A Review: Different types of Generating Systems for

Wind Power Generation

Saurabh1 Pranjal Saxena2 A.K. Pandey3
Electrical Engineering Department Electrical Engineering Department Electrical Engineering Department
Madan Mohan Malaviya University Madan Mohan Malaviya University Madan Mohan Malaviya University
of Technology of Technology of Technology
Gorakhpur, India Gorakhpur, India Gorakhpur, India
pranjal14ps46@gmail.com akp1234@gmail.com

Abstract— In the midst of continuously rising population
and deplete fossil fuels, conventional sources are replaced
by the new renewable sources. The new renewable sources
offer both clean and economical source of energy. Among
different energy sources, Wind energy is one of the major
sources of renewable energy. The transformation of wind
energy into electrical is hugely depends on the
performance of electric generator. There are different
types of electromagnetic generators available in the
market. The most popular are induction based generators
named as Doubly Fed Induction Generators (DFIG) and
Squirrel Cage Induction generators (SCIG) for both
constant and variable wind speed. The other category is
Permanent Magnet synchronous generators (PMSG), with
an extra edge of gearless operation. This paper reviews the
all types of generators and compares the performance,
their merits and demerits.
Keywords— DFIG, SCIG, PMSG, WECS
I. INTRODUCTION
Renewable Energy (RE) can be defined as the energy which is
composed by renewable resources. The electric current
produced by the generator flows through a Renewable energy
can be defined as the energy which is composed of renewable
resources. These resources are naturally replenished on a
human time span, for example sunlight, rain, wind, tides,
waves and geothermal heat. The four important areas where
renewable energy provides energy are electricity generation,
transportation air and water heating/cooling and rural energy
services [1-3].
In India, RES accounted for nearly 18.37%of total installed
power capacity. India has set a target of attaining 40% of its
total generation by the use of non-fossil fuel sources by 2030
stated in its Intended Nationally Determined Contributions
declaration in Paris Agreement.
In India renewable energy comes under the Ministry of New
and Renewable Energy (MNRE).The first country to set up the
ministry for non-conventional energy resources in early 1980s
was India with an installed capacity of 62GW of grid linked
renewable power as of 31 Nov, 2017. The capacity of wind
power is at 32,746 MW, which make India the 4 th largest
producer of wind power in the world.
By 2022, to grow massively in renewable field the new
renewable electricity sources are being projected. It also
includes more than doubling of India’s large wind power
capacity and in solar power there is nearly 15 fold increase
from April 2016 levels. The target of 2022 includes the
achievement of 175 GW of energy from renewable sources i.e.
60 GW from wind power, 10 GW from biomass, 100 GW
from Solar power and 5 GW from small hydro plant. From Jan
2018 to the end of 2019-20 the process of bidding will be
completed for additional 115Gw energy
At the end of 2016 a total of 486,790 MW wind power was
produced worldwide ,there is increase 12.5% as compared to
year 2015 in total generation. In the year 2013to 2016 the
installations are increased by 36,023MW to 54,642MW.
More than half of all new wind power was added outside
Europe & North America which was mainly driven in India
and China. In 2015,145 GW of wind power capacity had been
installed by China, but in 2016 China installed the half of the
world wind power [4-6].
Wind energy is classified as a green source of energy since its
production does not involve emission of dangerous fumes like
fossil fuels. Although the manufacturing, transportation, and
installation of wind turbines contribute to global warming
gradually, the generation of electricity itself doesn’t contribute
to the emission of greenhouse gasses in any way. This makes
it a perfect energy source for the environment and humans[7].
This paper categorizes into seven sections; section II describe
about the wind turbine and basic structure. Section III to VII
describes different types of generator along with their merits
and demerits. Finally in section VIII the paper is concluded
with the most important generator on the basis of performance
features.
 II. WIND TURBINE
Wind energy or power can be defined as the process in which
the wind is used to generate electrical power or mechanical
power.
Wind turbines are used to convert wind’s kinetic energy into
mechanical power and this mechanical power is further used
to rotate the rotor of the generator to produce electrical energy.
All types of machines uses turbines, from hydroelectric power
plant to jet engines.
Fig 1: general structure of wind energy generation
Hence a wind turbine works just opposite to the fan. So a
machine which spins around in a moving fluid and catches and
some energy passing through it (or nearly) is called as a
turbine. Similar to the wings of a plane, the blades of a turbine
are designed. These turbine blades collect the wind and when
comes in contact with air starts to rotate. Larger the blade size
the more energy a turbine will produce. The energy in wind is
directly proportional to cube of speed[8].
Components
Rotor: It consists of nearly 20% of turbine cost and also
contain blades for converting wind energy into turbine
rotational energy.
