Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy and Mondragon Unibertsitatea, partners of the Fastap EU project, have jointly published a research paper on wind farm technology. Titled “Analysis and Comparison of Wind Farm Reactive Power Capabilities Considering Wind Turbine Level On-Load Tap-Changer Transformers” the paper explores the benefits of integrating fast on-load tap-changer (OLTC) transformers at the wind turbine level.
The research, conducted using the DigSilent simulation platform, analysed two wind farm configurations under various grid conditions. The results demonstrated that OLTC transformers significantly enhanced wind farm reactive power capabilities. This allowed for a 20% to 30% increase in inductive reactive power and a notable boost in capacitive reactive power. The cost savings resulting from OLTC technology were estimated to be up to approximately 0.8 million euros, making it a highly cost-effective solution compared to conventional transformers and static synchronous compensators (STATCOMs).
In their contributions to the paper, Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy and Mondragon Unibertsitatea demonstrate their commitment to advancing renewable energy and optimizing wind farm operations. The findings have the potential to shape wind farm designs and support the industry’s transition to sustainable power generation.
You can read the paper and more publications by clicking the link below.