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Harmonic Mitigation, Maximum Power Point Tracking, and Dynamic
Performance of Variable-speed Grid-connected Wind Turbine

Research Authors
Mazen Abdel-Salam; Adel Ahmed; Mohamed Abdel-Sater
Research Department
Research Year
2011
Research Journal
Electric Power Components and Systems
Research Vol
Vol.39
Research Rank
1
Research_Pages
PP. 176-190
Research Abstract

This article presents a method for harmonic mitigation and maximum
power point tracking for a variable-speed grid-connected 20-kW wind turbine. The
wind energy conversion system consists of a permanentmagnet synchronous generator
driven by variable-speed 20-kW wind turbine. The output of the permanent magnet
synchronous generator is connected to a single-switch three-phase boost rectifier to
generate DC voltage, which feeds a current-controlled inverter to interface the system
with the electric utility. The single-switch three-phase boost rectifier is an active
power factor correction technique to maintain the power factor at the permanent
magnet synchronous generator side to nearly unity and mitigate the permanent mag-
net synchronous generator current harmonics. To mitigate inverter output current
and voltage harmonics, an LCL filter has been used. A complete analysis of the
harmonic content has been done everywhere in the system. The results show that
the proposed maximum power point tracking control strategy succeeded to track the
maximum wind power irrespective of the wind speed. This strategy in presence of
an LCL filter achieved harmonic mitigation at the permanent magnet synchronous
generator and inverter output sides. The dynamic response of the wind energy con-
version system is tested under a three-phase fault condition. For comparison pur-
poses, an active power filter is designed and checked against the single-switch three-
phase boost rectifier for harmonic mitigation at the permanent magnet synchronous
generator side.