Author(s)

K. K. M. S. Kariyawasam, K. K. N. P. Karunarathna, R. M. A. Karunarathne, M. P. D. S. C. Kularathne, K. T. M. U. Hemapala

Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Moratuwa, Katubedda, Sri Lanka..

Over the course of the past decade, power generation based on wind energy has become a significant component in modern power systems, which has caused substantial increase in the wind power based research. As it is complicated to use a real wind turbine for laboratory purposes, development of a replica of a real wind turbine that can be connected and used indoors is imperative. This paper presents the design and development of a wind turbine simulator that operates on the typical power-speed characteristics of a wind turbine. First, the mathematical model of the wind turbine simulator is developed and the corresponding CAD simulations are carried out. Proposed hardware implementations involve a DC motor-DC generator set, a variable load and a control system based on PI controllers. It is a simple, low power and low cost design that can be easily connected to an AC system through an inverter.

Wind Turbines; Wind Turbine Simulator; PI Controller; Variable Load; Microgrid

K. Kariyawasam, K. Karunarathna, R. Karunarathne, M. Kularathne and K. Hemapala, "Design and Development of a Wind Turbine Simulator Using a Separately Excited DC Motor," Smart Grid and Renewable Energy, Vol. 4 No. 3, 2013, pp. 259-265. doi: 10.4236/sgre.2013.43031.