Development and Analysis of a Novel Multi-Mode MPPT Technique with Fast and Efficient Performance for PMSG-Based Wind Energy Conversion Systems

Wind energy is one of the most promising renewable energy resources. Due to instantaneous variations of the wind speed, an appropriate Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) method is necessary for maximizing the captured energy from the wind at different speeds. The most commonly used MPPT algorithms are Tip Speed Ratio (TSR), Power Signal Feedback (PSF), Optimal Torque Control (OTC) and Hill Climbing Search (HCS). Each of these algorithms has some advantages and also some major drawbacks. In this paper, a novel hybrid MPPT algorithm is proposed which modifies the conventional methods in a way that eliminates their drawbacks and yields an improved performance. This proposed algorithm is faster in tracking the maximum power point and provides a more accurate response with lower steady state error. Moreover, it presents a great performance under conditions with intensive wind speed variations. The studied Wind Energy Conversion System (WECS) consists of a Permanent Magnet Synchronous Generator (PMSG) connected to the dc link through a Pulse-Width Modulated (PWM) rectifier. The proposed algorithm and the conventional methods are applied to this WECS and their performances are compared using the simulation results. These results approve the satisfactory performance of the proposed algorithm and its notable advantages over the conventional methods.