Executive Summary : | Renewable Energy (RE) integration is increasing rapidly in many power systems around the world, with promising penetration targets set at the national, and/or regional levels. In line with the global RE targets, India has set a target of 175 GW installed capacity for RE generation by the year 2022. Instantaneous RE penetration in 2022 is expected to be around 55% at national level, while, individual states such as Tamil Nadu, are set to experience peak RE penetration of as high as 100%. Integration of RE, however, introduces a range of challenges in grid operation. Grid operators/ regulatory authorities are endeavoring to tackle such issues primarily through stringent grid codes. One of the critical grid code requirements for RE generation is Low/High Voltage Ride Through (LVRT/HVRT) capability. This is of significant concern to system operators, as it can lead to various potential grid disturbances, e.g., blackout of South Australian grid in 2016. One of the critical challenges to a system operator is to monitor and verify, whether a given RE generating unit is complying with LVRT/HVRT regulation in place. Considering 2022 RE integration targets, monitoring LVRT compliance is very relevant to Indian grid operators. Further, while a RE unit may be certified at a manufacturing facility for LVRT compliance, it is difficult to ascertain that such RE unit at a given site under local conditions will satisfy LVRT requirements. In such a testing framework, local conditions including network strength, ambient conditions, etc. are generally not considered. This issue is quite relevant to India, where, the majority of installed wind turbines are tested in European countries. There is a pressing need to develop local LVRT testing approaches/solution. On the other hand, under high RE penetration, it will be essential to estimate and monitor system synchronous and non-synchronous inertia, so that the system operator can take adequate countermeasures for secure grid operation.
Therefore, this project aims to address the three major critical issues stated above, through the following objectives and deliverables:
1. Investigate LVRT compliance of RE generating units Tamil Nadu state grid
2. Explore novel and smart monitoring techniques/ tools for LVRT/HVRT compliance of RE units.
3. Investigate LVRT testing requirements, particularly, in the context of the Indian grid.
4. Explore various potential smart LVRT testing approaches for RE units.
5. Investigate, and propose estimation and monitoring techniques for synchronous and non-synchronous inertia in ultra-high RE penetrated system.
Deliverables:
1. LVRT/HVRT compliance monitoring tool for RE generating units
2. Testing tool for LVRT compliance of RE generating units
3. System inertia monitoring and estimation tool for ultra-high renewable energy penetrated system
4. Technical reports and research publications in reputed journals and conferences |
