Hybrid power plant and a method for controlling a hybrid power plant

Abstract

The invention relates to a hybrid power plant for producing power to the electrical grid, the hybrid power plant comprising a plurality of energy assets; a first renewable power generating unit, such as wind turbine generators, and an energy storage unit, preferably a battery energy storage system. The hybrid power plant has a power plant controller arranged to communicate with the plurality of energy assets, and, when an under-frequency event occurs, the energy storage unit provides frequency support during the under-frequency event by providing additional power as a function of a state of charge of the energy storage unit at the time when the under-frequency event occurs. Thus, during an under-frequency event, it is possible to obtain a more stable power output from the hybrid power plant.

Claims

1. A hybrid power plant connected to an associated electrical grid for producing power to the electrical grid, the hybrid power plant, comprising: a plurality of energy assets, comprising: a first renewable power generating unit; and, an energy storage unit, comprising a battery energy storage system, the energy storage unit being capable of storing energy from the first renewable power generating unit, and delivering power to the electrical grid when required; and a power plant controller arranged to: communicate with the plurality of energy assets; and in response to determining that a frequency of the electrical grid falls below a dead band frequency: determining a first state of charge (SOC) of the energy storage unit; determining a first curve expressing additional power that the energy storage unit provides to the electrical grid as a function of the frequency of the electrical grid, wherein a first slope of the first curve is based on the first SOC of the energy storage unit; and providing a first amount of power from the energy storage unit to the electrical grid based on the first curve and the frequency of the electrical grid until the frequency of the electrical grid returns within the dead band frequency; and after the frequency of the electrical grid returns within the dead band frequency, in response to determining that the frequency of the electrical grid falls below the dead band frequency: determining a second SOC of the energy storage unit lower than the first SOC of the energy storage unit; determining a second curve expressing additional power that the energy storage unit provides to the electrical grid as a function of the frequency of the electrical grid, wherein a second slope of the second curve is based on the second SOC of the energy storage unit and is lower than the first slope; and providing a second amount of power from the energy storage unit to the electrical grid based on the second curve and the frequency of the electrical grid until the frequency of the electrical grid returns within the dead band frequency.

2. The hybrid power plant according to claim 1, wherein the first renewable power generating unit comprises a plurality of wind turbine generators.

3. The hybrid power plant according to claim 1, where the hybrid power plant comprises a second renewable power generating unit, the second renewable power generating unit being different from the first renewable power generating unit, the second renewable power generating unit comprises a plurality of solar power units.

4. The hybrid power plant according to claim 3, wherein the energy storage unit is further capable of storing energy from the second renewable power generating unit, and wherein the power plant controller is further arranged to communicate with the second renewable power generating unit.

5. The hybrid power plant of claim 1, wherein the power plant controller is arranged to reserve a pre-defined level of state of charge from the energy storage unit for providing frequency support in case of an under-frequency event, the level above the pre-defined level of state of charge from the energy storage unit being available for power production from the hybrid power plant when there is no under-frequency event.

6. The hybrid power plant according to claim 5, wherein the power plant controller is arranged to prioritize charging of the energy storage unit when a current state of charge is below the pre-defined level state of charge from the energy storage unit.

7. The hybrid power plant according to claim 3, the hybrid power plant further comprises: a module for deriving an estimated value for electrical losses in the hybrid power plant; a module for deriving a measured value for electrical losses in the hybrid power plant based on a difference between an aggregated power production from the plurality of energy assets and a power measurement at a point of common coupling; and a regulator arranged to apply the estimated value for electrical losses and the measured value for electrical losses in an active power control loop in the power plant controller, the active power control loop being arranged to control an active power production of the hybrid power plant at the point of common coupling, wherein an available power from the first renewable power generating unit or the second renewable power generating unit is calculated using the regulator.

