Search Results (4)

This paper presents the design and performance evaluation of an experimental platform that emulates the static and dynamic behavior of a 3 kW Wind Energy Conversion System (WECS). The platform includes a wind turbine emulator (WTE) using a separately excited DC motor (SEDCM) as the prime mover, coupled with a grid-connected doubly-fed induction generator (DFIG). This setup enables comprehensive laboratory studies of a WECS without the need for large-scale field installations. A novel inertia compensation strategy is implemented to ensure the SEDCM accurately replicates the power and torque characteristics of a real wind turbine across various wind profiles. The DFIG was chosen for its high efficiency at variable wind speeds and its reduced power converter requirements compared to other generators. The control strategy for the DFIG is detailed, highlighting its performance and seamless integration within the system. Unlike most studies focusing on generators connected to simple loads, this research considers a grid-connected system, which introduces additional challenges and requirements. This study thoroughly investigates the grid-connected converter, addressing specific demands for grid connection and ensuring compliance with grid standards. Experimental results validate the effectiveness of the emulator, demonstrating its potential as a key tool for optimizing wind turbine control strategies and real-time algorithm validation, and enhancing the performance and reliability of renewable energy systems. Full article

Although a switched reluctance generator (SRG) is not the mainstream wind generator, it possesses the application potential and is worth developing for its many structural merits and high developed power ability. This paper presents a wind SRG-based bipolar DC microgrid having grid-connected and plug-in energy supporting functions. First, a surface-mounted permanent magnet synchronous motor (SPMSM)-driven wind turbine emulator (WTE) is established. Next, the wind SRG with an asymmetric bridge converter is developed. Good generating characteristics are obtained through proper designs of power circuit, commutation mechanism, external excitation source, voltage and current controllers. Third, a DC/DC boost interface converter and a bipolar voltage balancer are constructed to establish the 500 V microgrid bipolar DC-bus. To preserve the microgrid power supplying quality, a battery energy storage system (BESS) with bidirectional DC/DC interface converter is equipped. A dump load leg is added across the bus to limit the DC-bus voltage under energy surplus condition. In load side, a three-phase bidirectional load inverter is developed, which can be operated as a single-phase three-wire (1P3W) inverter or a three-phase three-wire (3P3W) inverter. Good sinusoidal voltage waveform and regulation characteristics are obtained using the proportional-resonant (PR) control. The microgrid to load and microgrid to grid operations are conductible. Finally, to further improve the powering reliability of microgrid, a three-phase T-type Vienna switch-mode rectifier (SMR) based plug-in energy supporting scheme is developed. When the microgrid energy shortage occurs, the possible harvested energy can be used to supply the microgrid. Full article

An appropriate modulation scheme selection ensures inverter performance. Thus, space vector modulation (SVM) is more efficient and has its own distinct advantages compared to other pulse width modulation (PWM) techniques. This work deals with the development of an advanced space vector pulse width modulation (SVM) technique for two-phase inverter control using an XSG library to ensure rapid prototyping of the controller FPGA implementation. The proposed architecture is applied digitally and in real time to drive a two-phase induction motor (TPIM) for small-scale wind turbine emulation (WTE) profiles in laboratories with minimum current ripple and torque oscillation. Four space voltage vectors generated for the used SVM technique do not contain a zero vector. Hence, for an adequate adjustment of these four vectors, a reference voltage vector located in the square locus is determined. Considering the asymmetry between the main and auxiliary windings, the TPIM behavior, which is fed through the advanced SVM controlled-two-phase inverter (2ϕ-inverter), is studied, allowing us to control the speed and the torque under different conditions for wind turbine emulation. Several quantities, such as electromagnetic torque, rotor fluxes, stator currents and speed, are analyzed. To validate the obtained results using both Simulink and XSG interfaces, the static and dynamic characteristics of the WTE are satisfactorily reproduced. The collected speed and torque errors between the reference and actual waveforms show low rates, proving emulator controller effectiveness. Full article

In order to investigate the grid integration of wind turbines (WT) of various scales and designs, a wind turbine emulator (WTE) is being built in Flensburg within the state-funded project GrinSH. The special feature of this WTE is the use of a large gas engine instead of an electric motor to emulate the behavior of a WT. In order to develop the controls of this innovative WTE and to design the upcoming test runs under safe conditions, a software in the loop model (SILM) was applied. This SILM contained a mathematical model of the wind turbine, mathematical models of the gas engine with an integrated controller, and a model of the generator and frequency converter unit, as well as a preventive modulator of the reference signal (PMRS). The PMRS module converts the reference signal of the emulated WT in such a way that the dynamics of the engine components can be calculated and balanced in advance to enable the required behavior of the entire SILM despite the dynamics of the gas engine. It was found that the PMRS module, developed and tested in this work, increased the ability of the WTE, based on a gas engine, to reproduce the dynamics of a WT. Full article