Wind power is the fastest growing and environmentally sustainable source of energy among all available renewable energy resources. The primary objective of this paper is to analyze the wind characteristics and power potential at Hyderabad, Southeastern province in Pakistan. Two years of wind speed data measured at 10 m above ground level (AGL) have been considered in this study. The annually, monthly, and seasonal variations in wind speed were analyzed, and minimum, maximum, and average values of recorded wind speeds are presented in this paper. Weibull and Rayleigh distribution functions have been applied to analyze the wind characteristics and evaluate the wind power potential of the proposed site. The Weibull shape k and scale c parameters have been estimated using the Weibull function. The higher values of k showed that the wind speed is steady at the site. The average wind speed was found above 6 m/s throughout the year. The most probable wind speed (Vmp) and maximum carrying energy (VmaxE) wind speed were also calculated using Weibull parameters. Root mean square error (RMSE), the coefficient of determination (R2), and mean bias error (MBE) were computed to ensure the good fit of Weibull distribution function. The annual average wind power and energy densities were estimated at more than 255 W/m2 and 2245 kWh/m2, respectively. The power density calculated by Weibull and Rayleigh functions was compared with that calculated by using measured wind data. The energy output and capacity factor of different commercially available wind turbines (WTs), i.e., power ratings from 0.33 to 2.75 MW, have been calculated. The cost of energy was estimated and ranged from $19.27 to $32.80 per MWh. Wind power potential and economic analysis of the collected data reveals that the site is suitable for developing wind power generation projects to power the local communities.
The renewed interest for power generation using renewables due to global trends provides an opportunity to rethink the approach to address the old yet existing load shedding problem. In the literature, limited studies are available that address the load shedding problem using a hybrid renewable energy system. This paper aims to fill this gap by proposing a techno-economic optimisation of a hybrid renewable energy system to mitigate the effect of load shedding at the distribution level. The proposed system in this work is configured using a photovoltaic array, wind turbines, an energy storage unit (of batteries), and a diesel generator system. The proposed system is equipped with a rule-based energy management scheme to ensure efficient utilisation and scheduling of the sources. The sizes of the photovoltaic array, wind turbine unit, and the batteries are optimised via the grasshopper optimisation algorithm based on the multi-criterion decision that includes loss of power supply probability, levelised cost of electricity, and payback period. The results for the actual case study in Quetta, Pakistan, show that the optimum sizes of the photovoltaic array, wind turbines, and the batteries are 35.75 kW, 10 kW, and 28.8 kWh, respectively. The sizes are based on the minimum values of levelised cost of electricity (6.64 cents/kWh), loss of power supply probability (0.0092), and payback period (7.4 years). These results are compared with conventional methods (generators, uninterruptible power supply, and a combined system of generator and uninterruptible power supply system) commonly used to deal with the load shedding problem. The results show that the renewable based hybrid system is a reliable and cost-effective option to address grid intermittency problem.
To reduce the allocation of energy storage capacity in wind farms and improve economic benefits, this study is focused on the virtual synchronous generator (synchronverter) technology. A system accompanied by wind power, energy storage, a synchronous generator and load is presented in detail. A brief description of the virtual synchronous generator control strategy is given. The capacity allocation is based on different optimization goals and the optimal energy storage capacity configuration of the coordinated frequency modulation (FM) control strategy. The detail of the dual-loop control strategy is carried out by establishing the grid-connected transfer function model of the synchronverter energy storage and a theoretical model of life cycle cost is established. The optimal control strategy of coordinated FM for wind storage is implemented using MATLAB software. The simulation showed that the proposed strategy provided the energy storage capacity at high wind speed, which is configured to be 5.9% of the installed capacity of the wind turbine, marking a reduction of 26% compared with the 8% capacity required for independent support. In addition, the proposed method has improved the energy storage capacity configuration of the coordinated FM control strategy.
The southwestern part of Pakistan is still not connected to the national grid, despite its abundance in renewable energy resources. However, this area becomes more important for energy projects due to the development of the deep-sea Gwadar port and the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). In this paper, a voltage source converter (VSC) based high voltage DC (HVDC) transmission model is proposed to link this area to the national gird. A two-terminal VSC-HVDC model is used as a case study, in which a two-level converter with standard double-loop control is employed. The proposed model has a capacity of transferring bulk power of 3500 MW at 350 kV from Gwadar to Matiari. Furthermore, the discounted cash flow analysis of VSC-HVDC against the HVAC system shows that the proposed system is economically sustainable. The outcomes of this study reveal that the implementation of this project can bring economic stability and energy security in the southwestern region.
The integration of wind power as an alternative energy source has gotten much attention globally. In this paper, the Weibull distribution model based on different artificial intelligent algorithms and numerical methods is used to evaluate the wind profile. The application of Weibull distribution in wind data assessment can be extensively found, but the methods applied for estimating the parameters still need improvement. Three artificial intelligent algorithms are presented as an alternative method for estimation of Weibull parameters, and an objective function is proposed through the concept of maximum distance metric. Its convergence was proven mathematically through its boundedness for all wind data types. The optimization methods based on the proposed objective function are compared with the conventional numerical approaches for Weibull parameter estimation. Two-year wind data from the site in the southern area of Pakistan has been used to conduct this analysis. Furthermore, this work provides an eloquent way for the selection of a suitable area, evaluation of parameters, and appropriate wind turbine models through real-time data for power production.
Voltage-source-converter-based multi-terminal high voltage direct current (MTDC) networks are extensively recognized as a viable solution for meeting the increasing demand of electrical energy and escalating penetration of renewable energy sources. DC faults are major limitations to the development of MTDC networks. The analysis of variable constraints has become mandatory in order to develop a reliable protection scheme. This paper contributes in assessing the propagation delay with the analytical approximation in MTDC networks. The propagation delay is analyzed in the time domain by taking only the forward traveling wave into account and considering the initial voltage step of magnitude at the fault position. Numerous simulations were carried out for different parameters and arrangements in Power System Computer Aided Design (PSCAD) to explore the proposed expressions. The results accurately depicted the time development of fault current. The results obtained from the real-time digital simulator (RTDS) confirmed that the proposed approach is capable of evaluating propagation delay in MTDC networks. Moreover, the influence of fault resistance is also taken into account for investigating its effect on the system parameters.