Generator: It consists nearly 34%of turbine cost, and includes
an electrical generator, a gear box, control electronics, also
contains an adjustable speed drive.
Design and Construction
Wind must blow towards the turbine rotor. The rotor captures
some of the kinetic energy of the wind and turns the shaft. In
large turbines the blades are pivoted on the hub at the front so
that they meet the wind at the best angle to harvest energy.
This is called the pitch control mechanism. The generator
present just behind the gearbox takes kinetic energy of the
drive shaft which is spinning and turns it into electrical
energy. Anemometer and wind vanes measure the wind speed
and direction. A step up transformer is used to convert the
electricity up to 50 times higher voltage so as to transmit
electricity efficiently. Hence finally the electricity approaches
to home safely by travelling through different substation.
III. DIFFERENCE FREQUENCY GENERATOR(DFG)
DFG is like AC generator, as it has extra feature due to which
it runs at the speed is lightly above or below their natural
synchronous speed. As wind speed changed abruptly due
which it is useful in large variable speed in wind turbines. As
synchronous generator is locked to power grid so when bust of
wind hits the wind turbine, then blades try to move at high
speed but they can’t speed up. Due to this heavy force acts on
the gear box, generator as a power grid pushes back and due to
this reason wear and tear occur in the mechanism of the wind
turbine. Here the wind can be converted into useful electricity
when the turbine is acceptable to speed up immediately, when
the bust of wind hits the turbine.
Another way to vary wind turbine speed is to accept the
whatever frequency the generator produces, then change it by
using inverter into desirable output frequency in which
generator is converted into first DC and then into AC. In
doubly fed, in the armature winding two three-phase windings
are placed in which one winding is stationary and other one is
rotating and both are individually connected to equipment
outside the generator. As at desire frequency, one winding
which is directly connected to output that generates three-
phase AC power and at variable frequency the other winding
is connected to three-phase AC power. To compensate the
variation in speed of turbine, the input power is attuned in
frequency and phase [9-11].
IV. DOUBLY FED INDUCTION GENERATOR
(DFIG)
A DFIG is widely used in wind turbine for power generation.
In DFIG, by using slip ring the rotor winding in connected to
grid. The rotor and the grid current is controlled by back-to-
back voltage source converter. Due to which rotor frequency
varies from grid frequency (50-60). It is also possible to adjust
the reactive power by using converter which is fed to the grid
from the stator.
Fig 2: Block diagram of DFIG
The rotor of doubly fed generator are wound two to three
times the number of the stator turn. This implies that the rotor
current will be lower and voltage will be higher. The rated
current of rotor is get lower, at usual ±30% of the operational
speed ranges about the synchronous speed due to this the cost
of converter is get lower. The main disadvantage due to higher
rated rotor voltage is controlled operation become impossible
outside the operational range [12-15].
Advantages:
A doubly-fed induction machine is a wound-rotor doubly-fed
electric machine and has several advantages over a
conventional induction machine in wind power applications.
1) Power electronic converter controlled the rotor circuit, the
reactive and active power can be export and import by the
induction generator.
2) As wind turbines speed varies, the control of the rotor
voltages and current allows the induction machine to remain
synchronized with the grid.
3) A variable speed wind turbines use efficient use of wind
resources.
4) The low cost of convertors are available.
5) It has wide range of speed, may reach to 30%of
synchronous speed.
6) It also helps in compensating the reactive power which
provides smooth integration.
Disadvantages:
1) For WTs based on DFIGs, gearboxes are still a necessity
since a multiple pole DFIG with lows peed is not yet
technically available [20].
2) Difficulties associated in complying with grid fault ride-
through [21, 22].
3) Due to bearings and gear faults, it has medium reliability
and less durability.
V. SQUARREL-CAGE INDUCTION GENERATOR
(SCIG)
The construction of induction generator is mainly based on
squirrel-cage induction motor type machine. As they are
economical, reliable and available in different ranges of
electrical sizes like from fractional horse power to multi-
megawatt capacities. This feature allows them used in both
commercial and domestic renewable wind power applications.
At variable wind speed, the induction generator is directly able
to connected with the utility grid and directly driven by the
turbine rotor blades. To maintain economy and consistency,
many wind power turbines uses induction motor as the
generator which is driven through gearbox, which increases
the rotational speed, performance and efficiency of wind
power.
As induction machine rotates above the synchronous speed,
then used as a generator. So, at no load, when induction
generator rotates faster than its normal operating speed, then
its produces AC electricity, just because utility grid is used to
synchronized the induction generator. So, there is no need of
inverters or rectifiers to produces electricity at same frequency
and voltage.
