MITIGATING POWER QUALITY ISSUES IN VARIABLE SPEED WIND ENERGY SYSTEMS USING ADVANCED CONTROLLERS

Abstract

The rapid integration of renewable energy sources into modern power grids has made wind energy one of the most significant contributors to sustainable electricity generation. However, the variable and intermittent nature of wind introduces serious power quality challenges, including voltage fluctuations, harmonics, reactive power imbalance, and frequency instability, which can degrade grid performance. This research investigates the application of advanced control strategies for mitigating power quality issues in grid-connected variable speed wind energy conversion systems (WECS). The study employs a doubly-fed induction generator (DFIG) and permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG) configurations, integrated with power electronic converters and controllers for real-time regulation. Advanced control techniques such as synchronous reference frame theory (SRFT), fuzzy logic control, and model predictive control (MPC) are analyzed to enhance stability and reduce harmonic distortion. Simulation results conducted in MATLAB/Simulink demonstrate that the proposed control framework significantly improves voltage regulation, maintains reactive power balance, and achieves total harmonic distortion (THD) values well within IEEE-519 standards. The findings suggest that deploying intelligent and adaptive control strategies can ensure seamless grid integration of variable speed wind systems, enhancing both reliability and power quality in modern smart grids.