Optimal maximum power point tracking strategy based on greater cane rat algorithm for wind energy conversion system.

Area of Science:

• Renewable Energy Systems
• Electrical Engineering
• Computational Intelligence

Background:

• Maximizing power output from wind energy conversion systems (WECS) is crucial with increasing renewable energy adoption.
• Traditional methods like Perturb and Observe (P&O) for maximum power point tracking (MPPT) suffer from imprecision due to fluctuating wind conditions.
• Intelligent optimization techniques are necessary for effective MPPT in WECS.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and evaluate the Greater Cane Rat Algorithm (GCRA), a novel nature-inspired metaheuristic, for MPPT in WECS.
• To compare the performance of GCRA against established methods like P&O, Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), and Gray Wolf Optimization (GWO).
• To demonstrate the capability of GCRA in regulating the boost converter for optimal power extraction without mechanical sensors.

Main Methods:

• The study employed the Greater Cane Rat Algorithm (GCRA), simulating foraging behavior to compute the duty cycle for a DC/DC boost converter.
• The WECS model included a wind turbine, Permanent Magnet Synchronous Generator (PMSG), rectifier, and a load, implemented in MATLAB/SIMULINK.
• Performance was evaluated under various wind velocity profiles: step, realistic, and ramp variations.

Main Results:

• The proposed GCRA strategy achieved a tracking efficiency exceeding 99%, outperforming P&O (95.5%), PSO (94.7%), and GWO (91.4%).
• GCRA demonstrated superior performance in terms of the least error ratio and optimal tracking of the power coefficient ratio.
• The system successfully performed sensorless maximum power tracking, simplifying the WECS design.

Conclusions:

• The Greater Cane Rat Algorithm (GCRA) offers a highly effective and efficient solution for maximum power point tracking in wind energy conversion systems.
• GCRA provides a robust and accurate alternative to conventional MPPT methods, especially under dynamic wind conditions.
• The sensorless tracking capability of GCRA enhances the practicality and performance of WECS.