Stability analysis of the Lebanese electrical power grid upon wind farm integration

Abstract

The Lebanese electrical grid has been facing many problems for the past two decades and a half especially in the generation sector. Thus, renewable energy technologies are available nowadays to support the generation sector; but the decision largely depends on the geographical location and surrounding environment of the generation site. For example, in Lebanon, the most promising technology to be used is either solar or wind energy. The focus in the current research will be on wind generation as it holds great challenges and benefits at the same time. Two main types of wind turbine generators used worldwide are the fixed-speed squirrel-cage induction machine and the doubly-fed induction generator (DFIG), which will be modeled and integrated into the Lebanese grid. One of the main challenges facing wind penetration into electrical grids is the transient stability of the system and its ability to sustain synchronism upon the occurrence of faults. Wind energy harnesses a natural resource that is variable by nature, thus creating an undispatchable power source. That’s why a careful selection of the preferred Lebanese sites and a wind data analysis calculated from the Lebanese wind map history are performed to estimate annual energy production. The Lebanese electrical system data was collected from EDL (Electricite du Liban), while missing information were extracted and calculated from international standards, manufacturers’ catalogues, and technical guides. A commercial “VESTAS” wind turbine and its controllers were selected and modeled using actual electrical parameters; in addition, the transmission system, generation units, and transformers were carefully modeled and inserted in a professional power software package (IPSA+) to simulate the load flow and transient stability of the system when wind farms are integrated into the grid. Load flow is simulated with and without the wind farms to monitor congested lines and overall balance of the system. System stability was studied following sho