Continuous-time multi-model predictive control of variable-speed variable-pitch wind turbines

ABSTRACT

The control objective for wind turbine control systems includes maximum power tracking, speed and power regulation and minimisation of mechanical loads. The operating region of a wind turbine is a function of the incoming wind speed and the control objective in each operating region differ significantly from the other. Therefore, a linear controller designed based on a model obtained at one operating point cannot guarantee stability and satisfactory performance across the whole operating regime of the turbine. In this paper, a continuous-time multi-model predictive controller is proposed for variable-speed variable-pitch wind turbine systems. Four controllers were designed using linearised models obtained at 4, 8, 11 and $18{\mathrm{m}\mathrm{s}}^{-1}$. A Bayesian probability inference function was used to make the transition between these controllers based on the errors between the system outputs and each operating point. Simulation studies based on a benchmark 5 MW wind turbine were used to demonstrate the performance of the proposed controller.

KEYWORDS:

• Continuous-time
• multi-model predictive control
• variable-speed
• variable-pitch
• wind turbine

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work is supported by the Deanship of Scientific Research (DSR) at KFUPM through distinguished professorship project no. IN161065.

Notes on contributors

Magdi Sadek Mahmoud

Magdi Sadek Mahmoud obtained B. Sc.(Honours) in communications engineering, M. Sc. in electronic engineering and Ph. D. in systems engineering, all from Cairo University in 1968, 1972 and 1974, respectively. He has been a professor of engineering since 1984 and he is now Distinguished Professor at KFUPM, Saudi Arabia. He served on the faculty at different universities worldwide including Egypt (CU, AUC), Kuwait (KU), UAE (UAEU), UK (UMIST), USA (Pitt, Case Western), Singapore (Nanyang) and Australia (Adelaide).He lectured in Venezuela (Caracas), Germany (Hanover), UK (Kent, UCL),USA (UoSA), Canada (Montreal), and China (BIT, Yanshan). Dr. Mahmoud is the principal author of twenty-seven (27) books, twenty-three (23) book-chapters and the author/co-author of more than 590 peer-reviewed papers. He is the recipient of several university/national/regional prizes for outstanding research in engineering and applied mathematics. He is currently actively engaged in teaching and research in the development of modern methodologies to cyberphysical systems, distributed networked control systems and cloud control systems. He is a fellow of the IEE, a senior member of the IEEE, the CEI (UK), and a registered consultant engineer of information engineering and systems (Egypt).

Mojeed O. Oyedeji

Mojeed O. Oyedeji is a PhD Candidate at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. His interests are; Renewable Energy, Adaptive Control and Multiagent systems.