Thermal and economic optimisation of windfarm export cable

Abstract

A method is proposed for the economic optimisation of offshore wind cable connections through utilising the thermal inertia of the cable system. Taking account of expected wind yields, turbine reliability, and the dynamic thermal environment, the method determines the economically optimal number of turbines for a given export cable system. Analysis has shown that, providing means to actively curtail generation output so as to thermally protect the cable are in place, it is possible to reduce the cost of energy delivered to shore by up to £1/MWhr through the use of ‘over-planting’, i.e. building a wind farm that is larger than the continuous rating of its export cables.

Keywords

• offshore installations
• wind turbines
• wind power plants
• power generation economics
• optimisation
• power cables
• power generation reliability
• power generation protection
• cost reduction
• turbine reliability
• dynamic thermal environment
• economic optimisation
• offshore wind cable connections
• thermal inertia
• thermal optimisation
• wind farm export cable system
• cable protection
• cost reduction