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International Journal of Control, Vol.85, No.8, 1178-1196, 2012
Wind turbine integrated structural and LPV control design for improved closed-loop performance
An iterative redesign algorithm is proposed to integrate the design of the structural parameters and a linear parameter-varying (LPV) controller for a three-bladed horizontal-axis wind turbine. The LPV controller is designed for an eighth-order lumped model of the wind turbine consisting of blades, drive-train and the tower. The lumped model response is matched with detailed open-loop numerical simulations using the Fatigue, Aerodynamics, Structures and Turbulence (FAST) code. The controller is scheduled in real-time based on the mean wind speed to account for the varying system dynamics. The objective is to track the operating trajectory meanwhile minimise the H-infinity performance index from the wind turbulence to the controlled output vector consisting of pitch angle, blade tip deflection, and the generator speed and torque. Sensitivity analysis of the closed-loop performance index with respect to the structural parameters of the system is examined. The integrated design problem is formulated as an iterative sequential controller/structure redesign to obtain the structural parameters and controller matrices corresponding to a local optimal performance index. Each step of the iterative procedure is formulated as a linear matrix inequality (LMI) optimisation problem that can be solved efficiently using available LMI solvers. The evolution of the structural parameters and performance index through the integrated design is illustrated. The FAST closed-loop simulations for two selected designs with the smallest values of the performance index demonstrate the improved performance of the overall system through the integrated structure/control redesign in both minimising the effect of the wind disturbance on the generator output power, and reducing the structural loads on the wind turbine.