (MVAR)
-50
-100
-150
-200
-250
RMS Voltage at 345 kV Wind Plant Substation
1.20
1.00 Figure 6. Example of a blocking filter in parallel with series capacitor
Vrms (pu)
0.80
0.60
(type 4) have been shown to add positive damping at sub-
0.40 synchronous frequencies, which could offset the negative
0.20 damping added by the DFIG (type 3) units. For dedicated
4.90 5.00 5.10 5.20 5.30 5.40
projects where wind plants and line upgrades are designed
together, this may be feasible.
Figure 5. Simulated SSCI Event After Controller Changes: Wind Plant
Point of Interconnection Real Power, Reactive Power, and RMS Voltage C. Install special protection system
(50% series compensation) It may be possible to trigger on line outages or certain
system conditions where SSCI can occur, and special pro-
It is likely that additional improvements and tection systems can be used to transfer trip the wind turbines
optimizations are possible, and results will vary from one or bypass the series capacitors under these conditions. This
manufacturer to the other depending on their specific mitigation will be subject to utility policies and NERC relia-
controller topologies and tuning. bility rules pertaining to remedial action schemes and spe-
cial protection.
VI. OTHER SSCI MITIGATION ALTERNATIVES
D. Install SSCI protection relays
Although the primary mitigation of SSCI should be accom-
plished by means of a controller adjustment in the type 3 As a minimum, any wind turbine that is operated near a
wind turbine rotor converter (the controls are the source of series capacitor should employ an SSCI protection circuit. If
the instability), there are other precautions and mitigations sub-synchronous oscillations are detected, then either the
which may be adopted as required. wind farm can be tripped or the series capacitor bypassed to
avoid damage. This should be considered a fail-safe protec-
A. Addition of bypass filters across series capacitor
tion mechanism, similar to SSR relays commonly installed
A sub-synchronous bypass filter across the series capacitor in gas turbine generators, rather than a mitigating solution.
may be effective. A parallel LC impedance (tuned to fun- The oscillations have been observed to ramp up very quickly
damental) in series with a damping resistor is placed in pa- (in seconds rather than minutes), so SSCI protection is re-
rallel with the main series capacitor. The tuned LC path is quired to be faster than conventional SSR protection cir-
an open circuit at fundamental frequency (to minimize cuits, which operate over longer timeframes.
losses) – low frequencies components will pass through the Ultimately, a combination of these mitigation methods
filter so the resistor adds sub-synchronous damping. The may be required for a successful project. It is important that
use of such a filter (example shown in Figure 6) may lead to the SSR behavior of the system is studied with detailed
additional losses, and the RLC filter must be insulated to the EMT models. Conventional transient stability programs do
full line voltage and sit on an insulated platform in the same not demonstrate SSCI problems as they cannot represent the
fashion as the series capacitor. Although passive filters can electrical resonance. At present, this is not a requirement in
be readily designed, such filters have not been implemented most wind interconnection standards. Since some of the
in the field. Other bypass filter topologies can also be used. mitigation solutions can be expensive and require equipment
The wind turbine also may employ series SSR blocking fil- to be purchased or control upgrades to be performed, the
ters, but these can be expensive and may not be 100% effec- studies may need to be performed relatively early in the
tive. overall project development schedule.
The 60 Hz blocking filter is comprised of two or more
blocking filters so that detuning is minimized when a filter VII. RECOMMENDATIONS
capacitor fails. The large inductors of the 60 Hz blocking
component of the filter may require iron cores, which could In order to ensure future wind and transmission projects
add an extra cost if they are too heavy to mount on the plat- are not impeded by SSCI concerns when used in conjunction
form and must be insulated for full line voltage. with series compensated transmission systems, the following
specific recommendations are made:
B. Combination of wind turbine models
Recent study work has shown that full converter turbines
1. Detailed EMT models of the turbine should be obtained protection schemes capable of preventing equipment dam-
directly from the manufacturer during project planning age in the event of SSCI.
stages. This may require non-disclosure agreements to
be signed, but is essential for a complete understanding ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
of performance, and evaluation of potential problems. Technical assistance from Paul Hassink, Peter Belkin and
The best models directly use the real code from the Larry Anderson of AEP is gratefully acknowledged.
actual controller hardware. In this case, the source code
can be compiled and imbedded directly in the EMT REFERENCES
tool, complete with all measurement methods, [1] IEEE Committee Rep., "Reader’s guide to sub-synchronous reson-
controllers, protection functions etc. This has been ance,” IEEE Trans. Power Syst., Vol. 7, No. 1, pp. 150-157, Feb.
successfully done for several major wind turbine 1992.
manufacturers. The method is highly accurate and [2] IEEE Working Committee Rep., "Third supplement to a bibliography
for the study of sub-synchronous resonance between rotating ma-
relatively easy to develop, but beyond the scope of this chines and power systems," IEEE Trans. Power Syst., Vol. 6, No. 2,
paper. pp. 830–834, May 1991.
