Comparison of distinct modulation techniques applied to PMSG drives for wind turbine applications under faulty operating conditions

This paper presents a comparative study of two alternative modulation techniques for vector control strategies applied to permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG) drives for wind turbine applications, under normal and faulty operating conditions. The full-scale power converter comprises two three-phase voltage source converters controlled by a rotor field oriented control and by a voltage oriented control, requiring both strategies a modulation technique. The system performance is evaluated by comparing the hysteresis current control with the space vector modulation technique, considering single power switch open-circuit faults in each power converter. In order to compare the drive performance, some key parameters are analyzed, such as the current rms and distortion values, power factor, dc link voltage and electromagnetic torque oscillation, and the overall drive efficiency. Simulation results under three distinct operating conditions are presented.