Fig 3: block diagram of SCIG
However, the main utility grid can directly get essential power
from the induction generator, but its supply also require
reactive power which is provided by the utility grid. In an
induction generator, off-grid operation is also possible but
there is requirement of the additional capacitor which is
connected to the winding of the generator for self- excitation.
In SCIG, a gearbox is used to operate the minimum ranges of
wind speed. As the only speed changes in the SCIG is due to
changes in rotor slip, in other cases speed variations is very
small. Due to this reason it considered as the fixed-speed
drive. This was the basis of design for the first Danish WT.
SCIG may be used as variable-speed wind energy generation
in some cases with the use power electronic convertors [20-
22]. Overloading occurs in generator, if there is more power
extracted from wind. So, pitch angle regulation is required to
attain the optimal power extraction from wind [16-18].
VI. OFF-GRID INDUCTION GENERATOR
To generate electricity, the stator need to be magnetized from
the utility grid, off-grid induction generator can be run by
supplying required out-of phase magnetizing current from the
excitation capacitors which is connected across the stator
terminals of machine. To start the turbine there is also
requirement of the residual magnetism in the rotor iron
laminations. Circuit diagram is shown below of three phase
squirrel-cage induction machine. Star connection is given to
excitation capacitors and triangular (delta) arrangement can
also be connected [19-20].
Capacitor Start Induction Generator
The excitation capacitor is used to supply the reactive power
for the excitation and also know as standard motor-starting
capacitors. The rotational speed, the turbine load, and the
capacitance is affected by the generator output frequency and
voltage, when it is self-excited mode.

Fig 2: Block diagram of capacitor start induction generator
Then self-excitation to be happen, the value of capacitance
used across the stator windings requires minimum rotational
speed.
The “Self-excited induction generator”, (SEIG) is considered
best way to generate the electric generation in remote areas
and variable wind speed, as it do not require the external
power supply to generate the magnetic field. Variable speed
single-phase induction generator can be converted from three-
phase induction generator by connecting two excitation
capacitance across the three phase winding as shown in figure
[22].
Advantages:
1) Machine is mechanical simple and has robust construction.
2) SCIG requires no brushes for operation.
3) Metallic rotor bars has good resistant to resistant vibrations
and dirt.
4) For variable speed operations, it is completely decoupled
from the grid for variable speed operations.
5) SCIG based WT have the advantage of avoiding short
circuit power from the grid because the control system limits
any fault current from the grid side convertor going into the
system [17].
Disadvantages:
1) For Operation, two full scale converters are required.
2) It does not have the benefit of using reduced size power
converters, for variable speed operation.
3) It can’t be use as a multi-pole direct drive mode (gearless).
VII. PERMANENT MAGNET SYNCHRONOUS
GENERATOR
As high speed multiple stage gearboxes (1:100), medium-
speed single-stage gearboxes (1:10) are essential to couple
turbine rotor blade( running slowly) to the generator like the
DFIG and the SCIG. Gearboxes are not required by direct
driven generator and the PSMG is one of this. Today’s the
WTs high speed multiple stage gearboxes has expected design
life of 20 years by manufactures but in reality they requires
replacement in 5 to 7 years from the beginning of the
operation, due to which they are proven to be less reliable.
Critical issues are faced by the on-shore base wind turbines,
due to which off-shore installation is, prefer more. So,
manufacturing companies have started making W.T for this
type of generator used in off-shore installation [18-19].
Advantages:
1) Maintenance cost is lesser as nonappearance of the
gearboxes.
2) Reliability and durability are enhanced with removal of
gears. [15],
3) The system is light weight
4) Both efficiency and energy yield are high.
Disadvantages:
1) High cost is required.
2) Direct-drive PMSG has outer diameter almost twice the size
of gear-sized SCIG.
3) As it being a new technology, development is low.
4) Increased mass and weight that can reach to critical
proportions especially for WT above 3MW [20].
VIII. CONCLUSION
This paper reviewed different types of electric generators used
in Wind energy system. The operation with Variable speed is
quiet efficient and deliver more power. On comparing
different generators, the main feature of the DFIG is its ability
to produce high quality output because of its 30% generated
power go through power converter. This will reduce both cost
and number of power electronics complex converters of the
system. However the problem of large peak currents during
grid related faults affect the DFIG performance. The SCIG is
unaffected with this grid short circuit problem due to full-scale
power converter that fully disconnects the SCIG from the grid.
The problem of reliability due to gear box is solved through
the direct-drive called PMSG wind generator systems with a
demerit of large size. However the problem of size is not an
issue for offshore wind energy generation. Hence it is
concluded that different generators are employed in different
situations. The choice of appropriate generator is based on
their merits and demerits discussed in this paper.
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