Development of Novel Robust Regulator for Maximum Wind Energy Extraction Based upon Perturbation and Observation

Abstract: This paper develops a robust regulator design approach to maximum power point tracking (MPPT) of a variable-speed wind energy conversion system (WECS) under the concept of perturbation and observation. The proposed perturb and observe regulators (PORs) rooted on the sliding mode method employs the optimal power curve (OPC) to realize MPPT operations by continuously adjusting rotor speeds and the duty cycles, which can ensure control performance against system parameter variations. The proposed PORs can detect sudden wind speed changes indirectly through the mechanical power coefficient, which is used to acquire the rotor speed reference by comparing it with the optimal power constant. For the speed and duty cycle regulation, two novel controllers based on the proposed POR, i.e., an MPPT controller and a speed controller, are devised in this research. Moreover, by applying the small-signal analysis on a nonlinear wind turbine system, the convergence of the proposed speed controller is proven for the first time based on the Lyapunov theory, and meanwhile, a single-pole transfer function, to describe the effect of duty cycle variations on rotor speeds, is designed to ensure its stability. The proposed strategy is verified by simulation cases operated in MATLAB/Simulink and experimental results performed from a 0.5-kW wind turbine generator simulator.