What Is Grid-forming Wind Turbines?

Grid-forming wind turbines, also known as voltage source wind turbines in the wind power industry, are a new type of wind turbine that operates with voltage source characteristics and can actively provide support to the power grid.

1. The Features

1.1 The core feature of grid-forming wind turbines lies in simulating the rotor motion equation of synchronous generators, presenting voltage source control and self-synchronization grid characteristics externally, and being able to control the output voltage (amplitude and phase), actively support the stability of grid frequency and voltage, and provide inertia and damping support to the system, allowing for island operation.

1.2 They are suitable for weak grid environments with a high proportion of new energy access. Grid-forming wind turbines can transform wind turbines from “passively following the grid” to “actively building the grid”, providing key technical support for the stable operation of new power systems.

2.Technical characteristics and functions of grid-forming wind turbines

2.1 Grid-forming wind turbines mainly rely on grid-forming technology to achieve grid connection. Grid-forming technology is a control strategy that provides stable support to the power system by autonomously establishing voltage and frequency references.

For grid-forming wind turbines, in simple terms, the converter connected to the grid imitates the operation mode of synchronous generators, and through control algorithms, simulates the inertia, damping, and voltage source characteristics of synchronous generators.

2.2 The wind turbine can be regarded as a local controlled “voltage source/main power source”.

During grid connection, it does not rely on a phase-locked loop to track the grid phase, but instead uses control algorithm strategies (such as virtual synchronous machine control, etc.) to complete grid connection through a power synchronization loop that simulates the electrical transient of synchronous generators.

2.3 In the traditional power generation field, synchronous generators have huge rotational inertia and strong current overload capacity, which can effectively deal with disturbances in frequency (active power) and voltage (reactive power) in the power system.

Traditional synchronous generator control technology is already very mature. The grid-forming technology for wind power is to apply some theories of synchronous generators to wind turbine units and “package” them into the operation mode of synchronous generators.

3. Functions Of Grid-forming Wind Turbines

3.1 The converter of grid-forming wind turbines has the characteristics of strong transient overcurrent capacity support, strong inertia and damping capacity, high reactive current support (up to more than 3 times the rated current), and fast dynamic response speed (up to within 20ms). The dynamic support indicators are higher than those of grid-following wind turbines.

3.2 After grid-forming wind turbines are connected to the grid, they can effectively solve the problems of transient overvoltage disconnection, reduced system inertia, and wide-frequency oscillation caused by the high proportion of new energy grid connection, enhance the stability of the units themselves, and improve the operating environment of large-scale grid-following new energy generation units in adjacent wind farms, thereby overall improving the transmission capacity of wind power new energy.

4. Significance of Developing Grid-forming Wind Turbines

4.1 With the development of the power generation industry and policy guidance, by the end of December 2024, the cumulative installed capacity of power generation in China was approximately 3.35 billion kilowatts.

Among them, the installed capacity of new energy power generation, such as wind power, reached 1.45 billion kilowatts, accounting for 42.8% of the national power generation installed capacity, exceeding the installed capacity of thermal power for the first time. The power system presents the “dual high” characteristics of a high proportion of renewable energy and a high proportion of power electronic equipment.

4.2 As an important part of new energy power generation, with the continuous increase in the penetration rate of new energy in the system, concentrated areas of new energy power generation are prone to problems such as reduced short-circuit ratio, wide-frequency oscillation, insufficient frequency regulation capacity, reduced system inertia, and transient overvoltage disconnection.

4.3 In contrast, grid-forming control technology can take on the responsibility of constructing system voltage and frequency, transforming from “passive adaptation” to “active support and autonomous operation”, and overall ensuring grid-friendly connection and grid safety.

Supplier

Luoyang Fonyo Heavy Industries Co., Ltd,founded in 1998,is a manufacturer in railway casting parts.Our factory covers an area of 72,600㎡, with more than 300 employees, 32 technicians, including 5 senior engineers, 11 assistant engineers, and 16 technicians.Our production capacity is 30,000 tons per year. Currently, we mainly produce casting, machining, and assembly for locomotive, railcar, high-speed trains, mining equipment,wind power,etc.
We are the railway parts supply to CRRC(including more than 20 branch companies and subsidiaries of CRRC),Gemac Engineering Machinery,Sanygroup, Citic Heavy Industries,etc. Our products have been exported to Russia, the United States, Germany, Argentina, Japan, France, South Africa,Italy and other countries all over the world.