Design considerations for medium-frequency power transformers in offshore wind farms

Abstract

In a recently proposed converter system for offshore wind farms, single-phase medium-frequency (MF) transformers replace the conventional three-phase line-frequency transformers that convert the electricity from the wind turbine generators to high voltage. MF operation allows a reduction of the transformer size and weight, thus leading to a compact and efficient design, which minimizes the installation and maintenance costs. This paper presents design considerations for dry-type single-phase MF power transformers in offshore wind farms. Recent transformer problems in large wind turbines have shown that a thorough and careful magnetic, electric, and thermal design is required to ensure the reliability and performance of the transformers. As a result, a suitable design for a 3 MW wind turbine transformer is proposed.