Design and implementation of the pitch control system for horizontal axis tidal turbines

As a new kind of green renewable energy, tidal energy has been received more and more attention. Pitch control is an important function for tidal turbines. So variable pitch control system was designed in this paper in order to adapt to the bi-directional tidal current and protect the turbines. The system adopted 32 bit processor STM32F207 with incremental PI control algorithm as main controller, and realized precise control of the pitch angle. Besides, the system realized the function of feathering control by one click control remotely, which has greatly ensured the reliability of the pitch control. The field test result of the design has provided chances to realize the maximum power point tracking (MPPT) under the rated current speed and system operation control. And it has provided valuable data and experience for better development and utilization of the tidal energy.