Wind energy is a viable option to complement other types of pollution-free generation. In the early development of wind energy, the majority of wind turbines were operated at constant speed. Recently, the number of variable-speed wind turbines installed in wind farms has increased and more wind turbine manufacturers are making variable-speed wind turbines. This paper covers the operation of variable-speed wind turbines with pitch control. The system the authors considered is controlled to generate maximum energy while minimizing loads. The maximization of energy was only carried out on a static basis and only drive train loads were considered as a constraint. In medium wind speeds, the generator and power converter control the wind turbine to capture maximum energy from the wind. In the high wind speed region, the wind turbine is controlled to maintain the aerodynamic power produced by the wind turbine. Two methods to adjust the aerodynamic power were investigated: pitch control and generator load control, both of which are employed to control the operation of the wind turbine. The authors analysis and simulation shows that the wind turbine can be operated at its optimum energy capture while minimizing the load on the wind turbine for a wide range of wind speeds.

Pitch-controlled variable-speed wind turbine generation