International Conference on Innovations in Power and Advanced Computing Technologies [i-PACT2017]

Wind Turbine Emulator for a Microgrid

K. M. G. Y. Sewwandi, T. S. S. Senarathna, K. A. H. Lakshika, V. Y. Wong, K. T. M. U. Hemapala, J. R. Lucas,
G. D. Porawagamage
Department of Electrical Engineering
University of Moratuwa
Moratuwa, Sri Lanka

Abstract— Throughout the past few years, power generation based a synchronous generator for both steady and transient states
on wind energy has become a considerable aspect in the present under microgrid connected condition. High power capability of
power generation. This has caused an increase in the wind power the DC motor allows user to study wind turbine behaviour in
based research and in this project a wind turbine emulator is more depth.
developed to simulate wind turbine behavior with a connection to
a micro grid in a laboratory environment. Wind turbine
characteristics are modelled using a separately excited DC motor II. WIND TURBINE
for both steady and transient states. DC motor is coupled with a
synchronous generator to provide the power output. Wind turbine operates according to the principles of
aerodynamics. It provides different power outputs according to
Keywords—Wind Power; Emulator; Microgrid; PI Control; the wind speed. It depends on several other parameters such as
Simulink air density, aerodynamic disk radius and pitch angle [5]. By the
use of mathematical model of the wind turbine, mechanical
I. INTRODUCTION torque generated is calculated [6].
Wind power generation has a major portion in the renewable
energy and it keeps increasing due to its attractive cost of Here, horizontal axis, fixed speed-variable pitch wind turbine
generation. Wind power cost of energy can be lower than most was considered. According to its behavior it is modeled in to
of the other electricity generation technologies available [1]. two parts; steady state modeling and dynamic state modeling.
But wind generators do not naturally contribute to the system
inertia [2]. Therefore, adding more and more wind generators A. Theories
to the national grid will cause stability issues. In this regard, Power contain in the wind is the form of kinetic energy. It is
microgrid connected wind generators are becoming more given as following equation (1).
popular.
ܲ௪ ൌ ͲǤͷߩ‫ ܸܣ‬ଷ (1)
Wind turbines extract kinetic energy from the wind and convert
it into useful mechanical energy. They are designed to capture
Where,
the maximum possible amount of wind energy for power
ߩ = Air density, (kg/m3),
generation through optimizing number of blades in the turbine
A= Area which is normal to the wind speed (m2),
rotor and its speed of rotation. Basically, wind turbines are
V = Wind speed (m/s),
divided into two groups, horizontal axis wind turbines and
vertical axis wind turbines. Most common type is horizontal
Then the kinetic energy which is received to the wind turbine is
axis wind turbines [3]. To keep turbine running in the safe
as given from following equation (2).
operating range, various control mechanisms are used.
ܲ௪ ൌ ͲǤͷߩߨܴଶ ܸ ଷ (2)
Rapid growth of wind power generation caused significant
increase in the wind power based researches. Since the wind
But total wind energy can’t be exacted by the wind turbine and
turbines are large and expensive, it is not economical to use
it depends on the manufacturing characteristics. According to
practical wind turbines for research purposes. As a result of that
the aerodynamic theories, the extracted power from the wind
wind turbine emulators are introduced to reproduce the wind
turbine can be expressed considering its effectiveness of
turbine behavior under given wind profile in a laboratory
conversion in wind energy into mechanical energy of wind
environment [4].
turbine (Power coefficient; ‫ܥ‬௣ ሺߣǡ ߚሻ ) and it can be given as
The objective of this work is to emulate the wind turbine follows (3).
characteristics using a separately excited DC motor coupled to
ܲ௪ ൌ ͲǤͷߩߨܴଶ ܸ ଷ ‫ܥ‬௣ ሺߣǡ ߚሻ (3)

978-1-5090-5682-8 /17/$31.00 ©2017 IEEE

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 International Conference on Innovations in Power and Advanced Computing Technologies [i-PACT2017]

‫ܥ‬௣ ሺߣǡ ߚሻ is depend on manufacture and it is a factor which

represent how much wind energy is converted to the mechanical
power by wind turbine. It is a function of ߣ: TSR (Tip speed
ratio) and ߚ (Blade pitch angle). TSR can be obtained from the
manufacturer data and depends on the wind turbine geometry.
TSR, which is given by (4):

ఠ೟ ൈோ
ߣ ൌ ௏
(4)

Where,
߱௧ ൌWind turbine angular speed Fig. 1. Qualitative wind turbine mechanical power versus wind speed curve