8. A power plant controller for controlling an associated hybrid power plant connected to an associated electrical grid for producing power to the electrical grid, the hybrid power plant comprising a plurality of energy assets, the plurality of energy assets comprising: a first renewable power generating unit; and an energy storage unit being capable of storing energy from said first renewable power generating unit, and delivering power to the electrical grid when required, wherein the power plant controller is arranged to: communicate with the plurality of energy assets; and in response to determining that a frequency of the electrical grid falls below a dead band frequency: determine a first state of charge (SOC) of the energy storage unit; determine a first curve expressing additional power that the energy storage unit provides to the electrical grid as a function of the frequency of the electrical grid, wherein a first slope of the first curve is based on the first SOC of the energy storage unit; and provide a first amount of power from the energy storage unit to the electrical grid based on the first curve and the frequency of the electrical grid until the frequency of the electrical grid returns within the dead band frequency; and after the frequency of the electrical grid returns within the dead band frequency, in response to determining that the frequency of the electrical grid falls below the dead band frequency: determine a second SOC of the energy storage unit lower than the first SOC of the energy storage unit; determine a second curve expressing additional power that the energy storage unit provides to the electrical grid as a function of the frequency of the electrical grid, wherein a second slope of the second curve is based on the second SOC of the energy storage unit and is lower than the first slope; and provide a second amount of power from the energy storage unit to the electrical grid based on the second curve and the frequency of the electrical grid until the frequency of the electrical grid returns within the dead band frequency.

9. A method for controlling a hybrid power plant connected to an electrical grid for producing power for the electrical grid, the method comprising: communicating with a plurality of energy assets of the hybrid power plant, wherein the plurality of energy assets comprises: a first renewable power generating unit; and an energy storage unit comprising a battery energy storage system, the energy storage unit being capable of storing energy from the first renewable power generating unit, and delivering power to the electrical grid when required; and in response to determining that a frequency of the electrical grid falls below a dead band frequency: determining a first state of charge (SOC) of the energy storage unit; determining a first curve expressing additional power that the energy storage unit provides to the electrical grid as a function of the frequency of the electrical grid, wherein a first slope of the first curve is based on the first SOC of the energy storage unit; and providing a first amount of power from the energy storage unit to the electrical grid based on the first curve and the frequency of the electrical grid until the frequency of the electrical grid returns within the dead band frequency; and after the frequency of the electrical grid returns within the dead band frequency, in response to determining that the frequency of the electrical grid falls below the dead band frequency: determining a second SOC of the energy storage unit lower than the first SOC of the energy storage unit; determining a second curve expressing additional power that the energy storage unit provides to the electrical grid as a function of the frequency of the electrical grid, wherein a second slope of the second curve is based on the second SOC of the energy storage unit and is lower than the first slope; and providing a second amount of power from the energy storage unit to the electrical grid based on the second curve and the frequency of the electrical grid until the frequency of the electrical grid returns within the dead band frequency.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

(1) The present invention will now be described in more detail with regard to the accompanying figures. The figures show one way of implementing the present invention and is not to be construed as being limiting to other possible embodiments falling within the scope of the attached claim set.

(2) FIG. 1 is a simplified schematic drawing of power plant controller (PPC) of the hybrid power plant according to an embodiment of the present invention,

(3) FIG. 2 is a schematic power-frequency graph according to the present invention,

(4) FIG. 3 is a schematic drawing of the hybrid power plant according to another embodiment of the present invention,

(5) FIG. 4 is a more detailed drawing of the hybrid power plant according to another embodiment of the present invention,

(6) FIG. 5 is a schematic graph of a frequency deviation and the state-of-charge-(SOC) of the energy storage unit during an under-frequency event (UFE),

(7) FIG. 6 schematically shows a graph with a frequency deviation profile (A) over time,

(8) FIGS. 7-8 show simulated graphs of four different situations of the hybrid power plant in response to the frequency deviation profile (A) from FIG. 6,

(9) FIG. 9 schematically shows another graph with a frequency deviation profile (B) over time similar to FIG. 6,

(10) FIGS. 10-11 show simulated graphs of four different situations of the hybrid power plant in response to the frequency deviation profile (B) from FIG. 9, and

(11) FIG. 12 is a schematic system-chart representing an out-line of/in detail the operations of the computer program product according to the invention or a method according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT

(12) FIG. 1 is a simplified schematic drawing of power plant controller (PPC) 200 of the hybrid power plant according to an embodiment of the present invention.

(13) The hybrid power plant 100, cf. FIGS. 3 and 4, comprises a power plant controller PPC 200 arranged to communicate with the plurality of energy assets (not shown in FIG. 1), the power plant controller being arranged for receiving an active power reference P_REF,ext, preferably from a transmission system operator (TSO), and, using a hybrid active power controller 210, calculates a hybrid power plant reference Prefhpp based on for example a desired mode of operation like Frequency Control, Active power curtailment, etc. of the hybrid power plant.

