Introductory Chapter: Stability Control and Reliable Performance of Wind Turbines.

This book is intended for academics and engineers working in universities, research institutes, and industry sectors wishing to acquire new information and enhance their knowledge of the current trends in wind turbine technology. Readers will gain new ideas and special experience with in-depth information about modeling, stability control, assessment, reliability, and future prospects of wind turbines. This book contains a number of problems and solutions that can be integrated into larger research findings and projects. The book enhances studies concerning the state of the art of wind turbines, modeling and intelligent control of wind turbines, power quality of wind turbines, robust controllers for wind turbines in cold weather, etc. The book also looks at recent developments in wind turbine supporting structures, noise reduction estimation methods, reliability and prospects of wind turbines, etc. As I enjoyed preparing this book, I am sure that it will be valuable for a large sector of readers.

This book is intended for academics and engineers working in universities, research institutes, and industry sectors wishing to acquire new information and enhance their knowledge of the current trends in wind turbine technology. Readers will gain new ideas and special experience with in-depth information about modeling, stability control, assessment, reliability, and future prospects of wind turbines. This book contains a number of problems and solutions that can be integrated into larger research findings and projects. The book enhances studies concerning the state of the art of wind turbines, modeling and intelligent control of wind turbines, power quality of wind turbines, robust controllers for wind turbines in cold weather, etc. The book also looks at recent developments in wind turbine supporting structures, noise reduction estimation methods, reliability and prospects of wind turbines, etc. As I enjoyed preparing this book, I am sure that it will be valuable for a large sector of readers.

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.

This book emphasizes the application of Linear Parameter Varying (LPV) gain scheduling techniques to the control of wind energy conversion systems. This reformulation of the classical problem of gain scheduling allows straightforward design procedure and simple controller implementation. From an overview of basic wind energy conversion, to analysis of common control strategies, to design details for LPV gain-scheduled controllers for both fixed- and variable-pitch, this is a thorough and informative monograph.

Wind energy’s bestselling textbook- fully revised. This must-have second edition includes up-to-date data, diagrams, illustrations and thorough new material on: the fundamentals of wind turbine aerodynamics; wind turbine testing and modelling; wind turbine design standards; offshore wind energy; special purpose applications, such as energy storage and fuel production. Fifty additional homework problems and a new appendix on data processing make this comprehensive edition perfect for engineering students. This book offers a complete examination of one of the most promising sources of renewable energy and is a great introduction to this cross-disciplinary field for practising engineers. “provides a wealth of information and is an excellent reference book for people interested in the subject of wind energy.” (IEEE Power & Energy Magazine, November/December 2003) “deserves a place in the library of every university and college where renewable energy is taught.” (The International Journal of Electrical Engineering Education, Vol.41, No.2 April 2004) “a very comprehensive and well-organized treatment of the current status of wind power.” (Choice, Vol. 40, No. 4, December 2002)

Maximizing reader insights into the latest technical developments and trends involving wind turbine control and monitoring, fault diagnosis, and wind power systems, ‘Wind Turbine Control and Monitoring’ presents an accessible and straightforward introduction to wind turbines, but also includes an in-depth analysis incorporating illustrations, tables and examples on how to use wind turbine modeling and simulation software. Featuring analysis from leading experts and researchers in the field, the book provides new understanding, methodologies and algorithms of control and monitoring, computer tools for modeling and simulation, and advances the current state-of-the-art on wind turbine monitoring and fault diagnosis; power converter systems; and cooperative & fault-tolerant control systems for maximizing the wind power generation and reducing the maintenance cost. This book is primarily intended for researchers in the field of wind turbines, control, mechatronics and energy; postgraduates in the field of mechanical and electrical engineering; and graduate and senior undergraduate students in engineering wishing to expand their knowledge of wind energy systems. The book will also interest practicing engineers dealing with wind technology who will benefit from the comprehensive coverage of the theoretic control topics, the simplicity of the models and the use of commonly available control algorithms and monitoring techniques.