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Analysis of the Impact of Tower Footing Impedance on the Low Voltage Ride Through Capability of DFIG-Based Wind Systems

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Conference

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Location

Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Publication Date

June 22, 2025

Start Date

June 22, 2025

End Date

August 15, 2025

Conference Session

ECE-Cybersecurity and Quantum Technology Education

Tagged Division

Electrical and Computer Engineering Division (ECE)

Page Count

9

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/55433

Paper Authors

biography

Tarek Kandil Western Carolina University Orcid 16x16 orcid.org/0000-0002-3797-0479

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Tarek Kandil has been an assistant professor at Western Carolina University since August 2022. He got his B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees from Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt, in 1993 and 1999, respectively, and his Ph.D. from the University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada, in 2004. He has over 19 years of experience teaching at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels, as well as ongoing research and collaboration in the fields of renewable energy; AI and machine learning applications; energy management; hybrid energy systems; microgrid protection

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Abstract

This research aims to integrate technical knowledge into undergraduate and graduate engineering education by providing students with a real-world case study that enhances their learning and their ability to apply technical codes and standard in engineering design and helps them understand renewable energy sources and their operating challenges. The study examines how the impedance of tower footings affects the ability of wind farms (WFs) to handle low voltage ride through (LVRT) events. The impedance of tower footings plays a crucial role in the overall fault impedance during the flashover of transmission-line, which in turn affects the fault current. Additionally, connecting multiple transmission-line towers with overhead ground wires can significantly reduce the effective fault impedance, and hence impacting the overall fault impedance. Further, since most WFs use doubly fed induction generators (DFIGs) which are generally equipped with rotor crowbars to mitigate the effects of fault current on the machine, the design of the crowbar resistance is based on the rotor overcurrent, which is greatly influenced by the fault impedance. Therefore, it is crucial to study the effect of tower footing impedance on the fault current in power system. Further, as the impact of fault impedance on the LVRT performance of WFs has not been sufficiently studied, this study examines and assesses the impact of fault characteristics and grid impedance on the LVRT capabilities of WF systems as power system impedance decreases with the growing integration of wind farms in the grid. Therefore, to choose the best LVRT enhancing method or devices and the best ratings for these devices to help reduce WF installation costs, it is necessary to have a thorough understanding of how tower footing impedance affects fault current and system voltages during various fault types. Finally, the paper provides case studies of grid performance with varying tower footing impedance, which could help students and early career engineers guarantee the cost-effective and dependable integration of renewable energy sources which meets the standard codes.

Kandil, T. (2025, June), Analysis of the Impact of Tower Footing Impedance on the Low Voltage Ride Through Capability of DFIG-Based Wind Systems Paper presented at 2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition , Montreal, Quebec, Canada . https://peer.asee.org/55433

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