Research and development of control system for wind turbines (Introduction)

Ten years has passes since I have got my PhD, so I have decided to review my thesis based on experience and knowledge which I have got within this period. 

Introduction

Traditional energy sources are mainly based on fossil fuels and despite environmental protection measures has a serious negative impact on nature and the animal world, regularly polluting the atmosphere and water with combustion products. In addition, the reserves of fossil fuels on the planet are not unlimited, which forces scientists and engineers to constantly search for new energy technologies and energy sources.

One of the obvious alternatives to traditional energy is the development of renewable energy technologies, including wind energy. However, the effective use of wind energy is possible only if several technical and environmental problems will be solved. Technical problems are associated with the low energy density of the air flow, so to get tangible results it is required to build quite large-scale structures. It should also be recognized that the greatest obstacle to the use of wind power plants is the high cost of electricity produced by them. Although much has been achieved, the most challenging task of paramount importance remains the development of low-cost and highly efficient wind turbines that can operate reliably in automatic mode for many years and ensure uninterrupted operation with minimal periodic maintenance.

The most important characteristic that determines the energy value of the wind is its speed, which depends on the influence of forces acting in both horizontal and vertical directions on the moving air masses. Due to a number of meteorological factors (perturbations of the atmosphere, changes in solar activity, the amount of thermal energy entering the Earth, etc.), as well as due to the influence of relief conditions, the continuous duration of the wind in a given area, its speed and direction change according to a random law, which creates a problem for the constant generation of electric energy. This problem can be solved with the help of high-precision regulation of wind turbines, and the use of modern inexpensive microcontrollers in regulators allows to increase efficiency at minimum costs.

This part is still very actual and nothing to add here only controllers became cheaper and more powerful.

To be continued...?