Discrete-Time Dynamical Maximum Power Tracking Control for a Vertical Axis Water Turbine with Retractable Blades

This paper addresses the power generation control system of a new drag-type Vertical Axis Turbine with several retractable blades. The returning blades can be entirely hidden in the drum, and negative torques can then be considerably reduced as the drum shields the blades. Thus, the power efficiency increases. Regarding the control, a Linear Quadratic Tracking (LQT) optimal control algorithm for Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) is proposed to ensure that the wave energy conversion system can operate highly effectively under fluctuating conditions and that the tracking process accelerates over time. Two-dimensional Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations are performed to obtain the maximum power points of the turbine's output. To plot the tip speed ratio curve, the least squares method is employed. The efficacy of the steady and dynamic performance of the control strategy was verified using Matlab/Simulink software. These validation results show that the proposed system can compensate for power fluctuations and is effective in terms of power regulation.