Comparative Analysis of Power Regulation in a Switched Reluctance Generator for Wind Energy Systems

Wind energy conversion systems play a crucial role in renewable energy generation with the search of a cost-effective and magnetless generator. For that reason, this paper presents a comparative analysis of Direct Power Control (DPC) and Direct Average Torque Control (DATC) strategies with focus in power regulation of a three-phase Switch Reluctance Generator. The study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of both methods in regulating the generated power in a tradeoff with the torque ripple production. Simulations were conducted in MATLAB/Simulink software across rotor speeds ranging from 80 to 157 rad/s to analyze key performance indicators such as power generation accuracy, average torque accuracy, and the torque ripple magnitude. Results demonstrate that Direct Power Control provides superior power regulation, closely following the demanded power while maintaining lower torque ripple levels. Conversely, Direct Average Torque Control enhances torque accuracy with similar levels of power as DPC, and higher torque ripple at some rotor speeds. The findings suggest that Direct Power Control is preferable for applications at medium-speed operations, whereas Direct Average Torque Control may be suitable for low and high rotor speed levels.