TCP/IP Communication Aspects in monitoring of a Remote Wind Turbine

Today there is a growing interest in utilizing different distributed energy resources (DER) in the power system. A problem that the system operators, owners and power utilities have to consider is thus how this technology can be integrated within the existing information systems. Another emerging problem is what type of telecommunication architecture should be used for remote monitoring and control of these units that normally are distributed over a large geographical area. One possible solution is to use the commercially available TCP/IP based telecommunication infrastructure and extend it with different technologies when needed to reach a distant DER unit. The commercial TCP/IP telecommunication network poses, however, concerns regarding the reliability, response time and level of security that can be achieved. This paper addresses different protocol aspects and presents a pilot study where a wide area internet and a local packet switched radio network were used to monitor parameters of a wind turbine located approximately 1000 km away from the control center. In the pilot system, the applicability of the protocol based on the IEC 61400-25 draft standard as well as a protocol based on a proprietary solution were assessed. Main emphasize was put to the evaluation of the system architecture as well as the reliability and response characteristics of the tested communication solution in the pilot installation. Based on the test results, the general usability of a commercial wide area internet and packet switched radios as a communication means in monitoring of distant wind power plants is discussed.