Small wind turbine power control in intermittent wind gusts

This paper analyzes control strategies for a small scale wind turbine in intermittent winds using a computer model based on wind data collected on-site and computer simulation data. Standard generator control with a lowered gain was found to produce the greatest power capture by biasing the rotational speed towards high energy wind gusts. Optimal gain was able to be determined by calculating an estimated wind speed using physical and measured quantities. An augmentation to the standard control provides a method for capturing power safely beyond the rated wind speed.