Effects of turbulence on power generation for variable-speed wind turbines

Abstract

One of the primary advantages of variable-speed wind turbines over fixed-speed turbines should be improved aerodynamic efficiency. With variable-speed generation, in order to maintain a constant ratio of wind speed to tip speed, the wind turbine changes rotor speed as the wind speed changes. In this paper we compare a stall-controlled, variable-speed wind turbine to a fixed-speed turbine. The focus of this paper is to investigate the effects of variable speed on energy capture and its ability to control peak power. We also show the impact of turbulence on energy capture in moderate winds. In this report, we use a dynamic simulator to apply different winds to a wind turbine model. This model incorporates typical inertial and aerodynamic performance characteristics. From this study we found a control strategy that makes it possible to operate a stall-controlled turbine using variable speed to optimize energy capture and to control peak power. We also found that turbulence does not have a significant impact on energy capture.