Should Small Wind Pursue Traditional Region 3 Control?

Abstract

Abstract A strategy to eliminate Region 3 control for small, fixed pitch turbines and utilize an extension of Region 2 is presented. Variations in wind probability distribution, capacity factor, and percent overshoot were examined. The relative performance of different control objectives was compared based on projected annual energy production. The results indicated that the Region 2 only control objective can produce energy equivalent to that of the currently employed Region 3 control objective over a range of wind regime-turbine combinations and capacity factors. It is suggested that the additional complexity required to provide Region 3 control for small turbines may not be warranted by the energy extraction benefits, particularly when factoring in additional equipment costs.