An Emulator for Static and Dynamic Performance Evaluation of Small Wind Turbines

In this article, the modelling and control of a full scale Wind Turbine Emulator (WTE) was described for a 700 W rated power residential scale Wind Energy Conversion System (WECS). The WTE is made of a Permanent Magnets Synchronous Motor (PMSM) controlled by a Variable Frequency Drive (VFD). The PMSM is controlled in order to apply the torque of the blades directly on the generator. The differences between the test bench and the physical wind turbine in terms of mechanical parameters are taken into account. This is done by compensating the motor inertia and frictions with blades inertia through a reference speed trajectory tracking method. Experimental results with a Torque Meter (TM) confirmed that the aerodynamic torque is adequately applied on the generator by the WTE. The dynamic response was validated with torque steps and tested with turbulent wind. This emulator will help the development of advanced wind turbine control strategies and the comparison of different power conversion strategies for residential scale WECSs.