A fuzzy logic pitch angle controller for power system stabilization

Abstract

In this article the design of a fuzzy logic pitch angle controller for a fixed speed, active-stall wind turbine, which is used for power system stabilization, is presented. The system to be controlled, which is the wind turbine and the power system to which the turbine is connected, is described. The advantages of fuzzy logic control when applied to large-signal control of active-stall wind turbines are outlined. The general steps of the design process for a fuzzy logic controller, including definition of the controller inputs, set-up of the fuzzy rules and the method of defuzzification, are described. The performance of the controller is assessed by simulation, where the wind turbine's task is to dampen power system oscillations. In the scenario simulated for this work, the wind turbine has to ride through a transient short-circuit fault and subsequently contribute to the damping of the grid frequency oscillations that are caused by the transient fault. It is concluded that the fuzzy logic controller enables the wind turbine to dampen power system oscillations. It is also concluded that, owing to the inherent non-linearities in a wind turbine and the unpredictability of the whole system, the fuzzy logic controller is very suitable for this application. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.