Error-Based Active Disturbance Rejection Power Control for Large-Scale Wind Turbines Under Pitch Actuator Performance Degradation Failure

This study addresses the critical challenge of constant power control for large-scale wind energy conversion system under the combined effects of pitch actuator degradation and multiple disturbances. In the paper, a novel fault-tolerant control strategy based on error-based active rejection control (E-ADRC) is proposed. The approach incorporates a composite control architecture, comprising a disturbance rejection tracking loop and a fault-tolerant compensation loop. Within the tracking loop, an enhanced E-ADRC algorithm is suggested which not only retains the robustness and ease of implementation of traditional E-ADRC but also significantly improves the attenuation of low-frequency wind disturbances—the turbine’s primary disruption. The fault-tolerant compensation loop applies independent control signals, derived from pitch angle residuals, to each faulty actuator, mitigating the extra fault disturbances in rotor speed tracking dynamics. This dual-loop structure enables the turbine to restore high-stability power output after a fault. Furthermore, the fault-tolerant compensation mechanism ensures that, even in cases of part of the three actuators failure, the previously misaligned pitch angles are synchronized, effectively suppressing the detrimental aerodynamic imbalance and reducing adverse loads. The superiority of this approach in enhancing power output stability and reducing structure fatigue damage have been validated through a refined hardware-in-the-loop test.