Improved power factor controller for wind generator and applications

This journal paper presents a vector control (VC) of an emerging brushless doubly-fed reluctance (BDFRG) technology for large wind turbine applications. The BDFRG has been receiving increasing attention due to its low operation and maintenance costs afforded by the use of partially-rated power electronics, and the high reliability of brushless assembly, while offering performance competitive to its traditional slip-ring counterpart, the doubly-fed induction generator (DFIG). A robust VC strategy has been developed for a custom-designed BDFRG fed from a conventional ‘backto-back’ IGBT converter. Preliminary studies have evaluated the algorithm under the optimum power factor control (OPFC) conditions which allow the improved efficiency of the generator-converter set and the entire wind energy conversion systems (WECS).