Overcoming hurdles: Challenges in testing and validating wind turbine transformers with electronic tap changers

Grid codes are technical requirements and standards that govern electrical grids, ensuring reliability and safety. Compliance with grid codes is crucial for wind turbine manufacturers; power plants must withstand voltage transients and operate within specified limits. Grid stability is an additional challenge where available connection points do not meet requirements. To address these challenges, Siemens Gamesa is conducting a technology development project called FASTAP, focusing on developing Dry-Type Transformers (DTT) and Oil-Immersed Transformers (OIT) with Electronic Tap Changers (ETC) to enhance Wind Turbine Generator (WTG) capabilities and support grid compliance, with benefits such as cost savings and improved performance.

This article by Uğur Yayan and Osman Yılmaz provides a comprehensive overview of the applicability of current international standards to transformers equipped with ETCs in oil-immersed wind turbine prototype transformers and highlights potential improvements to the standards to accommodate cutting-edge ETC technology.