|
Latest Issue
 |
- Category: Articles
A Constant Response to the Grid Code Jungle
With an ever greater share of electricity produced by wind power, the behaviour of wind turbines during grid faults is of critical importance. An increasing number of international grid code specifications require wind turbines to be able to ride through all types of grid faults. Fault ride-through capabilities have come as a result of the large increase in installed wind capacity that feeds into transmission systems, making it necessary for wind generation to stay operational in the event of a network fault. The ultimate objective is to have a wind turbine behave like a conventional power plant. In this article, Lasse Kankainen from The Switch discusses grid codes and fault ride-through requirements in general, and the testing of the company’s full-power converter (FPC) technology.
By Lasse Kankainen, R&D Engineer, The Switch, Finland
With an ever greater share of electricity produced by wind power, the behaviour of wind turbines during grid faults is of critical importance. An increasing number of international grid code specifications require wind turbines to be able to ride through all types of grid faults. Fault ride-through capabilities have come as a result of the large increase in installed wind capacity that feeds into transmission systems, making it necessary for wind generation to stay operational in the event of a network fault. The ultimate objective is to have a wind turbine behave like a conventional power plant. In this article, Lasse Kankainen from The Switch discusses grid codes and fault ride-through requirements in general, and the testing of the company’s full-power converter (FPC) technology.
By Lasse Kankainen, R&D Engineer, The Switch, Finland
- Category: Articles
A New Approach to Deicing Wind Turbines from Base to Blade Tip
When icing brings down a grandmother, a power line or a plane, nobody wants to talk about it because it’s always somebody’s fault. The same is true when icing slows or shuts down a wind turbine. At least no one gets hurt physically, but it still costs lots of money. There is a cold little secret in the world of wind power; turbine blade icing is a problem. I’m new around here, so my evidence is anecdotal. His clues are described in the article in our January/February 2011 issue on page 6.
By Cliff Lyon, Director Corporate Development, IceCode LLC, USA
When icing brings down a grandmother, a power line or a plane, nobody wants to talk about it because it’s always somebody’s fault. The same is true when icing slows or shuts down a wind turbine. At least no one gets hurt physically, but it still costs lots of money. There is a cold little secret in the world of wind power; turbine blade icing is a problem. I’m new around here, so my evidence is anecdotal. His clues are described in the article in our January/February 2011 issue on page 6.By Cliff Lyon, Director Corporate Development, IceCode LLC, USA
- Category: Articles
Superconductor ‘SeaTitan’ Wind Turbines Represent Quantum Leap in Offshore Wind Power Market
Among the greatest challenges to developing larger wind turbines have been the practical size and weight limitations of the wind turbine generator. The power density advantage of superconductors, however, is now being applied to wind turbine generators to maximise the ‘power per tower’ of multi-megawatt turbines, while at the same time overcoming size and weight barriers – and reducing overall project costs. Utilising superconductor direct drive generators, SeaTitan wind turbines are being designed to produce 10MW or more of power, which would make them the world’s largest and most powerful wind turbines.
By Martin Fischer, Vice President of American Superconductor, General Manager of AMSC Windtec
Among the greatest challenges to developing larger wind turbines have been the practical size and weight limitations of the wind turbine generator. The power density advantage of superconductors, however, is now being applied to wind turbine generators to maximise the ‘power per tower’ of multi-megawatt turbines, while at the same time overcoming size and weight barriers – and reducing overall project costs. Utilising superconductor direct drive generators, SeaTitan wind turbines are being designed to produce 10MW or more of power, which would make them the world’s largest and most powerful wind turbines.By Martin Fischer, Vice President of American Superconductor, General Manager of AMSC Windtec
- Category: Articles
Tethered Wing Outfitted with Turbines to Harvest Wind Energy
The Makani airborne wind turbine (AWT) converts wind energy into electricity using a tethered wing outfitted with turbines. Like the tip of a conventional wind turbine blade, the wing flies across the sky at many times the speed of the wind. Power is extracted by the wing-mounted turbines and transmitted to the ground through an electrically conductive tether. As the wing is not constrained to rotate about a hub, it can fly at a higher altitude where the wind is stronger and more consistent. This results in a system that can deliver twice the energy of a conventional turbine of equal power rating. Furthermore, due to its low wind performance, the wind regimes in which Makani’s AWT can be economically deployed occur in all 50 states and over 80% of US land area, compared to only 15% for conventional turbines.
