Comparison of power converter topologies for permanent magnet small wind turbine system

Permanent magnet based wind generators are one of the more promising technology. This paper presents a comparison of power converter topologies for permanent magnet small wind turbine systems to improve the power quality and to extract the maximum power from wind. Two detailed models are presented and explained: the first configuration is made by a diode-bridge rectifier, a boost converter and an inverter connected to the grid, the second configuration is a back-to-back converter. The generator control is designed to maximize the power output and achieve a smooth torque and power profile. The operational characteristics of the two configurations are investigated through simulations.