(14) The power plant controller (PPC), 200 is further arranged, in response to a first comparison, for distributing set points PrefPGS, PS_1, PS_2, and particularly Pset1 . . . Pset,n, to the first renewable power generating unit and the second renewable power generating unit, and distributing one, or more, corresponding set points, PS_3, PrefESS, more particularly Pset,ess1 . . . , Pset,essn, to the energy storage unit ESU, cf. FIGS. 3-4, so as to deliver power from the hybrid power plant in accordance with the received active power reference P_REF,ext, which is transformed into Prefhpp as shown in FIG. 1. A hybrid dispatcher 220 receives the Prefhpp control signal and calculates a PrefPGS control signal for the power generating units, and a PrefESS control signal for the energy storage unit or system ESS. At the next level the PrefPGS signal is then distributed, or dispatched, using via a PGS dispatcher 230 to the individual power generating units, e.g. WTGs or PVs. Likewise, the PrefESS signal is then distributed, or dispatched, using via a ESS dispatcher 240 to the energy storage unitities in a lower level, e.g. a plurality of batteries.

(15) FIG. 2 is a schematic power-frequency graph according to the present invention, wherein the power plant controller PPC, 200, as shown in FIG. 1, is arranged to communicate with the plurality of energy assets, the power plant controller being arranged to measure and/or receive information from the electrical grid that an under-frequency event (UFE) has occurred in the electrical grid 1000, cf. FIG. 3. When such an under-frequency event occurs, the power plant controller is further arranged for communicating to the energy storage unit ESU, or BES, to provide frequency support during the under-frequency event (UFE), e.g. an unexpected frequency drop, by providing additional power ΔP as a function of a state of charge SoC of the energy storage unit at the time when said under-frequency event occur, in the following called SoC_mem, as schematically indicated in FIG. 2.

(16) FIG. 3 is a schematic drawing of the hybrid power plant according to another embodiment of the present invention. The hybrid power plant 100 is connected to associated electrical grid 1000 for producing power to the electrical grid, the hybrid power plant comprising a plurality of energy assets EA1, EA2 and EA3.

(17) Thus, a first renewable power generating unit EA1 or 1RPGU is part of the plant 100, i.e. in this embodiment a plurality of wind turbine generators, WTG1 and WTG2, and a second renewable power generating unit, EA2, 2RPGU, i.e. in this embodiment a plurality of solar power units, PV1 and PV2. For simplicity, only two wind turbine generators and solar power units are indicated in this embodiment, but of course the skilled person would understand that any number of renewable power generating units is in principle contemplated within the teaching and principle of the present invention.

(18) Additionally, an energy storage unit ESU or system ESS, is part of the plant 100, preferably a battery energy storage system BES, which is capable of storing energy from said first and second renewable power generating units, i.e. from the wind turbine generators, WTG1 and WTG2, and solar power unit, PV1 and PV2, and the energy storage unit being arranged for delivering power to said electrical grid 1000 when required. The energy storage unit is indicated as the third energy asset EA3.

(19) The hybrid power plant 100 further comprises a power plant controller (PPC) 200 arranged to communicate with the plurality of energy assets, i.e. receive information about their state/condition and generally send control signals to each of them, and the power plant controller is particularly arranged for receiving an active power reference (as indicated to the left of the PPC), for example provided by a grid operator, and correspondingly distribute active power set points, P_S1, P_S2, and P_S3 to the plurality of energy assets as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. As an intermediate control signal hybrid power plant reference Prefhpp is also used. It may be mentioned that in some embodiments, the WTG Dispatcher may form part of the controller PPC 200. The P_REF is the reference received either from the grid operator (TSO) i.e. Pref,ext in FIG. 1, or a user, but it can also be from another controller—such as Frequency Controller as indicated by the signal name Pref_freq_ctrl. The power plant controller 200 may comprise wind turbine generator WTG dispatcher 230a, PV dispatcher 230b, and BES dispatcher 240, as schematically indicated in FIG. 3.

