Novel Maximum Electrical and Mechanical Power Tracking Controllers for Wind Energy Conversion Systems

Abstract

Maximum power point tracking (MPPT) methods are currently implemented as maximum mechanical power trackers (MMPTs) in wind energy conversion systems (WECSs). In this paper, the idea of a maximum electrical power tracker (MEPT) is first introduced. It is shown that the proposed MEPT extracts maximum output electrical power from a WECS, while an MMPT only extracts maximum mechanical power from the wind turbine used in the WECS. The novelties and contributions of this work are introducing the idea of an MEPT, and presenting two novel MEPT and MMPT having greater MPPT efficiencies and shorter convergence times compared to the state-of-the-art MPPT methods all implemented as MMPTs. Very simple structure, low cost, and very good response to sudden variations in wind speed are the other advantages of utilizing the proposed MEPT and MMPT. A 600-W vertical wind turbine, a 1-kW dc/dc boost converter, and a microcontroller have been used to construct the MEPT and MMPT, and the experimental and simulation verifications are presented to validate theoretical results.