Design validation of a laboratory-scale wind turbine emulator

Abstract

Presented in this study is an investigation of the real-time performance of a laboratory-scale model of wind turbine emulator. Developed to provide a cost-effective experimental facility for demonstrating and validating wind energy conversion systems at new wind territories, the emulator comprises a software component with a hardware interface of a motor-driven wound rotor induction generator. A real-life wind speed profile is implemented on the model to investigate its performance under a near-real-world scenario and, some operational characteristics of real wind energy conversion systems are exactly replicated by the emulator in the course of the experimentation. The emulator could therefore be considered suitable for use as a laboratory level testbed for the demonstration and validation of wind energy conversion systems in the real-time.

Keywords

• emulator
• validation
• wind speed profile
• laboratory-scale
• real-life