An Efficient UPF Rectifier for a Stand-Alone Wind Energy Conversion System

In this paper, a near-unity-power-factor front-end rectifier employing two current control methods, namely, average current control and hysteresis current control, is considered. This rectifier is interfaced with a fixed-pitch wind turbine driving a permanent-magnet synchronous generator. A traditional diode-bridge rectifier without any current control is used to compare the performance with the proposed converter. Two constant wind speed conditions and a varying wind speed profile are used to study the performance of this converter for a rated stand-alone load. The parameters under study are the input power factor and total harmonic distortion of the input currents to the converter. The wind turbine generator-power electronic converter is modeled in PSIM, and the simulation results verify the efficacy of the system in delivering satisfactory performance for the conditions discussed. The efficacy of the control techniques is validated with a 1.5-kW laboratory prototype, and the experimental results are presented.