New system to optimize energy production from small wind turbines

Scientists have developed a system that configures wind turbines based on wind conditions to optimize their capacity for electricity production. The new method is useful for integrating these devices into buildings and making them produce electricity with greater efficiency than that currently generated.

The work is the work of a team comprising, among others, Jesús Clavijo Camacho and Reyes Sánchez, both from the University of Huelva in Spain.

Wind turbines are designed with aerodynamic blades on a rotor that spin when pushed by the wind. This motion is transmitted through the shaft to the nacelle, the housing at the top, where it is connected to a permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG), which produces the magnetic field needed for electricity production.

The electricity generated initially has a variable frequency due to fluctuations in wind speed. It therefore passes through control and conditioning systems that regulate the frequency and quality of the electricity produced so that it is compatible with the power grid or for local use.

The authors of the study analyzed the complete wind energy conversion system (WECS), which includes all the elements necessary to capture wind energy and convert it into usable electricity. These include the wind turbine (blades, rotor, shaft), the generator, the gearbox, the control and power conversion systems, and the supporting structures such as the tower and nacelle.

They have also investigated the influence of variable wind speeds and rotation speeds, among many other parameters.

The new system is suitable for any possible scenario. (Photo: University of Huelva / Fundación Descubre)

The conclusions from all this have been the basis for adjusting and perfecting the new method of optimising the energy production of wind turbines.

The study is titled “A modular IGBT power stack − based and open hardware framework for small wind turbines assessment”. It has been published in the academic journal Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments. (Source: Fundación Descubre)