Hardware-in-the-loop testing of grid-tied PMSG-based wind power generation system with optimum PI parameters

Abstract

The regulators based on PI control law continue to be the key elements in many of the industrial systems for their control. Likewise, the wind power generation systems (WPGSs) also make extensive use of PI regulators in their control schemes. The enhanced performance of these WPGS depends on proper selection of the PI regulator parameters. This paper deals with the control of a grid-tied permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG)-based WPGS wherein, a new attempt has been depicted to apply the most optimum design of the involved PI regulator parameters for the proposed WPGS based on standard performance indices making use of four popular optimization algorithms namely genetic algorithm (GA), cultural algorithm (CA), particle swarm optimization (PSO) and artificial bee colony (ABC). An informative discussion has also been presented which would be useful for practicing engineers/researchers to select flexibly and reasonably the PI regulators parameters meant for the control of the proposed WPGS. A detailed simulation model developed in MATLAB/Simulink has been used to analyze the performance of the proposed PMSG-based WPGS employed with the most optimum values of PI regulator parameters. The performances of WPGS have been compared while the most optimum PI regulator parameters have been included in the control system, and also when incorporating the PI regulator parameters in WPGS control designed via classical d-partition technique. The results obtained under gradually changing wind speed profile show the improvement in the performance of WPGS in terms of peak overshoot, time response and waveform oscillations. The experimental validation of the control performances have been carried out by way of real-time hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing making use of Typhoon HIL402 emulator and TMS320F28335 digital signal controller. The obtained real time HIL results are in close agreement to the results obtained in simulations using MATLAB/Simulink. A deviation of less than 4% was observed in the percentage overshoot/undershoot of the PMSG speed and DC link voltage determined through simulation and experimental means under various wind speed conditions.