According to the above Fig. 1, wind turbine deliver power in

The aerodynamic mechanical torque (Tm) of the wind turbine is
between cut in speed and cut out speed. This region can be
given by equation (5),
simply divided in to two regions. During region I (Vcut in to
଴Ǥହఘగோ య ௏ మ ஼೛ ሺఒǡఉሻ
Vrated), extracted power is delivered without controlling. But
ܶ௠ ൌ (5) during the region II (Vrated to Vcut off), power is regulated to limit
ఒ
output power to rated power due to acceptable limits of wind
஼೛ ሺఒǡఉሻ turbine.
‫ܥ‬௠ ൌ  (6)
ఒ
C. Simulink modeling
ܶ௠ ൌ ͲǤͷߩߨܴଷ ܸ ଶ ‫ܥ‬௠ (7) According to above theories and above equations, wind turbine
is modeled. To get the wind profile into the Simulink model as
As pointed in mechanical power output, mechanical torque also an input “From Workspace” block was used. In the Simulink
depends on‫ܥ‬௣ ሺߣǡ ߚሻ. It is manufacturing data which can be modeling of ‫ܥ‬௣ ሺߣǡ ߚሻ, the subsystem inside the wind block was
derived from field test on wind turbine. An empirical equation used. Here, the situation of ߚ is given as a zero input, due to
[7] which can be used to model for ‫ܥ‬௣ ሺߣǡ ߚሻ is given by (8), limitations of the project. Then the torque output is simulated
considering the equation (7) using Simulink blocks [8]. And
಴ఱ
ଵ also, Simulink blocks were used as necessary for unit
‫ܥ‬௣ ሺߣǡ ߚሻ ൌ ‫ܥ‬ଵ ቀ‫ܥ‬ଶ ൈ െ ‫ܥ‬ଷ ߚ െ ‫ܥ‬ସ ቁ ݁ ഊ೔ ൅ ‫ߣ ଺ܥ‬ (8)
ఒ೔ conversions in the simulation.
Where ߣ௜ is given by,
The limits considered in the operation limits (according to the
ଵ ଵ ଴Ǥ଴ଷହ
ൌ െ (9) Fig. 1) also used to limit the power output of the turbine Model.
ఒ೔ ఒା଴Ǥ଴଼ఉ ఉ య ାଵ
Then “Transfer function block” is used to add the time delay
behavior of mechanical and generator systems of the wind
Values of C1 to C6 are vary from one turbine to another. But
model. The data of the intermediate states was taken using
typical values of those parameters are given by, C1 = 0.5176, C2
necessary display blocks for monitoring purpose. The
= 116, C3 = 0.4, C4 = 5, C5 = 21, C6 = 0.0068.
Matlab/Simulink model for wind turbine is as Fig. 2.

B. Operation Limits
Due to dimensioning and optimization of wind turbines, wind
energy can be extracted within certain wind speed limits only.
Those limits are given by wind turbine manufacture according
to its acceptable limits.

Fig. 2. Wind Model Simulink Design

The wind profile and the power variation regarding the given
wind profile with the time are given in the Fig. 3 and Fig. 4.

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constant throughout the operation. Therefore, Iܽ only depends

on the ܸܽ. and the desired electromagnetic torque can easily be
calculated.

TABLE I. DC MOTOR SPECIFICATIONS

Specification Value
Fig. 3. Wind Speed Variation Rated Power 15kW
Rated Voltage 220V
Rated current 68.2A
Rated speed 1800rpm
Excitation 27V

Since the motor is running at a constant speed (synchronous

Fig. 4. Wind Power Variation According to Wind Profile speed of the generator), motor speed is specified as a constant
in the model and assigned the value (157.08 rad/s) externally.
Here, Wind turbine is modeled with actual data of VESTAS Therefore, the inputs to the separately excited DC motor model
V27-225kW wind turbine. are the applied field voltage, armature voltage, rotating speed
and output is the electromagnetic torque.
III. DC MOTOR AND CONTROLLER
The electromagnetic torque of a DC motor should be equal to
The DC motor armature current is directly proportional to the the reference torque of wind turbine. From the mathematical
torque of the motor. With the torque constant, reference current model, it is easy to obtain the reference armature current [9].
provided by the control circuit generates the electromagnetic This reference current is used to control the armature current of
torque output by the separately excited DC motor. the DC motor by using PI controller and 2 quadrant IGBT
driver. It gives controlled DC voltage depending upon the
The electric equations of the separately excited DC motor are triggering pulses to IGBTs, for the regulation of DC motor
given below. A synchronous generator is driven with varying armature voltage.
torque using the armature current control and the field flux is
kept as a constant. By Applying Kirchhoff voltage law to the The power reference from the wind turbine model is scaled
field circuit, before using it as in (15). This scaling is necessary due to the
wind turbine power ratings being higher than the emulator
ܸf = If (Rf + Lf S) (10) machine ratings.
௉ౣ౗ౙ౞౟౤౛
Generated Back EMF is given by the following equation and Scaling factor = St =
௉౪౫౨ౘ౟౤౛
(15)
since both the field flux and rotational speed are constants, Back
EMF Ea will be a constant. In Equation (15), Pmachine is the nominal machine power and
Ea = ݇߶߱ (11) Pturbine is the nominal turbine power.

