Low voltage ride-through enhancement of fixed-speed wind farms using series FACTS controllers

This paper studies the application and control of three series flexible AC transmission system (FACTS) devices namely, the gate-controlled series capacitor (GCSC), the thyristor controlled series capacitor (TCSC), and series braking resistor (SBR), in order to enhance the low voltage ride-through (LVRT) in fixed-speed wind turbine generator systems (FSWTGS). Modeling and simulations are carried out in order to investigate and compare the performance of these devices, considering (1) successful reclosing of circuit breakers (CBs), (2) unsuccessful reclosing of CBs, and (3) connection of a dynamic load to the point of common coupling (PCC). Simulation results exhibit significantly enhanced transient stability of FSWTGS due to the employment of the GCSC. Furthermore, the GCSC is competitive with the TCSC and the SBR, and it requires less power rating to stabilize the wind generator system. Therefore, the proposed GCSC can be considered an effective tool to improve the LVRT of FSWTGS.