Adaptive control algorithm for improving power capture of wind turbines in turbulent winds

The standard wind turbine (WT) control law modifies the torque applied to the generator as a quadratic function of the generator speed (Kω
²
) while blades are positioned at some optimal pitch angle (β
^∗
). The value of K and β
^∗
should be properly selected such that energy capture is increased. In practice, the complex and time-varying aerodynamics a WT face due to turbulent winds make their determination a hard task. The selected constant parameters may maximize energy for a particular, but not all, wind regime conditions. Adaptivity can modify the controller to increase power capture under variable wind conditions. This paper present new analysis tools and an adaptive control law to increase the energy captured by a wind turbine. Due to its simplicity, it can be easily added to existing industry-standard controllers. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithm is assessed by simulations on a high-fidelity aeroelastic code.