Abstract

This paper focuses on variable speed variable pitch wind- turbine control when operating in region 3. Designing a pitch controller is important while operating in region 3 to regulate the rated generator power and to reduce the flap-wise moment on the turbine blades. The regulation of the generator power and speed is achievable by using the collective pitch control (CPC); while reduction of the flap-wise moment is the objective of individual pitch control (IPC). The main challenge of designing this pitch controller is the pitch-angle constraints. Model predictive control (MPC) using Laguerre network is designed to produce the optimal individual pitch control action that satisfies the system constraints. A typical 5-MW benchmark wind turbine simulator is used to test the performance of the proposed controller. Comparisons between the proposed controller and the standard PI controller, which has been employed generously for wind-turbine control in industry, are performed. The results show the superiority of the proposed pitch controller over the standard controller.