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Emulation of a Wind Turbine System

Abstract Recently there has been an increasing interest in wind power generation systems. Among renewable sources of energy (excluding hydro power), wind energy offers the lowest cost. It is therefore imperative that basics of wind power generation be taught in the undergraduate electrical engineering curriculum. In this paper, an experiment that emulates wind turbine systems has been developed for this purpose. It is known that the power that can be drawn from the wind in a wind turbine depends on the wind speed and the speed at which the shaft of the turbine is rotated. The objective of this project was to emulate the behavior of such a system using two DC machines. One of the DC machines was operated under torque control. The torque reference for this machine was generated using the Power vs. Shaft speed curves for wind turbines. This DC machine emulated the wind turbine and shaft. The second DC machine was operated under speed control and this machine emulated the electrical generator. Simulations were performed to design such a system. The system was implemented in real-time using Simulink and dSPACE control platform. Two 200W DC machines rated at 40VDC and 4000 rpm were used. The DC machines were controlled using a pulse width modulated (PWM) power converter. This project was part of an undergraduate research supported by NSF and the University of Minnesota Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program.

I. Introduction

The objective is to develop a system that emulates a wind turbine. Previous efforts in this direction have employed separately excited DC machines1,2 with power ratings in the multiple horsepower range. The intended application of the system described in this paper is for undergraduate laboratory courses. Thus, a system that works at lower voltages is desired. Existing laboratory equipment such as DC motors and generators are to be used to describe the system. Since this experiment was done using two 200W DC machines3 rated at 42VDC and 3600 rpm it is more appropriate for educational purposes.

The kinetic energy from the wind is transferred as rotational mechanical energy to the wind turbine system. An optional gearbox can be placed depending on the generator specifications to increase the shaft speed (hence decreasing the torque). This mechanical energy is converted to electrical energy using a generator. A power electronic interface may be needed to interface the generator with the supply grid and to provide a control method for the system.

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Otero, R., & Somani, A., & Mohapatra, K., & Mohan, N. (2010, June), Emulation Of A Wind Turbine System Paper presented at 2010 Annual Conference & Exposition, Louisville, Kentucky. 10.18260/1-2--15953