Controller Development and Experimental Validation for a Vertical Axis Wind Turbine

This paper reports experimental results, in a wind tunnel, of controllers for a vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT). Models and controllers from previous works were validated and improved through the acquisition of new data sets. The control methods used are PID, LQR and CRONE (a type of fractional order control, i.e., a controller using fractional derivatives). The simulation results led to the choice of the CRONE controller for implementation. Hardware and software were developed to perform tests in a wind tunnel, that proved the correct behavior of the controller whilst validation results exceeded those from simulation. These results are expected to contribute for the viability of VAWTs in urban environments since they can aid in the increasing demand of energy services in urban areas without increasing the carbon emission levels of the area.