Control scheme for a stand-alone wind energy conversion system

Abstract

Present energy need heavily relies on the conventional sources. But the limited availability and steady increase in the price of conventional sources has shifted the focus toward renewable sources of energy. Of the available alternative sources of energy, wind energy is considered to be one of the proven technologies. With a competitive cost for electricity generation, wind energy conversion system (WECS) is nowadays deployed for meeting both grid-connected and stand-alone load demands. However, wind flow by nature is intermittent. In order to ensure continuous supply of power suitable storage technology is used as backup. In this paper, the sustainability of a 4-kW hybrid of wind and battery system is investigated for meeting the requirements of a 3-kW stand-alone dc load representing a base telecom station. A charge controller for battery bank based on turbine maximum power point tracking and battery state of charge is developed to ensure controlled charging and discharging of battery. The mechanical safety of the WECS is assured by means of pitch control technique. Both the control schemes are integrated and the efficacy is validated by testing it with various load and wind profiles in MATLAB/SIMULNIK. � 1986-2012 IEEE.