Harmonics in Wind Power Plants
Due to the tendency to renewable energies, wind power plants enjoy a continuously increasing importance. Our expectations are anything but modest. We want to ensure national as well as global power supply, sustainable and efficient. However, there is one factor, that tremendously impacts the efficiency of wind power plants connected to public grids, namely harmonics. Harmonics are multiples of the fundamental frequency causing resonances, premature aging, malfunctioning, and efficiency losses. Therefore, operators of wind power plants – whether on-shore or off-shore – frequently analyze harmonics to guarantee a high output efficiency and a long lifetime of components.
“Harmonics are multiples of the fundamental frequency causing resonances, premature aging, malfunctioning, and efficiency losses.”
Regulations and standards in the wind power sector
Several standards and regulations by organizations such as the IEC control the wind power sector in general as well as renewables in specific. This includes for instance the definition of harmonics and their distortion. In the following, you can find a list of specific standards directly or indirectly affecting the need to analyze harmonics.
- Emission limit values for wind power plants are among others defined in IEC 61000-2-4, IEC 61000-3-6, and IEC 61800-3-6.
- A special focus on renewable energies is included for instance in IEC 61400-12 and IEC 61400-21.
- Moreover, IEC-61000-4-7 and IEC 61000-4-30 define the calculation methods for harmonics and their distortion.
DEWETRON’s solution to analyze harmonics
DEWETRON prepared an ideal setup specifically dedicated for measurements on wind power plants – whether on-shore or off-shore. This solution for synchronized measurements in the nacelle and on the ground includes two DEWE3-A4. For more information about wind turbine testing, please refer to this article. In the figure below, you can get a first idea about how to analyze harmonics with OXYGEN – DEWETRON’s data acquisition and analysis software.
Further material on how to analyze harmonics with OXYGEN
For more information, you can refer to our articles discussing harmonics:
Moreover, you can check out our on-demand webinar about the OXYGEN power advanced option which includes a guide on how to analyze harmonics.
Get to know DEWETRON
DEWETRON develops and manufactures high-precision test and measurement technology. Among our customers, you can find companies operating in sectors such as aerospace & defense, automotive industries, energy & power analysis as well as manufacturing & industrial. Apart from hardware with state-of-the-art technology, DEWETRON develops intuitive data acquisition and analysis software with the name OXYGEN. Moreover, DEWETRON complements their portfolio with unsurpassed service and support.
For any additional information, please feel free to contact us.