Reactive power capability curve of brushless doubly fed reluctance generator

For higher generation of electricity from wind, efficient and cost-effective generators are being developed. Brushless doubly fed reluctance generator with a partially rated converter is one of the promising generators for wind power applications especially for offshore plants. All grid connected wind generators must comply with local grid codes and the prime requirement is reactive power capability. The capabilities of brushless doubly fed reluctance generator need to be investigated under grid connected operation. Therefore, a 2 kW laboratory prototype of this machine is optimally designed and constructed to study generator operation and reactive power capability. This article discusses the development of capability curve for brushless doubly fed reluctance generator from the well-known machine equations in d-q frame. The capability curves of this machine is also obtained from experimental investigations carried out on the 2 kW prototype. The results show that capability curve of brushless doubly fed reluctance generator looks to be 'V' shaped and suitable for wind generator applications.