An Investigation of the Potentialities of the Electromagnetic Frequency Regulator

Ariel S.L. Patriota; Ricardo F. Pinheiro; Gabriel I. Medina T.

doi:10.20906/sbse.v2i1.3095

Ariel S.L. Patriota Master’s Program in Electrical Energy, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN
Ricardo F. Pinheiro Department of Computer Engineering and Automation, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN
Gabriel I. Medina T. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN

DOI: https://doi.org/10.20906/sbse.v2i1.3095

Keywords: Electromagnetic Frequency Regulator (EFR), Wind turbines, Variable load, Induction machine

Abstract

This work analyzes the Electromagnetic Frequency Regulator (EFR) when used in a wind power system with hybridization of energy sources. The study was conducted through numerical simulation on Scilab platform. The conventional mechanical transmission (gearbox) was substituted by a hydrostatic system (pump and motor). Feedback linearization was used to control the motor’s displacement, and a prediction algorithm was developed to compute the reference steady-state angular speeds of the EFR’s armature and the rotating electromagnetic field. The results indicated that the EFR can effectively supply the generator load regardless of the wind speed. It was also shown that electrical energy can be accumulated in batteries during regimes of wind speeds higher than a reference set-point, to be used when the harnessed wind power is lower than the load. This shows that the EFR is a viable hybridization solution to wind energy systems, ensuring the highest levels of power quality.