Torque-Controlled DC Motor for Wind Turbine Simulator Application

Wind turbine simulator (WTS) has been widely used to enhance research flexibility in the field of power electronics for maximum power point tracking (MPPT). This WTS consists of a DC motor and a buck chopper that are used for simulating the wind turbine characteristics. The DC motor is controlled by using the proportional integral (PI) controller to follow the scaled wind turbine torque reference or equivalent torque. A 200 W DC motor, LVDAC-EMS software, MATLAB Simulink, and Arduino UNO are used to implement the proposed system. The results show that the wind turbine simulator can produce torque output that follows the equivalent torque reference at wind speeds of 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 m/s, with relative root mean square error (RRMSE) values of 8.8%, 5%, 4%, 3%, 3%, and 4% respectively. The lowest RRMSE occurs at wind speeds of 8 and 9 m/s, while the highest at 5 m/s. The highest RRMSE at low wind speeds occurs due to the vibration on the rotor.