Model reference adaptive fault-tolerant control for a wind turbine against actuator faults

Wind turbines are designed to generate electrical energy as efficiently and reliably as possible. Advanced fault detection, diagnosis and accommodation schemes are necessary to realize the required levels of reliability, and availability in modern wind turbines. This paper presents a novel Fuzzy Model Reference Adaptive Control (FMRAC) scheme oriented to the design of a Fault-Tolerant Control (FTC) system for regulating the reference torque load of an offshore wind turbine benchmark model. The FTC system predicts the normal operating performance of the wind turbine using a data-driven reference model developed offline based on fuzzy modeling and identification method. The proposed FTC system is evaluated by a series of simulations on the wind turbine benchmark model in the presence of wind turbulences, measurement noises, and a realistic fault scenario in the generator/converter torque actuator.