The Makani airborne wind turbine (AWT) converts wind energy into electricity using a tethered wing outfitted with turbines. Like the tip of a conventional wind turbine blade, the wing flies across the sky at many times the speed of the wind. Power is extracted by the wing-mounted turbines and transmitted to the ground through an electrically conductive tether. As the wing is not constrained to rotate about a hub, it can fly at a higher altitude where the wind is stronger and more consistent. This results in a system that can deliver twice the energy of a conventional turbine of equal power rating. Furthermore, due to its low wind performance, the wind regimes in which Makani’s AWT can be economically deployed occur in all 50 states and over 80% of US land area, compared to only 15% for conventional turbines.
By Corwin Hardham, Makani Power, USA
- Category: Articles
A Review of the Status and Risks of Floating Wind Turbine Technology
The floating wind turbine platforms (FWTP) industry is at an early and exciting stage. There are a number of emerging designs and a mix of platform and wind turbine types. It is also encouraging to see high levels of collaboration, with many companies working alongside bodies such as the Energy Technologies Institute, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, NOWITECH, Risø and the University of Maine. This article is a summary of a major report conducted by the author, which provides an up-to-date review of the FWTP industry and its principle technical risks.
By Charles Briggs, Renewable Energy Consultant, SgurrEnergy, UK
The floating wind turbine platforms (FWTP) industry is at an early and exciting stage. There are a number of emerging designs and a mix of platform and wind turbine types. It is also encouraging to see high levels of collaboration, with many companies working alongside bodies such as the Energy Technologies Institute, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, NOWITECH, Risø and the University of Maine. This article is a summary of a major report conducted by the author, which provides an up-to-date review of the FWTP industry and its principle technical risks. By Charles Briggs, Renewable Energy Consultant, SgurrEnergy, UK
- Category: Articles
Enerpac Solutions for Levelling Offshore Wind Turbine Foundations
The ever-increasing size of offshore wind turbine installations demands innovative and cost-effective foundation construction. Whether monopiles, tripiles or jackets, accurate foundation levelling is critical to the functionality and longevity of an offshore wind turbine. Recent offshore foundation problems have increased the focus on this aspect of the design and construction process, resulting in the urgent need for positional accuracy and verification requirements. Enerpac’s synchronous lifting, weighing and levelling system delivers a comprehensive cost-saving solution for this task.
By Marcel Birkhoff, Enerpac, The Netherlands
The ever-increasing size of offshore wind turbine installations demands innovative and cost-effective foundation construction. Whether monopiles, tripiles or jackets, accurate foundation levelling is critical to the functionality and longevity of an offshore wind turbine. Recent offshore foundation problems have increased the focus on this aspect of the design and construction process, resulting in the urgent need for positional accuracy and verification requirements. Enerpac’s synchronous lifting, weighing and levelling system delivers a comprehensive cost-saving solution for this task.By Marcel Birkhoff, Enerpac, The Netherlands
- Category: Articles
See the Wind, Measure the Power
It has been six years since the first issue of Windtech International, which featured the public release of a revolutionary and groundbreaking new technology – lidar. Today, we look back over those six years to see how the technology has fared and what the future holds. Remote sensing methods for measuring wind characteristics, such as lidar, are fast becoming widely adopted across the wind industry. By obtaining accurate wind profiles for wind resource assessment across a wider range of measurement heights than masts, such methods offer a potential for reducing both total project costs and data uncertainty risks.
By Ian Locker, Managing Director, ZephIR, and Alex Woodward, Product Development Manager, Natural Power
It has been six years since the first issue of Windtech International, which featured the public release of a revolutionary and groundbreaking new technology – lidar. Today, we look back over those six years to see how the technology has fared and what the future holds. Remote sensing methods for measuring wind characteristics, such as lidar, are fast becoming widely adopted across the wind industry. By obtaining accurate wind profiles for wind resource assessment across a wider range of measurement heights than masts, such methods offer a potential for reducing both total project costs and data uncertainty risks.By Ian Locker, Managing Director, ZephIR, and Alex Woodward, Product Development Manager, Natural Power
Stay informed with Windtech International! Sign up here for our free newsletters
| Turbine Shots
brought to you by
 |
 |
| #51 Senvion MM92 wind turbine installed in Serra do Caramulo, Portugal (courtesy Pedro Matos) |
| Every week on our website and in our email newsletter we want to show you that wind energy is more than just technology. We therefore invite you to send stunning pictures of wind turbines inspired by “light” (in the broadest sense of the word). After 52 submissions we will announce the winner of the year’s best picture! Email your photo to Include turbine model, location and name of photographer. (size of the published photo will be 336 px width x 280 px high). |
|
 Check our Instagram to see all published pictures |
Use of cookies
Windtech International wants to make your visit to our website as pleasant as possible. That is why we place cookies on your computer that remember your preferences. With anonymous information about your site use you also help us to improve the website. Of course we will ask for your permission first. Click Accept to use all functions of the Windtech International website.