Nonlinear control with wind estimation of a DFIG variable speed wind turbine for power capture optimization

A cascaded nonlinear controller is designed for a variable speed wind turbine equipped with a Doubly Fed Induction Generator (DFIG). The main objective of the controller is wind energy capture optimization while avoiding strong transients in the turbine components and specially in the drive train. The inner loop controller ensures an efficient tracking of both generator torque and stator flux, while the outer loop controller achieves a close tracking of the optimal blade rotor speed to optimize wind energy capture. It is combined to a wind speed estimator that provides an estimation of the wind speed and the aerodynamic torque involved in the controller. The global controller is firstly tested with a simplified mathematical model of the aeroturbine and DFIG for a high-turbulence wind speed profile. Secondly, the aeroturbine controller is validated upon a flexible wind turbine simulator. These new control strategies are compared to other existing controllers based on tests upon an aeroelastic wind turbine simulator. The obtained results show better performance in comparison with the existing controllers. (c) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.