A Comparative Study of Robust MPC and Stochastic MPC of Wind Power Generation System

Abstract

In this paper, a complete comparison analysis of two advanced control algorithms, namely robust model predictive control (MPC) and stochastic MPC, is performed in order to optimize the operation of a wind power generation system (WPGS). The power maximization often conflicts with the mechanical load experienced by the turbine in the full-load region (i.e., the higher the power extracted, the higher the load) under the wind speed disturbance, thereby leading to high maintenance cost resulting from the fatigue damage. Thus, a typical 5 MW wind turbine operating in a high-speed region is considered to guarantee system security and economy. The robust MPC is designed by utilizing the min–max framework to track steady-state optimum operating reference trajectory with the deterministic constraint of output power, while the stochastic MPC is constructed by incorporating the invariant set theory to also ensure the system security subjecting to the probabilistic constraint of output power. The relation between the constraints and the implications on optimal performance are also studied. Comprehensive simulations on a mechanism model and FAST simulator are carried out to demonstrate the validation of the two control methods under various scenarios. It is discovered that when wind speed in the near future can be predicted and utilized in controller design, the stochastic MPC can effectively reduce the maintenance cost by suppressing the constraint violation rate compared to robust MPC with a similar energy utilization due to the incorporation of the stochastic characteristics of wind speed.