Wind Turbine Power Coefficient Analysis of a New Maximum Power Point Tracking Technique

A small-scale wind energy conversion system can track the maximum power point (MPP) based on a linear relationship between V_dc² and I_dc. Unlike conventional MPP tracking (MPPT) methods using a lookup table, an advanced technique is proposed based on this relationship as a variant of the perturb and observe (P&O) method. It not only has the advantages of the conventional P&O method but also has a faster tracking speed and better performance. This paper theoretically analyzes the possible power coefficient drop when using a linear relationship for MPPT and establishes that the turbine design can ensure that the possible power coefficient drop is small. The simulation results show that the analysis is precise. The validity and performance of the proposed MPPT method are confirmed by both simulation and experimentation.