A controller for optimum electrical power extraction from a small grid-interconnected wind turbine

Abstract

Currently, wind power is the fastest-growing means of electricity generation in the world. To obtain the maximum efficiency from the wind energy conversion system, it is important that the control strategy design is carried out in the best possible way. In fact, besides regulating the frequency and output voltage of the electrical signal, these strategies should also extract energy from wind power at the maximum level of efficiency. With advances in micro-controllers and electronic components, the design and implementation of efficient controllers are steadily improving. This paper presents a maximum power point tracking controller scheme for a small wind energy conversion system with a variable speed permanent magnet synchronous generator. With the controller, the system extracts optimum possible power from the wind speed reaching the wind turbine and feeds it to the grid at constant voltage and frequency based on the AC–DC–AC conversion system. A MATLAB/SimPowerSystems environment was used to carry out the simulations of the system. Simulation results were analyzed under variable wind speed and load conditions, exhibiting the performance of the proposed controller. It was observed that the controllers can extract maximum power and regulate the voltage and frequency under such variable conditions. Extensive results are included in the paper.