An effective wind energy system based on Buck-boost controller

Abstract

In Domestic Wind Machines, if the wind speed is low, the output voltage is not sufficient to charge the battery as it is lower than the rated charging voltage of the battery. This limits the overall efficiency of the Wind Machine to 20%. This study proposed to design and develop a Buck Boost Controller for the effective utilization of the wind machine. By implementing a controller based Buck Boost converter, the voltage produced at the lower wind speeds can also be utilized effectively by boosting it to the rated charging voltage of the battery. Also if the wind speed is high (>14 m/s), the DC output voltage will increase to more than 65 V. The converter bucks this high voltage to the nominal battery charging voltage (52 V), thereby protecting the battery from over charging voltage. Thus the effective utilization of the wind machine has been achieved by the use of the proposed Buck Boost Controller. © Maxwell Scientific Organization, 2013.