Pitch Actuator Fault-Tolerant Control of Wind Turbines via an L₁ Adaptive Sliding Mode Control (SMC) Scheme

Effective fault identification and management are critical for efficient wind turbine operation. This research presents a novel ${\mathcal{L}}_1$ adaptive-$\mathcal{SMC}$ system designed to enhance fault tolerance in wind turbines, specifically addressing common issues such as pump wear, hydraulic leakage, and excessive air content in the oil. By combining $\mathcal{SMC}$ with ${\mathcal{L}}_1$ adaptive control, the proposed technique effectively controls rotor speed and power, ensuring reliable performance under various conditions. The controller employs an adjustable gain and an integrated sliding surface to maintain robustness. We validate the controller’s performance in the FAST (Fatigue, Aerodynamics, Structures, and Turbulence) simulation environment using a 5-megawatt wind turbine under high wind speeds. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed ${\mathcal{L}}_1$ adaptive-$\mathcal{SMC}$ outperforms traditional adaptive-$\mathcal{SMC}$ and adaptive control schemes, particularly in the presence of faults, unknown disturbances, and turbulent wind fields. This research highlights the controller’s potential to significantly improve the reliability and efficiency of wind turbine operations.