This article provides an overview of utility grid operation by introducing the fundamental behavior of the electrical system, explaining the importance of maintaining grid reliability through balancing generation and load, and describing the methods of providing ancillary services using conventional utilities. This article also introduces the basic structural components of wind turbines, explains the traditional control systems for capturing maximum power, and highlights control methods developed in industry and academia to provide active power ancillary services with wind energy. As the penetration of wind energy continues to grow, the participation of wind turbines and wind farms in grid frequency stability is becoming more important. The future of wind energy development and deployment depends on many factors, such as policy decisions, economic markets, and technology improvements. Improvements through research and development in areas such as forecasting, turbine manufacturing processes, blade aerodynamics, power electronics, and active power control systems will continue to be a key driver for wind energy technology.
Controlling Wind Energy for Utility Grid Reliability
Jacob Aho is a doctoral student in the Electrical, Computer, and Energy Engineering Department of the University of Colorado Boulder. He earned his B.S. and M.S. degrees in electrical engineering at the University of New Hampshire. Jacob's research focus is on control systems and wind energy, particularly control systems for providing active power control and reducing damaging loads on turbine components. Jacob also enjoys sports, outdoor activities, and photography.
Andrew Buckspan is a doctoral student in the Electrical, Computer, and Energy Engineering Department of the University of Colorado Boulder. He earned his B.S. degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Florida in 2011. His research interests are in control systems and applications, particularly in regards to grid frequency support using active power control of wind turbines and distributed control of wind turbines and wind plants.
Fiona Dunne earned a B.S. degree in electrical engineering from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2006, and an M.S. degree in electrical engineering from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2010. She is currently a Ph.D. candidate in the Electrical, Computer, and Energy Engineering Department at the University of Colorado Boulder, researching preview control systems for wind turbines.
Lucy Pao earned her B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University, and she is currently the Richard and Joy Dorf Professor in Electrical, Computer, & Energy Engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder. She has spent sabbaticals at Harvard University, University of California at Berkeley, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Her primary research area is in control systems, with diverse applications ranging from atomic force microscopes to megawatt wind turbines. She is an IEEE Fellow, a member of the IEEE Control Systems Society (CSS) Board of Governors, and General Chair for the 2013 American Control Conference.
Aho, J. P., Buckspan, A. D., Dunne, F. M., and Pao, L. Y. (September 1, 2013). "Controlling Wind Energy for Utility Grid Reliability." ASME. Mechanical Engineering. September 2013; 135(09): S4–S12. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.2013-SEP-4
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