Modeling and control of a low power wind turbine

The unpredictability characterizing renewable energy sources severely impacts power systems as their share continuously enlarges. Choosing the right technology to exploit the available potential of the intended resource and implementing appropriate plant control represents a solution that improves system's operating conditions. This paper presents simulations results for a Permanent Magnet Synchronous Generator (PMSG) driven by a Wind Turbine (WT) considering a control strategy employing a Neural Network Predictive Controller (NNPC), as one of the most viable among suitable options for rising wind energy share while mitigating its highly stochastic characteristics. The model system was represented in Matlab programming environment, using Simulink/Simscape/Power Systems blocks. The behavior of the system is analyzed both in steady and dynamic conditions, in the hypothesis that the controller provides the torque reference for the generator.