Valentin-Dan Muller

Optimizing Wind Energy Capture_OPTIM

This work analyzes high-power wind turbines (WTs) from the Oravita region, Romania. These WTs are based on slip ring induction generator with wound rotor and we propose a modified architecture with two power converters on both the stator and on the rotor, functioning at variable wind speeds spanning a large interval. Investigations developed around a realistic WT model with doubly fed induction generator show how WT control enables variable wind speed operations at optimal mechanical angular speed (MAS), guaranteeing maximal power point (MPP), but only up to a critical wind speed value, after which the electrical power must saturate for reliable operation. In this reliable operating region, blade pitch angle control must be enforced. Variable wind speed acts as a time-varying parameter disturbance but also imposes the MPP operation setpoint in one of the two analyzed regions. To achieve null tracking errors, a double integrator must appear within the MAS controller when the wind speed disturbance is realistically modeled as a ramp-like input; however, inspecting the linearized model reveals several difficulties as described in the paper, together with the proposed solution tradeoff. The study developed around the Fuhrlander-FL-MD-70 1.5[MW] WT model shows that several competitive controllers are designed and tested in the identified operating regions of interest, as they validate the reliable and performant functioning specifications.