[3] P. Kundur, "Power System Stability and Control," McGraw-Hill
2. Wind turbine manufacturers are encouraged to Companies, 1994.
aggressively research SSCI and see if improvements [4] R. K. Varma, S. Auddy, and Y. Semsedini, "Mitigation of sub-
synchronous resonance in a series-compensated wind farm using
can be made in their turbine controls. FACTS controllers," IEEE Trans. Power Del., Vol. 23, No. 3, pp.
1645–1654, Jul. 2008
3. Wind developers must be aware of potential problems [5] R. M. Mathur, R. K. Varma, “Thyristor-based FACTS Controllers for
of turbines operating near series compensated lines and Electrical Transmission Systems”, IEEE Wiley-Interscience, 2002
be aware of the potential complexities this introduces. [6] G. D. Irwin, "Sub-Synchronous Interactions with Wind Turbines,"
Technical Conference - CREZ System Design and Operation, January
4. Transmission providers should update their 26, 2010, Taylor, Texas, USA.
interconnection standards to require EMT/SSCI http://www.ercot.com/calendar/2010/01/20100126-TECH
[7] W. Wong, J. Daniel, "ABB presentation on CREZ Reactive Study-
analysis to be performed when turbines are connected ERCOT RPG Meeting," March 12, 2010, Austin, Texas, USA
near series compensated lines, and to ensure the proper http://www.ercot.com/calendar/2010/03/20100312-RPG
protection systems are in place. [8] G. Reed, "CREZ Project Overview," January 26, 2010, Taylor, Texas
http://www.ercot.com/calendar/2010/01/20100126-TECH.
5. Transmission planners should include the additional [9] E. Larsen, "Wind Power on series-compensated lines," 2010 Wind-
Power Conf and Exhibition, Dallas, TX, USA, May 23-26, 2010.
costs for SSCI related problems when comparing lines [10] A. K. Jindal, G. D. Irwin and D. A. Woodford, "Sub-Synchronous
with series capacitors to higher voltage AC lines, or DC Interactions with Wind Farms connected near series compensated AC
solutions. lines", 9th Int. Workshop on Large scale integration of wind, Quebec
City, Canada, pp. 559-564, Oct 18-19, 2010.
VIII. CONCLUSION
IX. BIOGRAPHIES
SSCI (Sub-Synchronous Control Interactions) is a new
Garth D. Irwin graduated from the University of Manitoba, Canada in
phenomenon, where wind turbines/controls have been ob- 1987. He joined the Manitoba HVDC Research Centre, Winnipeg where he
served to interact with nearby series capacitors, resulting in undertook studies and projects, as well as leading the PSCAD/EMTDC
un-damped/fast growing oscillations. This is a widespread development team, responsible for improvements to the EMTDC solution
algorithm and the precision modeling of transmission lines and cables.
and serious problem, affecting turbines from most major Currently, he is the Vice-President of Electranix Corporation, specializ-
manufacturers. Worldwide, there are a large number of ing in wind turbines, HVDC links, SVCs and power system studies. He has
transmission expansion projects relying on series capacitors, worked with many manufacturers of wind turbines, as well as HVDC and
SVC equipment by teaching courses, assisting to develop detailed simula-
yet the majority of wind turbines are unstable under these
tion models and performing specialized power system studies. Garth is a
conditions. Furthermore, standard transient stability studies registered Professional Engineer in the provinces of Manitoba and Alberta.
(performed as per the interconnection standards) do not
show this problem (as they use fundamental frequency pha- Amit Kumar Jindal received a Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering from
IIT Kanpur, India in 2006. He worked at University of Manitoba, Canada
sor solutions). Recent real system projects have experienced for two years as a Post-Doctoral Fellow where he undertook studies and
damage to turbines and transmission equipment due to projects including modeling of Wind/Diesel and solar energy systems.
SSCI. He has been with Electranix Corporation since 2009, where he is in-
volved with general power system studies involving ac and dc transmission,
This paper demonstrates that the negative damping ob-
sub-synchronous resonance, power flow, stability and EMT analysis. He is
served in the SSCI phenomena is largely due to the wind a member of the IEEE Power and Energy Society.
turbine rotor side current controller in the type 3 topology.
Controller changes and damping controllers are proposed Andrew L. Isaacs graduated from the University of Manitoba with a B.Sc.
(EE) and M.Sc. (EE) in 2003 and 2010 respectively, and has been working
which help to mitigate the instability. at Electranix Corporation since 2003. He has performed planning studies
In all cases of potential SSCI, it is highly recommended for transmission utilities, ISOs, and private generation companies. Addi-
that detailed EMT models of the turbine be obtained directly tional work includes PSCAD studies, software training, HVDC large sys-
tem segmentation, specialized transient stability analysis, device specifica-
from the manufacturer. Modern tools such as PSCAD/ tion and probabilistic reliability analysis. Andrew is a registered Profes-
EMTDC are capable of directly imbedding code from the sional Engineer in the provinces of Manitoba and Alberta.
actual hardware into simulation models, such that excellent
predictions of SSCI phenomena may be produced. In-
creased awareness of SSCI is critical, along with back-up