Journal of Tropical Oceanography ›› 2014, Vol. 33 ›› Issue (6): 73-79.doi: 10.11978/j.issn.1009-5470.2014.06.010cstr: 32234.14.j.issn.1009-5470.2014.06.010

• Marine Power Resources and Their Development • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Study on maximum power control of turbines in a tidal current power generation system based on hydraulic transmission

LIN Zuan1, 3, LI Lei1, 2, CHEN Jun-hua1, ZHENG Di1, TANG Chen1, 2, LI Hao1, 2   

  1. 1. Ningbo Institute of Technology, Zhejiang University, Ningbo 315100, China; 2. School of Mechanical Engineering, Taiyuan University of Science and Technology, Taiyuan 030024, China; 3. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
  • Received:2014-01-15 Revised:2014-04-11 Online:2015-01-07 Published:2015-01-07

Abstract: In order to solve the problem of low energy capturing efficiency of the horizontal axis turbine in tidal current power generation system at low current speed, a variable pump counter torque reference value model was established. In this study, based on the maximum power tracking theory and the torque equilibrium equation of turbine versus variable pump, a control system with indirect speed control, pressure feedback, and torque control was designed to achieve the maximum power capture of the turbine by regulating the output of the variable pump in a small range. The performance of the designed control system was simulated by means of the Automation Studio software, and corresponding sea test was conducted. Test results showed that the control system ran steadily, the captured power coefficient of the turbine fluctuated near 0.35 and 0.33, respectively, in the simulation and sea trials; compared with the uncontrolled, these numbers increased by 0.03 and 0.05, respectively. The capture efficiency of the turbine was enhanced, and the effectiveness of the control system was verified.

Key words: tidal current energy, horizontal axis, hydraulic transmission, maximum power control

CLC Number: 

  • P743.3