Unified Voltage and Pitch Angle Controller for Wind-Driven Induction Generator System

A unified voltage and pitch angle controller (UVPC) for a wind-driven induction generator system is presented to reach effective voltage control and to stabilize generator speed and system frequency. The proposed UVPC comprises a linear optimal controller (LOC), a supplementary voltage regulator (SVR), and a supplementary pitch angle controller (SPC). An ac voltage regulator and a dc voltage regulator are designed in the SVR to generate the desired voltage magnitude and phase angle for the voltage-sourced inverter (VSI). On the other hand, the SPC is designed based on fuzzy logic inference rules in order to generate the desired pitch angle command for the variable blade pitch such that the mechanical power can be controlled in a very efficient manner. When the system is operated in the islanding condition, an approach based on the concept of relative rotating speed has been developed for the measurement of system frequency deviation. Simulation and experimental results reveal that both bus voltage and mechanical power can be effectively controlled by the proposed UVPC for the wind energy conversion system (WECS) either connected with or disconnected from the power grid when there is sufficient wind energy.     

Mapping Magnetospheric Equatorial Regions at Saturn from Cassini Prime Mission Observations

Saturn??s rich magnetospheric environment is unique in the solar system, with a large number of active magnetospheric processes and phenomena. Observations of this environment from the Cassini spacecraft has enabled the study of a magnetospheric system which strongly interacts with other components of the saturnian system: the planet, its rings, numerous satellites (icy moons and Titan) and various dust, neutral and plasma populations. Understanding these regions, their dynamics and equilibria, and how they interact with the rest of the system via the exchange of mass, momentum and energy is important in understanding the system as a whole. Such an understanding represents a challenge to theorists, modellers and observers. Studies of Saturn??s magnetosphere based on Cassini data have revealed a system which is highly variable which has made understanding the physics of Saturn??s magnetosphere all the more difficult. Cassini??s combination of a comprehensive suite of magnetospheric fields and particles instruments with excellent orbital coverage of the saturnian system offers a unique opportunity for an in-depth study of the saturnian plasma and fields environment. In this paper knowledge of Saturn??s equatorial magnetosphere will be presented and synthesised into a global picture. Data from the Cassini magnetometer, low-energy plasma spectrometers, energetic particle detectors, radio and plasma wave instrumentation, cosmic dust detectors, and the results of theory and modelling are combined to provide a multi-instrumental identification and characterisation of equatorial magnetospheric regions at Saturn. This work emphasises the physical processes at work in each region and at their boundaries. The result of this study is a map of Saturn??s near equatorial magnetosphere, which represents a synthesis of our current understanding at the end of the Cassini Prime Mission of the global configuration of the equatorial magnetosphere.     

Variable structure and adaptive control of a synchronous generator

Damping of synchronous generator oscillations has been investigated by using three types of controllers, i.e., the PI (proportional-integral) controller, the model reference adaptive controller (MRAC) and the variable-structure model-following controller (VSMFC). It was found that the PI controller fails to accommodate itself to the situation where there is a significant change in generator loading conditions. The MRAC greatly improves the dynamic responses of the generator over a wide range of operating conditions by minimizing the error in the responses obtained from the plant with a specified reference model. The damping of the generator is further improved by the VSMFC, which reduces the sensitivity of generator responses relative to plant parameter variations by providing sliding-mode operations     

A statistical analysis of substorm associated tail activity

Substorm onset timing is a critical issue in magnetotail dynamics research. Solar wind energy is accumulated in the magnetosphere and the configuration of the magnetosphere evolves toward an unstable state during the growth phase. At some point, the expansion phase begins and the stored energy is released through a variety of processes that return the magnetosphere to a lower energy state. In recovery the various processes die away. Unfortunately, the ground and magnetospheric signatures of onset, i.e. energy release, can be seen both in the growth phase prior to onset and in the expansion phase after onset. Some investigators refer to each of these events as a substorm. Tail observations suggest that most substorms have one event that differentiates the behavior of the tail field and plasma. We refer to this time as the “main substorm onset”. Each substorm associated phenomenon is timed independently and then compared with main substorm onsets. ISEE-2 tail observations are used to examine the tail lobe magnetic conditions associated with substorms because ISEE-2 orbit has a high inclination and frequently observes lobe field. Approximately 70 ∼ 75% of tail lobe B_t and B_z change are associated with the main substorm onset. If the satellite is more than 3 Re above (below) the neutral sheet, 86% (57%) of plasma pressure dropouts are associated with substorms. We interpret our results as evidence that the effect of the growth phase is to drive the magnetosphere towards instability. As it approaches global instability local regions become temporarily unstable but are rapidly quenched. Eventually one of these events develops into the global instability that releases most of the stored energy and returns the magnetosphere to a more stable configuration.     

Design of SIMO Excitation Controllers for Synchronous Generators

Stabilization of synchronous generator oscillations is investigatedby using a single-input multiple-output (SIMO) excitation controller.The feedback signals which are most effective for the damping ofelectromechanical oscillations are selected based on the participationfactors of various signals. In order to improve the dampings ofpoorly damped oscillation modes, the eigenvalues associated withthese modes are shifted to certain prespecified locations by adjustingthe parameters of the excitation controller. Time domain simulationresults are also presented to show the validity of the proposedmethod.