Implementation of control system for hydrokinetic energy converter

Abstract

At Uppsala University, a research group is investigating a system for converting the power in freely flowing water using a vertical-axis turbine directly connected to a permanent magnet generator. An experimental setup comprising a turbine, a generator, and a control system has been constructed and will be deployed in the Dalälven river in the town of Söderfors in Sweden. The design, construction, simulations, and laboratory tests of the control system are presented in this paper. The control system includes a startup sequence for the turbine and load control. These functions have performed satisfactorily in laboratory tests. Simulations of the system show that the power output is not maximized at the same tip-speed ratio as that which maximizes the turbine power capture. © 2013 Katarina Yuen et al.