Abstract
In the short-term future, UK offshore wind-farms are to be connected to the grid by Medium Voltage (MV) electrical systems. This connection is required not only for export of power but also to provide essential power supplies to critical equipment within the wind-farm. There are perceived risks to these connections, which can result in significant loss of revenue and deterioration of equipment. This paper presents the findings of a DTI funded programme of research into available MV equipment and configurations, to establish the risks of failure to these MV systems and to provide a practical guide for selecting the optimum system configuration for a particular application. Offshore access relies greatly on the prevailing weather conditions. Therefore the critical factor determining the degree of MV system sophistication is often the degree of exposure of the wind-farm to inclement weather conditions and the distance from the wind-farm to the shore.
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