Current Progress in the Development of a Wind Diesel System for Autonomous Electricity Generation

ABSTRACT Progress towards the development of a wind/diesel system for grid remote electricity generation is described. This work is the result of a collaborative venture, involving Hawker Siddeley Power Plant (HSPP), Imperial College (IC) and the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL), which aims to produce a working system, suitable for commercial development, by the completion of the three year project. Both theoretical and experimental work is being pursued in parallel. An experimental rig, based around HSPP's 16 kW Mistral MP9 wind turbine and 6 kW Nova II diesel generator set, has been assembled on the RAL test site. Experience has so far been gained with the diesel set operating autonomously and the wind turbine running in the grid connected mode. Experimental results are presented in the paper. Theoretical modelling work requires the relevant system parameters to be determined. Details of the techniques adopted for this are described, and preliminary results from both the transient and logistic models are discussed.