Nonlinear observer with reduced sensors for WECS involving Vienna rectifiers — Theoretical design and experimental evaluation

This paper presents a novel sensorless high-gain observer for wind energy conversion systems (WECS) incorporating Vienna rectifiers. Vienna rectifiers offer several advantages for WECS, including improved efficiency and signal quality. The main contribution of this study is the design of a high-gain observer that provides online estimates of magnetic and mechanical variables, such as rotor speed and load torque, based solely on electrical parameters. Addressing the challenges posed by the nonlinearity and relatively high dimensionality of the system dynamics, the proposed observer’s effectiveness is demonstrated through simulations and theoretical analysis. Furthermore, experimental validation using the RTDS (Real-Time Digital Simulator) platform further confirms the performance and reliability of the observer. •Observability analysis.•Online Estimation of Magnetic and Mechanical Variables.•Sensorless control of WECS involve a Vienna rectifier.•Experimental Validation: RTDS (Real-Time Digital Simulator).