(20) In general it is expected that the PPC 200 will communicate directly with the WTG1 and WTG2, and it will communicate to the energy storage BES and PV1 and PV2 through dedicated BES and PV controllers (similar to a power plant controller PPC but specifically for PV and BES). These dedicated controllers will then distribute the set-point to individual PV array converters or individual ES converters (i.e. the PV and ES systems are composed of a plurality of units, just as the wind power plant system). In the shown embodiment, the controller PPC communicates via a Set-point SPLITTER, the Set-point SPLITTER then dispatches set point PS_1, PS_2 and PS_3 further to a dispatcher for each energy assets.

(21) It is also contemplated that it is possible to distribute set points to WTGs through local controllers. That is one master PPC distributes set-points to one/more slave PPC, for example for large wind turbine parks with a large number of wind turbine generators, such as more than 20 wind turbine generators, or more than 40 wind turbine generators.

(22) FIG. 4 is a more detailed drawing of the hybrid power plant according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 (both 4A and 4B) is a schematic drawing of the hybrid power plant according to another embodiment of the present invention. Thus, in addition to the hybrid power plant shown in FIG. 3, the hybrid power plant 100 further comprises particularly a module 310 for deriving an estimated value for electrical losses in the hybrid power plant. Moreover, a module 320 is present for deriving a measured value for electrical losses in the hybrid power plant, based on a difference between an aggregated power production Pprod from the plurality of energy assets, here EA1 being WTG actuators, EA2 being PV actuators, and EA3 being BES actuators, and a power measurement Pmeas at a point of common coupling (PoC) with the grid 1000. In addition, the power plant controller comprises a regulator 300 being an active power controller arranged to apply this estimated value for electrical losses and the measured value for electrical losses in an active power control loop in the power plant controller 200, the active power control loop being arranged to control an active power production of the hybrid power plant 100 at the point of common coupling.

(23) FIG. 5 is a schematic graph of a frequency deviation (upper graph) and the state-of-charge-(SOC) of the energy storage unit (lower graph) during an under-frequency event (UFE), schematically indicated as the frequency line falls below the dotted line ‘limit’, e.g. a frequency deadband from the TSO, at the time t_UFE. Also shown schematically is the state of charge (SoC) of the energy storage unit at the time when said under-frequency event occur; ‘SoC_memory’ or just referenced SoC_mem in the following. The energy storage unit is the third energy asset EA3 in FIG. 3, more specifically a battery energy system BES resulting in a power output Pout_BES. Likewise, the energy storage unit is shown in FIG. 4B as the ‘BES ACTUATORS’ electrically providing additional power to the grid when needed in case of an under-frequency event (UFE).

(24) FIG. 6 schematically shows a graph with a frequency deviation profile (A) over time (in seconds). Thus, from an initial 50 Hz frequency around t=0 seconds, the frequency suddenly drops to 49 Hz and stays at this level for around 300 seconds, followed by stepwise increase back to 50 Hz around 500 seconds, which is then followed by yet another drop back to 49 Hz at around 650 seconds. Finally, the frequency returns to the desired value of 50 Hz shortly before 800 seconds. This kind of frequency represent a typically frequency event experienced in some grids with two drops in the frequency.

(25) FIGS. 7-8 show simulated graphs of four different situations of the hybrid power plant in response to the frequency deviation profile (A) from FIG. 6. In these simulations, ΔP indicates the reference signal transmitted to the energy storage unit from the power plant controller PCC and Pprod indicates the actual power from the energy storage unit delivered to the electrical grid, the two being substantial identical when the state of charge SoC is above zero. Thus, in FIG. 7 initially the state of charge is 40% of the energy storage unit, e.g. a battery energy system BES, whereas in FIG. 8 initially the state of charge is 100% of the energy storage unit, e.g. a battery energy system BES. For comparison, the present invention is not enabled in FIG. 7A and FIG. 8A to facilitate illustration of the effect of the present invention being implemented in FIG. 7B and FIG. 8B with a SoC_mem of 40% and 100%, respectively. For the simulations where the invention is not enabled (“No SoCMemory”), the response is a state of the art response where a full discharge is performed i.e. the delivered energy is 100%.

(26) When considering the effect of the invention from FIG. 7B, it is observed that the initial response Pprod from the BES is more limited being around 40% (FIG. 7A being initially 100%) but the BES is then not empty of energy after 500 seconds when the second frequency drop occurs. Thus, the invention provides more stability over a longer period of time under the frequency event UFE from FIG. 6. Similarly, in FIG. 8 the effect of the invention is notable in that the energy, or SoC, in the BES at time of the second frequency drop after 500 seconds is relatively higher again yielding an improved stability over time.

