Cascade Control of the Ground Station Module of an Airborne Wind Energy System

An airborne wind energy system (AWES) can harvest stronger streams at higher altitudes which are not accessible to conventional turbines. The operation of AWES requires a controller for the tethered aircraft/kite module (KM), as well ground station (GSM). literature regarding control mostly focuses on trajectory tracking KM. However, an advanced GSM is also key successful AWES. In this paper we propose cascaded strategy during traction or power generation phase. comprises winch and three-phase induction machine (IM), acts generator. outer control-loop, integral sliding mode (SMC) algorithm designed keep velocity prescribed level. A detailed stability analysis presented existence SMC perturbed system. rotor flux-based field oriented (RFOC) IM constitutes inner control-loop. Due sophisticated RFOC, decoupled instantaneous torque flux made possible using decentralized proportional (PI) controllers. unknown states required design RFOC estimated discrete time Kalman filter (DKF), based quasi-linear model IM. integrated with already developed KM, simulated MATLAB Simulink. simulation study shows that exhibits appropriate performance even in presence gusts, account external disturbance.