A Self-Excited Induction Generator with Simple Voltage Regulation Suitable for Wind Energy

In this paper, a three-phase induction machine-based wind power generation scheme is proposed. This scheme uses a low-cost diode bridge rectifier circuit connected to an induction machine via an ac load voltage regulator (AC-LVR) to regulate dc power transfer. The AC-LVR is used to regulate the DC load voltage of the diode bridge rectifier circuit which is connected to the three-phase self-excited induction generator (SEIG). The excitation of the three-phase SEIG is supplied by the static VAR compensator (SVC). This simple method for obtaining a full variable-speed wind turbine system by applying a back-to-back power converter to a wound rotor induction generator is useful for wind power generation at widely varying speeds. The dynamic performance responses and the experimental results of connecting a 5kW 220V three-phase SEIG directly to a diode bridge rectifier are presented for various loads. Moreover, the steady-state simulated and experimental results of the PI closed-loop feedback voltage regulation scheme prove the practical effectiveness of these simple methods for use with a wind turbine system.