Presenting the latest developments in the field, Wind Energy Systems: Control Engineering Design offers a novel take on advanced control engineering design techniques for wind turbine applications. The book introduces concurrent quantitative engineering techniques for the design of highly efficient and reliable controllers, which can be used to solve the most critical problems of multi-megawatt wind energy systems. This book is based on the authors’ experience during the last two decades designing commercial multi-megawatt wind turbines and control systems for industry leaders, including NASA and the European Space Agency. This work is their response to the urgent need for a truly reliable concurrent engineering methodology for the design of advanced control systems. Outlining a roadmap for such a coordinated architecture, the authors consider the links between all aspects of a multi-megawatt wind energy project, in which the wind turbine and the control system must be cooperatively designed to achieve an optimized, reliable, and successful system. Look inside for information about the QFT Control Toolbox for Matlab, the software developed by the author to facilitate the QFT robust control design (see also the link at codypower.com). The textbook’s big-picture insights can help students and practicing engineers control and optimize a wind energy system, in which large, flexible, aerodynamic structures are connected to a demanding variable electrical grid and work automatically under very turbulent and unpredictable environmental conditions. The book covers topics including robust QFT control, aerodynamics, mechanical and electrical dynamic modeling, economics, reliability, and efficiency. It also addresses standards, certification, implementation, grid integration, and power quality, as well as environmental and maintenance issues. To reinforce understanding, the authors present real examples of experimentation with commercial multi-megawatt direct-drive wind turbines, as well as on-shore, offshore, floating, and airborne wind turbine applications. They also offer a unique in-depth exploration of the quantitative feedback theory (QFT)—a proven, successful robust control technique for real-world applications—as well as advanced switching control techniques that help engineers exceed classical linear limitations.

The book presents the latest power conversion and control technology in modern wind energy systems. It has nine chapters, covering technology overview and market survey, electric generators and modeling, power converters and modulation techniques, wind turbine characteristics and configurations, and control schemes for fixed- and variable-speed wind energy systems. The book also provides in-depth steady-state and dynamic analysis of squirrel cage induction generator, doubly fed induction generator, and synchronous generator based wind energy systems. To illustrate the key concepts and help the reader tackle real-world issues, the book contains more than 30 case studies and 100 solved problems in addition to simulations and experiments. The book serves as a comprehensive reference for academic researchers and practicing engineers. It can also be used as a textbook for graduate students and final year undergraduate students.

Unlike conventional power plants, wind plants emit no air pollutants or greenhouse gases—and wind energy is a free, renewable resource. However, the induction machines commonly used as wind generators have stability problems similar to the transient stability of synchronous machines. To minimize power, frequency, and voltage fluctuations caused by network faults or random wind speed variations, control mechanisms are necessary. Wind Energy Systems: Solutions for Power Quality and Stabilization clearly explains how to solve stability and power quality issues of wind generator systems. Covering fundamental concepts of wind energy conversion systems, the book discusses several means to enhance the transient stability of wind generator systems. It also explains the methodologies for minimizing fluctuations of power, frequency, and voltage. Topics covered include: An overview of wind energy and wind energy conversion systems Fundamentals of electric machines and power electronics Types of wind generator systems Challenges in integrating wind power into electricity grids Solutions for power quality problems Methods for improving transient stability during network faults Methods for minimizing power fluctuations of variable-speed wind generator systems This accessible book helps researchers and engineers understand the relative effectiveness of each method and select a suitable tool for wind generator stabilization. It also offers students an introduction to wind energy conversion systems, providing insights into important grid integration and stability issues.

The availability of clean, renewable power is without question going to be the defining challenge and goal of the 21st century, and wind will lead the way. Internationally acclaimed wind energy expert Paul Gipe is as soberly critical of past energy mistakes as he is convincingly optimistic about the future. The overwhelming challenge of transforming our world from one of fossil carbon to one of clean power seems daunting at best—and paralyzingly impractical at worst. Wind Energy Basics offers a solution. Wind power can realistically not only replace the lion’s share of oil-, coal-, and naturalgas– fired electrical plants in the U.S., but also can add enough extra power capacity to allow for most of the cars in the nation to run on electricity. Gipe explains why such a startlingly straightforward solution is eminently doable and can be accomplished much sooner than previously thought—and will have the capacity to resuscitate small and regional economies. Wind Energy Basics offers a how-to for home-based wind applications, with advice on which wind turbines to choose and which to avoid. He guides wind-energy installers through considerations such as renewable investment strategies and gives cautionary tales of wind applications gone wrong. And for the activist, he suggests methods of prodding federal, state, and provincial governments to promote energy independence.

Renewable Energy Systems: Modelling, Optimization and Control aims to cross-pollinate recent advances in the study of renewable energy control systems by bringing together diverse scientific breakthroughs on the modeling, control and optimization of renewable energy systems by leading researchers. The book brings together the most comprehensive collection of modeling, control theorems and optimization techniques to help solve many scientific issues for researchers in renewable energy and control engineering. Many multidisciplinary applications are discussed, including new fundamentals, modeling, analysis, design, realization and experimental results. The book also covers new circuits and systems to help researchers solve many nonlinear problems. This book fills the gaps between different interdisciplinary applications, ranging from mathematical concepts, modeling, and analysis, up to the realization and experimental work. - Covers modeling, control theorems and optimization techniques which will solve many scientific issues for researchers in renewable energy - Discusses many multidisciplinary applications with new fundamentals, modeling, analysis, design, realization and experimental results - Includes new circuits and systems, helping researchers solve many nonlinear problems

Wind power is currently considered as the fastest growing energy resource in the world. Technological advances and government subsidies have contributed in the rapid rise of Wind power systems. The Handbook on Wind Power Systems provides an overview on several aspects of wind power systems and is divided into four sections: optimization problems in wind power generation, grid integration of wind power systems, modeling, control and maintenance of wind facilities and innovative wind energy generation. The chapters are contributed by experts working on different aspects of wind energy generation and conversion.