Maximum Power Point Tracking Control of a Wind Turbine with an Action on the Speed Multiplier

A novel control strategy is introduced for tracking the maximum power point of a wind turbine coupled with a permanent magnet synchronous generator. In contrast to other control methods, this approach does not rely on an electrical actuator such as a rectifier or inverter. Instead, it uses a mechanical actuator—specifically, a speed multiplier—to ensure maximum power point (MPP) tracking. The selection of the optimal speed multiplication ratio enables the pursuit of the maximum power coefficient by adjusting the tip-speed ratio (λ) to its optimal value. This approach requires no learning time, only knowledge of the wind turbine and generator parameters, which are used for selecting or sizing the speed multiplier and for control purposes. The new approach is validated through simulation in Matlab/Simulink, incorporating a wind profile measured by our team over a 15-day period. The results demonstrate effective tracking of maximum power, achieving a power coefficient efficiency of 98.1%. Considering the measured variability of the wind, the overall energy efficiency over the 15 days reaches 99.16%. The approach is applied to a model of a low-power wind turbine designed for domestic applications.