The effects of variable speed and drive train component efficiencies on wind turbine energy capture

A wind turbine rotor achieves optimal aerodynamic efficiency at a single tip-speed ratio (TSR). To maintain that optimal TSR and maximize energy capture in the stochastic wind environment, it is necessary to employ variable-speed operation. Conventional constant-speed wind turbines have, in the past, been converted into variable-speed turbines by attaching power electronics to the conventional induction generator and gearbox drive train. Such turbines have shown marginal, if any, improvement in energy capture over their constant-speed counterparts. These discrepancies have been shown to be the result of drive train components that are not optimized for variable-speed operation. Traditional drive trains and power electronic converters are designed to achieve maximum efficiency at full load and speed. However, the main energy producing winds operate the turbine at light load for long periods of time. Because of this, significant losses to efficiency occur. This investigation employs a quasi-static model to demonstrate the dramatic effect that component efficiency curves can have on overall annual energy capture