Investigating the impact of a dynamic thermal rating on wind farm integration

Abstract

With an increased focus on renewable power generation, dynamic thermal ratings of various power equipment are being investigated to connect the new intermittent generation to the grid without needing to replace existing infrastructure. Previous research is mainly focused on a dynamic thermal rating for overhead lines. End-of-line equipment are also restricted by a thermal limit. This paper combines the thermal model for overhead lines with the transformer thermal model, to investigate the impact of environmental conditions on both. A wind farm case study is used to determine the potential increase in capacity using a combined thermal model. The impact of a higher thermal limit on the loss of life of the transformer is compared to the amount of curtailed wind and the potential revenue from the added wind farm. This analysis serves to provide a method to analyse the risks of using a higher transformer thermal limit, compared to the benefits of increased wind penetration and additional revenue.