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ARS Home » Plains Area » Bushland, Texas » Conservation and Production Research Laboratory » Livestock Nutrient Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #117573
Title: WIND/HYBRID OPERATION WITH PRE-COMMERCIAL CONTROLS

Author
item Clark, Ray
item EGGLESTON, ERIC - YANKEE ENVIRONMENTAL

Submitted to: Wind Diesel Workshop Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/12/2000
Publication Date: 5/3/2001
Citation: Clark, R.N., Eggleston, E.D. 2001. Wind/hybrid operation with pre-commercial controls. Wind Diesel Workshop Proceedings. p 9. 1-5.

Interpretive Summary: A hybrid electrical generation test facility was constructed in Bushland, TX, at the USDA-Agricultural Research Service's Laboratory. The hybrid generation system consisted of three diesel generators, two wind turbines and associated switches, and electrical loads. Through a Department of Energy contract with Northern Power Systems and Encorp, Inc., pre-commercial controls were developed for the wind/hybrid generating system. Data was collected for 431 hours with diesel only operation, 475 hours of wind-diesel operation and 17 hours of wind only operation for a total of 952 hours. Although the fuel savings may not have been as good as expected, the fuel's savings was sufficient to warrant additional work to better define the control parameters and select limits for each phase of operation. Diesel fuel savings averaged 22% during all tests, but savings up to 52% were measured during short-term testing with this configuration.

Technical Abstract: Wind/hybrid operation data were collected at the USDA-Agricultural Research Service, Wind/Hybrid Research Laboratory (WHRL), located in Bushland, Texas. The hybrid system included three diesel generator sets, AOC 15/50 and Enertech 44/40 wind turbines, two resistive load banks, pre-commercial controls, with a simulated village load. The configuration was high penetration, no storage, with diesel shut down allowed. Statistical summary of the data collected in wind-diesel operations is compared to results of diesel-only testing. The generator system met the simulated village load with a 22% fuel savings. Operational experience is also discussed.