Dynamic rating assists cost-effective expansion of wind farms by utilizing the hidden capacity of transformers

Dynamic rating of power transmission devices is a technology that allows better equipment utilization through real-time monitoring of the weather conditions and the load. Dynamic rating of transformers is a fairly new technology if compared to the dynamic rating of power lines, and has a high potential for significantly improving component utilization while lowering investment costs on installing new transformers. The following work investigates how to utilize already operational transformers, which are used for wind farm connection, for expanding wind generation capacity. Also, this paper shows improvements that dynamic transformer rating can bring to both power grid operators and wind farm owners by exploring the economic benefits of expanding wind parks without investing in new power transformers. Connecting additional wind turbines at sites with high wind potential after the wind park is already in exploitation can assist in lowering electricity price and provide a possibility of less risky investment in the wind energy sector. This paper uses transformer thermal modelling and wind farm expansion techniques such as convolution method and product method to investigate to which extent existing wind farms can be expanded using already installed transformer units. Five transformer locations and nine units are studied for finding the potential of dynamic transformer rating for network expansion applications. The analysis shows that the optimal expansion of wind power from a generator perspective is around 30% to 50%, although, it can be limited further by network restrictions. A possibility to use a large component, such as power transformer, closer to its full potential can provide material and cost savings for building new devices and decrease investment costs on manufacturing, transportation and installation of new units. Dynamic rating of power transformers can also increase the socio-economic benefits of renewable energy by lowering electricity price from renewables and incentivize an increased share of green power in electricity markets.