The document describes a control system designed for a 400W micro-wind turbine. The control system aims to: 1) Maintain a constant voltage output from the turbine as it generates power. 2) Safely shut down the turbine when disconnected from the grid or manually commanded, and automatically restart it after braking. 3) Determine the efficiency curves of the buck-boost converter used and the system's output voltage under different loads. Experimental results showed the control system was able to maintain a constant voltage output and efficiently convert the turbine's variable voltage to a regulated output voltage while enabling safe shutdown and restart. This ensures the safe and effective operation of the small wind turbine.

1. Control System Design for a 400W
Micro-Wind Turbine
Presenters: Javier Sánchez Navarro & Melvin Núñez
Co Authors: Luis Rendon Estrada, Jeffrey Borres Martinez,
Xavier Collazo Fernandez, Mentor: Diego A. Aponte-Roa

2. Outline
• Problem Statement
• Objectives
• Diagrams
• Results
• Conclusions
• References
• Questions
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3. Problem Statement
Micro-wind turbines are emerging as one of the most efficient energy
systems. To ensure safety and appropriate grid installation, a control
system is necessary for this operation. A control system design for a
400W micro-wind turbine is implemented to warrant proper
integration for experimental and testing procedures.
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4. Objectives
• Maintain a constant voltage output.
• Maintain the microcontroller operating at all time.
• Able to shutdown the turbine when disconnected from the grid and
as manually upon command.
• Auto restart of the turbine control system after the braking process.
• Determine the buck-boost converter efficiency curves.
• Determine the systems output voltage.
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5. System Design
The complete system design is divided in the following general
subsystems:
• Generation
• Rectification
• DC-DC Conversion
• Braking
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6. Control System Block Diagram
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7. Micro Turbine Diagram
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8. Voltage Input Measurement Circuit
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9. Pulse Brake Circuit Diagram
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10. Flowchart Diagram of the control system
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11. Default State Diagram
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12. Load State Diagram
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13. Braking State Diagram
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14. Experimental Results
• Voltage Output Graph
• Output Efficiency Curves
• Test Results for Different Loads Using an Electronic Load
• Generation Curves of Power
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15. Voltage Output Graph
15Microcontroller Buck Boost Converter Wind Turbine Generation

16. Buck-Boost Converter Test Setup
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17. Buck Boost Output Efficiency Curves
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18. Test results for different loads
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Load Voltage (V) Current (A) Power (W)
3W 15.6 0.197 3.07
5W 15 0.330 4.95
8W 13 0.620 8.06
10W 9.7 1.040 10.08
12W 10.4 1.151 11.96

19. Generation Curves
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20. Experimental Setup
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21. Conclusion
• The control system can be used to integrate proper installment and
safety measure for a small/micro wind turbine. This ensures the
adequate usage in residential and personal use. The control system
can help to stop the turbine due to immediate weather changes that
can affect the structure and also can be used for maintenance
purposes. This advantage helps the consumer maintain a relaxed
state of mind of the product.
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22. Acknowledgment
The authors gratefully acknowledge the support of this work by the
José Domingo Pérez School of Engineering at the Universidad del
Turabo, the Puerto Rico Energy Center (PREC), and its Consortium for
Integrating Energy System in Engineering and Science Education
(CIESESE), an initiative funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DE–
NA0003330).
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23. References
• [1]H. Siahkali, “Economic Evaluation of Micro turbines in Iranian Electric
Industry”, IEEE Lausanne Power Tech 2007.
• [2]T. Dragičević, X. Lu, J. Vasquez, and J. Guerrero, “DC Microgrids-Part I: A Review
of Control Strategies and Stabilization Techniques”, IEEE Transactions on Power
Electronics, vol. 31, issue 7, july 2016, pp. 4876 - 4891.
• [3]E. Rodriguez, M. Savaghebi, J. Vasquez, and J. Guerrero, “An Overview of Low
Voltage DC Distribution Systems for Residential Applications”, IEEE 5th
International Conference on Consumer Electronics, 2015.
• [4]K. Palaniappan, S. Veerapenemi, R. Cuzner, and Y. Zhao, “Assessment of the
Feasibility of Interconnected Smart DC Homes in a DC Microgrid to Reduce Utility
Cost of Low-Income Households”, IEEE Second International Conference on DC
Microgrids, 2017.
• [5]H. Louie, V. Acker, S. Szablya, and P. Dauenhauer, “Opportunities and
Challenges for Micro Wind Turbines in Developing”, IEEE Global
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24. Questions
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