Improving the Maximum Power Extraction from Wind Turbines Using a Second-Generation CRONE Controller

Abstract

Developing precise and robust algorithms that can help in obtaining maximum power yield in a variable speed wind turbine is an important area of research in wind engineering. The present manuscript proposes a technique that utilizes a second-generation CRONE controller for the maximum power tracking technique (MPPT) to maximize power generation in a wind energy conversion system (WECS) based on a double-fed induction generator (DFIG). The authors propose this novel method because the classical controllers cannot provide adequate performance in terms of extracting the maximum energy from variable speed wind turbines when applying a real wind profile and they cannot guarantee the high stability of the WECS. Moreover, this novel controller sufficiently handles problems related to the control effort level. The performance of the second-generation CRONE method was mathematically modeled using MATLAB/Simulink and compared with four other types of MPPT control techniques, which include a proportional-integral linear controller (PI), nonlinear sliding mode controller (SMC), backstepping controller (BS), and fuzzy logic controller (FLC). Two different wind profiles, a step wind profile and a real wind profile, were considered for the comparative study. The response time, dynamic error percentage, and static error percentage were the quantitative parameters compared, and the qualitative parameters included set-point tracking and precision. This test demonstrated the superiority of the second-generation CRONE controller in terms of all of the compared parameters.