Analysis of wind farm penetration on power swing detection in distance relays

Distance protection plays an essential role in the protection of sub-transmission and transmission lines in power systems. However, power swings have occasionally led to the mal-operation of this type of protection. A significant number of large disturbances, such as blackouts, start with power swings. Thus, improving the circumstances leading to this disruptive phenomenon becomes a great priority. Nowadays, the wind power share of worldwide electricity generation and the use of wind farms have increased. As a result, to predict future events, it is necessary to assess the network in the presence of these renewable sources. In this paper, the effects of the wind resources penetration on power swing have been evaluated. Simulations and analyses have been performed in PSCAD/EMTDC and MATLAB environments, respectively. To provide a comprehensive analysis, maximum power passing through the transmission line and power swing frequency have been utilised as criteria. The results show that wind farms presented acceptable behaviour in the presence of power swing and instability. Therefore, in view point of a power swing, induction generator based wind power plants, compared to synchronous generators, led to better overall conditions. Finally, the effect of fixed and variable speed wind turbines on power swing is compared.