Review of wind turbine control

Abstract

Abstract The literature on the design of control sysems for medium- and large-scale wind turbine generators is reviewed. The vast majority of relevant literature is concerned with the control of horizontal-axis machines. Emphasis is given to public-utility service machines with power outputs in the range hundreds to thousands of kilowatts. This work was prompted by the need to determine specific objectives for the turbine control system. The control system is an integral part of the wind turbine; it is stochastic and non-linear and the different wind-turbine configurations pose a variety of design goals. The review highlights the lack of a clear consensus on the role of the control system and an inadequate treatment of dynamic and stochastic issues. Wind-turbine control is an application area with an interesting set of problems for control engineering. These problems have not been adequately solved and continue to pose challenges to the control community. Wind-turbine control issues are therefore important, since improved regulation has implications for the cost-effectiveness of the technology.