Comparison between Different Electrical Energy Generation Systems Used in Wind Turbines

Nowadays, more attention has been paid to the application of wind turbines in electrical energy generation systems. Different electromechanical models have been so farsuggested for wind energy extraction; they are mainly classified into constant speed and variable speed groups. Variable speed systems are preferred due to their lower torque ripples, higher extracted wind energy and higher efficiency. However, the cost of these systems is higher than that of theconstant speed systems. The reason is the use of power electronics converters and control systems. In this paper theavailable wind generator systems are reviewed and their overall performance is compared.