WES18 Technical
The WES18 is a durable and reliable midsize wind
turbine that requires little maintenance and has a long life
expectancy. The robust mechanical design of the turbine dates back to
1983. The electrical part (power conversion and control) has been fully
upgraded since 2005 with the newest technology available. Key to the
successful WES18 design is the well balanced combination of technology
with specific characteristics:
• Two bladed rotor with passive pitch
• A-synchronous generator
• IGBT converter
The
WES18 does not need motors and/or computers driving the pitching or
flapping angle of the rotor blades. In the WES18 all blade angle and
pitch adjustments are handled by a 100% mechanical control mechanism
that uses proven spring and suspension technology. As a result the
position of the WES18 rotor blades is constantly optimized for the
actual wind conditions. This is preferable, since wind is not constant
not even on heights. The flapping technology of the blades reduces
significantly the loads on the whole system of blades, rotor and
gearbox, reducing the wear and tear to a minimum. The system works a
bit like the springs and suspension in an car. Regardless of the road
conditions, the springs and suspension make sure contact between a car
and road is optimal.
The only electromotor in the nacelle of the
WES18 is the yaw motor. The yaw motor will steer the nacelle in the
wind for maximum performance or steer the nacelle 120 degrees out of
the wind ( parking position ) when the system is stopped.
The
WES18 generates electricity using an a-synchronous generator, the
electricity is passed on to the grid through an IGBT converter. As a
result, even short fluctuations in wind speed are used to generate
electricity. At all times the WES18 controls what frequency is offered
to the grid. The WES18 is designed to deliver its electrical energy to
any ( weak ) grid and can even improve the power factor of the local grid.
Overall the
WES18 is a high performance, robust and reliable wind turbine that uses
fluctuations in wind speed to produce even more electricity .The WES18 has a
mechanical design that reduces significantly forces and loads to tower,
bearings, gearbox, rotor and blades. Because of this the WES18 has a
long life expectancy and needs little and simple maintenance.
The
combination of successful mechanical design and state of the art IGBT
technology make the WES18 a high performance and extremely stable
platform that outperforms any other turbine in this class. |
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Two bladed rotor with passive pitch. |
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A-synchronous generator ABB. |
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IGBT converters.
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