Model Predictive Controller for Performance Enhancement of Extracting Maximum Power for Variable Speed Wind Turbine

Wind energy gains increasing importance around the world. The efficiency and the energy conversion system are improved due to the advancement of variable speed drive design and control of wind energy systems. For the wind turbine systems, Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) plays an essential role in achieving efficient conversion of energy. The MPPT strategy controls the rotor speed by adjusting electromagnetic torque and maximizing the generator's output power. This paper evaluates applying the Proportional- Integral (PI) Controller and the interested Model Predictive Controller (MPC) on two different control strategies to fulfill MPPT of variable speed wind turbines using the Direct Speed Measurement method and Pitch Angle Control technique. The Matlab Simulink is applied for optimizing and implementing these two control methods. The results are investigated to compare the performance of the controllers employed with the wind turbine under different operating conditions. The obtained results show that our controller (MPC) presents better performance with the direct speed measurement and the pitch angle control system.