Hardware-in-the-loop simulation to validate the fractional-order neuro-fuzzy power control of variable-speed dual-rotor wind turbine systems

New and efficient command strategies and algorithms are needed in the field of wind turbine energy generation to ensure power quality according to international standards. However, conventional linear strategies are still used to command doubly-fed induction generators (DFIGs). Thus, inadequate power quality is obtained, which can cause network-level disturbances. This Hardware-in-the loop (HIL) study presents a new command scheme for a DFIG-based dual-rotor wind turbine (DRWT) system. The new command is a combination of a neuro-fuzzy algorithm and fractional-order control that overcomes the declining power quality of the DFIG-DRWT system. The new strategy is based on using pulse width modulation to generate command pulses for the rotor-side converter of DFIG. In the designed command system, the reference value of the active power is determined using maximum power point tracking to provide efficient power conversion performance under different operating conditions. First, MATLAB software is used to implement the fractional-order neuro-fuzzy (FONF) control technique, and the behavior of the proposed strategy is studied in comparison to that of the traditional direct power command (DPC) technique. A comparison is performed in terms of the ripple minimization ratio, durability, overshoot, steady-state error, reference tracking, and current quality. The results of the comparison show the high performance of the FONF technique. Second, the FONF technique is implemented in HIL test using the dSPACE 1104 Card, where two different forms of wind speed are used to study the characteristics of the proposed strategy and confirm its effectiveness and performance in HIL test compared to DPC technique. The experimental results obtained in the two tests confirm the efficiency, effectiveness, and high performance of the proposed FONF technique compared to DPC technique in improving the energy system characteristics, and the simulation obtains the same results.