(27) FIG. 9 schematically shows another graph with a frequency deviation profile (B) over time similar to FIG. 6, but with a total of three frequency drops thereby demanding an even higher capacity of the energy storage unit for frequency support during this under-frequency event UFE. This kind of frequency also represent a typically frequency event experienced in some grids with a series of subsequent drops in the frequency.

(28) FIGS. 10-11 again show simulated graphs of four different situations of the hybrid power plant in response to the frequency deviation profile (B) from FIG. at two different initial SoC levels; 100% in FIG. 10 and 50% in FIG. 11. Also for these simulations, ΔP indicates the reference signal transmitted to the energy storage unit and Pprod indicates the actual power from the energy storage unit transmitted to the electrical grid, the two being substantial identical when the state of charge SoC is above zero. Thus, FIGS. 10A and 11A particularly illustrate the effect of the invention with respect to stability because the energy storage unit is able to deliver power, and thereby frequency support to the grid, for a relatively longer period of time during the UFE profile B shown in FIG. 9. Thus, for example as seen in FIG. 11B, the energy storage unit is already depleted of energy after approximately 500 seconds by producing around 100% during the initial frequency drop, whereas the energy storage unit ESU with the invention implemented will perform frequency support more than 1500 seconds as seen in FIG. 11A. Thus, the energy saved from producing around 50% (with SoC_mem also being 50% in this example) in the initial frequency drop enables a longer period of frequency support during the UFE.

(29) FIG. 12 is a schematic system-chart representing an out-line of/in detail the operations of the computer program product according to the invention or a method according to the invention. Thus, a method for controlling a hybrid power plant; the hybrid power plant 100 is connected to an electrical grid 1000 for producing power to said electrical grid, the hybrid power plant comprising a plurality of energy assets: Sa a first renewable power generating unit, EA1, 1RPGU, and Sb an energy storage unit, EA3, ESU, preferably a battery energy storage system BES, said energy storage unit being capable of storing energy from said first renewable power generating unit, and delivering power to said electrical grid when required, wherein the method comprises S1 communicating with the plurality of energy assets, S2 measuring and/or receiving information from the electrical grid that an under-frequency event UFE has occurred in the electrical grid, and, S3 when such an under-frequency event occurs, providing frequency support during the under-frequency event UFE by providing additional power ΔP, illustrated in FIGS. 7-8 and 10-11, as a function of a state of charge SoC of the energy storage unit at the time when said under-frequency event occur SoC_mem.

(30) In summary, the invention relates to a hybrid power plant 100 for producing power to the electrical grid, the hybrid power plant comprising a plurality of energy assets; a first renewable power generating unit, such as wind turbine generators, WTG1, WTG2, and an energy storage unit, EA3, ESU, preferably a battery energy storage system BES. The hybrid power plant has a power plant controller PPC, 200 arranged to communicate with the plurality of energy assets, and, when an under-frequency event occurs, the energy storage unit, ESU, BES) provides frequency support during the under-frequency event UFE by providing additional power ΔP as a function of a state of charge SoC of the energy storage unit at the time when the under-frequency event occurs SoC_mem, as schematically shown in FIG. 2. Thus, during an under-frequency event, it is possible to obtain a more stable power output from the hybrid power plant.

(31) The invention can be implemented by means of hardware, software, firmware or any combination of these. The invention or some of the features thereof can also be implemented as software running on one or more data processors and/or digital signal processors.

(32) The individual elements of an embodiment of the invention may be physically, functionally and logically implemented in any suitable way such as in a single unit, in a plurality of units or as part of separate functional units. The invention may be implemented in a single unit, or be both physically and functionally distributed between different units and processors.

(33) Although the present invention has been described in connection with the specified embodiments, it should not be construed as being in any way limited to the presented examples. The scope of the present invention is to be interpreted in the light of the accompanying claim set. In the context of the claims, the terms “comprising” or “comprises” do not exclude other possible elements or steps. Also, the mentioning of references such as “a” or “an” etc. should not be construed as excluding a plurality. The use of reference signs in the claims with respect to elements indicated in the figures shall also not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention. Furthermore, individual features mentioned in different claims, may possibly be advantageously combined, and the mentioning of these features in different claims does not exclude that a combination of features is not possible and advantageous.