L1 Adaptive Speed Control of a Small Wind Energy Conversion System for Maximum Power Point Tracking

Abstract

This paper presents the design of an L1 adaptive controller for maximum power point tracking (MPPT) of a small variable speed wind energy conversion system (WECS). The proposed controller generates the optimal torque command for the vector controlled generator-side converter based on the wind speed estimation. The proposed MPPT control algorithm has a generic structure and can be used for different generator types. In order to verify the efficacy of the proposed L1 adaptive controller for the MPPT of the WECS, a full converter wind turbine with a squirrel cage induction generator is used to carry out case studies using MATLAB/Simulink. The case study results show that the designed L1 adaptive controller has good tracking performance even with unmodelled dynamics and in the presence of parameter uncertainties and unknown disturbances.