Maximum power point tracking of a wind farm using stabilizing extremum seeking — A performance and robustness analysis

This work investigates the use of extremum seeking control techniques for wind farm maximum power point tracking under uncertain and disturbed operating conditions. The study evaluates the robustness of extremum-seeking strategies when applied to a representative wind farm layout inspired by a Belgian project. This efficient control strategy maximizes energy production without requiring an explicit physical model of the system by regulating the axial induction factors of the wind turbines to mitigate wake-induced losses. Classical and stabilizing extremum-seeking strategies are challenged to demonstrate the feasibility of maximum power point tracking within an extremum-seeking control framework. While both achieve satisfactory performance in dynamical and noise-free scenarios, only the stabilizing extremum-seeking technique exhibits robust performance in the presence of unexpected actuator dynamics and wind turbulence.