Generated electromagnetic torque is given by the following ܲ ൌ ܶ߱ (16)

equations.
This power is converted into a reference torque by dividing
T = ݇ ߶‫ܽܫ‬ (12) from the synchronous speed of the motor generator couple (16).
Obtained Reference torque value is converted into a reference
T = TG + ߱ (JS +ȕ) (13) current value to be fed into the DC motor drive. Reference
current is obtained by dividing the reference torque from the
Since the field flux (߶) is kept as a constant, generated motor torque constant.
electromagnetic torque is directly proportional to the armature
Two quadrant DC-DC converter is used to control the DC
current (12).
motor armature current. IGBTs of the Drive are switched using
PID controlled PWM pulses. PI control is used without D
ܸܽ = Ea +Iܽ (Rܽ + Lܽ S) (14)
control as it is the most common method of current control [10]
& [11].
Above equation was obtained by applying Kirchhoff Voltage
law to the Armature Circuit. Ea, Rܽ and Lܽ remain approximately

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We were further able to fine tune the current response by

varying the PWM switching frequency and series RL branch of
the armature circuit. By increasing the switching frequency and
Series inductance value, the smoothness of the results can be
improved. But for practicability both has been set to moderate
values.

PWM signals are sent to the IGBT gates to turn them on and off
Fig. 7. DC Motor Armature Current
accordingly. Two IGBT blocks are used in the simulation as the
switching device. The Matlab/Simulink model for DC motor
with Driver is as Fig. 5.

Fig. 8. DC Motor Torque output

IV. SYNCHRONOUS GENERATOR CONNECTED TO MICROGRID

A salient pole synchronous generator is used to convert

mechanical power from the DC motor into the electrical power.
Basically, this acts as the generator which is connected to the
wind turbine. Equivalent circuit of the salient pole synchronous
generator is given in the following Fig. 9.

Fig. 5. DC motor with Driver, Simulink Model

Fig. 9. Electric model of the synchronous generator

Nature of the varying duty PWM signal is as in Fig. 6. As both steady state and transient behavior of the wind turbine
are to be modelled, the generator model should be capable to
respond to the transient variations of the input mechanical
power. Seventh order synchronous generator model block
available in the Simulink Library is used in simulating the
generator [12].

TABLE II. GENERATOR SPECIFICATIONS

Fig. 6. PWM signal Duty variation
Specification Value
Rated Power 10kW
DC motor armature current and torque output variation of the Rated Voltage 400V
integrated model is as in Fig. 7 and Fig. 8 Rated current 18.2A
Rated speed 1500rpm
Frequency 50Hz
Power Factor 0.8
Excitation Voltage 100V
Excitation Current 4.6A
Number of Poles 4

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The field voltage of the synchronous generator is kept as a V. HARDWARE IMPLEMENTATION

constant and the motor output power is given as an input to the
generator model. Motor output power is calculated by A. Overall System Structure
multiplying output torque by angular speed of the motor. In
order to reduce the impact of generator losses the generator
power loss is added to the motor power output. Generator model Hardware implementation basic design is illustrated in the Fig.
is connected to the modelled microgrid with a main grid 13. User can input data to the emulator system using a
connection (Fig.10). Computer interface (GUI) and observe the power output to the
microgrid. Computer software generates the required reference
values for the controller and DC motor is driven through a two-
quadrant IGBT Drive. Current feedback is taken from the
armature circuit for controlling the torque output of the DC
motor.

Wind Data

Computer Interface

Controller

To Microgrid
Current
Feedback
Power Measurement

Motor
Driver

Fig. 10. Synchronous Generator with Microgrid, Simulink Model DC Field

AVR

Fig. 13. Overall System Design

Torque output of the DC motor is transferred through the

coupling to the Synchronous generator. Synchronous Generator
excitation is controlled using an AVR and the power output to
the Microgrid is measured to provide feedback to the user.
Fig. 11. Power output of the synchronous generator
B. IGBT Driver Circuit

Fig. 12. Wind power variation according to wind profile

Fig. 14. IGBT driver Schematic Design

It is observed that the power output of the Synchronous
Generator is an accordance with the modelled wind turbine IGBT driver uses M57962L hybrid IC (Fig.14) to provide gate
output power as in Fig. 11 and Fig. 12. signals to both high-side and low-side IGBTs according to the
inputs.

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C. Measurement Circuit Design ACKNOWLEDGMENT

The authors gratefully acknowledge the support provided by the
1) DC Motor Current Measurement Senate Research Council, University of Moratuwa.

Current feedback of the DC motor armature circuit is

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