Experimental and Simulation Results for Sliding Mode Dynamic Wind Turbine Control using a DC Chopper

Wind speeds can vary rapidly and wind turbines cannot easily follow these variations because of their inertia and aerodynamic characteristics. For maximum energy extraction. the turbine blades should operate at their optimum tip speed ratio, but with rapid changes in wind speed. this is usually not possible. To improve the energy extraction from turbulent wind, it is necessary to establish an effective measure of the high frequency component of the wind. and then to use this measure to optimise the operation of the turbine controller for maximum energy extraction. This paper presents an approach for combining readings from three anemometers into a composite wind speed measurement. and using this signal to control the operation of a permanent magnet generator to achieve maximum energy extraction. The method combines simulation and experimental investigations into a heuristic algorithm. and demonstrates its effectiveness with field trials.