Wind Turbines
General Information
- Description
- Competence
- Technology
- Service
Competence in all phases of wind power projects
More than 30 years of wind power experience
Since 1980, the focus has been on developing competitive wind turbines. From the first 22-kW wind turbine up to the MW range turbines of today, the products have helped harnessing the power of wind.
Secure development requires specialist knowledge, and no other wind turbine manufacturer can match the specialist knowledge of Siemens Wind Power. Based on more than 30 years of continuous presence in the wind industry, we offer the best-skilled management and engineering staff – and the designs of any new product combine the accumulated experience of all the previous turbines with the latest advances in the fields of aerodynamics, structural dynamics, noise reduction and grid performance. The result is a reputation for high quality, logical and solid design and creative details that was founded with the first 22-kW turbines of 1980 and has continuously been increased since then. A reputation that is well-deserved by the MW range "workhorses" of today.The most important resource of Siemens Wind Power is undoubtedly the more than 8,000 employees - their experience, technical know-how and enthusiasm. An experienced management team vouches for continuity and confidence. We offer a unique mix of experience and innovation, wisdom and vision. A mix that makes Siemens Wind Power a reliable supplier and a dependable partner.
High-quality project management
The large-scale wind power plants developed in recent years require significant project management know-how in order to be completed successfully. Siemens has extensive experience in this field and has, by the timely completion of hundreds of wind power plants, including the challenging offshore wind power plants, proven itself as a competent supplier of large, complicated projects.
Visual Optimization
Siemens Rotor Sync is an add-on feature to the Siemens Park Controller (SPC), which performs the regulation of turbines at wind farm level. The most important functions of the SPC are power control and voltage control. With the introduction of Siemens Rotor Sync, the SPC can now also utilize information about the rotation speed and rotor angle position of the individual turbines. Based on this input, each turbine’s rotation speed is adjusted to reach a state of synchronous rotation in order to create an atmosphere of elegance and harmony.
As Siemens wind turbines on an average basis are running with the same rotor speed from 7-8 m/s and above, only small adjustments to the speed reference is needed to keep the turbines in sync. The small adjustments are insignificant with respect to loads and power production. If synchronization is required at lower wind speeds, small reductions in energy output will occur, but such reductions are normally marginal compared with the total energy output.
A demonstration video of a synchronous wind farm versus a non-synchronous farm can be seen here.
Blades
IntegralBlade® - A key technology unique to the wind industry
All blades for Siemens wind turbine platforms with power ratings from 1.3 to 6.0 MW, and rotor diameters from 62 to 154 meters, are manufactured using the patented IntegralBlade® technology. The blades are made from fiberglass-reinforced epoxy resin, and their external design represents state-of-the-art wind turbine aerodynamics.
The IntegralBlade® technology invented by Siemens Wind Power allows the manufacture of single-piece wind turbine blades in a closed process. The fiberglass reinforcement is laid out to dry using a special molding arrangement with a closed outer mold and an expanding inner mold.
After completion of the fiberglass lamination process, the epoxy resin is injected under vacuum conditions. Then the blade, which is still enclosed in the mold, is hardened at high temperature. Finally, the blade is removed from the outer mold after the epoxy resin has hardened. The inner mold is collapsed with a vacuum and pulled from the blade. The result is a complete, seamless blade finished in a single process. A truly integrated success.
Lightning Protection System
Shielding wind turbines against lightning
Protecting the entire wind turbine, the Siemens lightning protection system has helped avoid lightning strike related failures for decades.
The Siemens lightning protection system is designed to help protect wind turbines from the effects of direct and nearby strikes. Based on more than 30 years of wind power experience, the Siemens lightning protection system has shown excellent performance in wind turbine applications all over the world.
The lightning protection system is designed to help protect against lightning strikes in several ways. All main components including the nacelle, blades, controller and tower have extensive lightning protection integrated into their design.
Aeroelastically tailored blade
The energy output of a wind turbine is dependent on the rotor size. With larger rotor sizes, higher production can be obtained. However, a bigger rotor traditionally increases the loads on the wind turbine, which calls for larger and heavier structural components. Siemens new aeroelastically tailored blade changes that.
The newly developed blade design couples controlled torsional twisting of the blade with aerodynamic loading. This ultimately provides improved performance at low wind speeds due to the larger rotor, and optimal load characteristics at all wind speeds.
The secret behind the aeroelastically tailored blade is to be found in the intelligent design work, which added a bend-twist-coupling within the blade, resulting in the blade reducing the loads on the turbine.
The new blade will instantly adjust the blade’s angle of attack created by wind gusts. This minimizes the stress on the turbine, whereas the pitch and turbine control system handles the slower variations in the wind speed for optimal operation. These properties represent major advances in blade performance and design.
High Wind Ride Through
The Siemens High Wind Ride Through application allows a wind turbine to operate at some storm-level wind speeds and is a breakthrough in stabilizing energy output.
High Wind Ride Through is an intelligent solution for both onshore and offshore wind turbines that enables more stable energy production.
When the wind speed is higher than 25 meters per second, wind turbines typically shut down in order to avoid overload due to extreme loads. Equipped with High Wind Ride Through, the wind turbine will gradually reduce power output instead of shutting down completely. This results in a more stable power output at high wind speeds.
As a result, the operating range of the wind turbine at high wind speeds is extended, while remaining load neutral. The wind turbine becomes more grid-friendly, as the amount of energy fed into the grid becomes more stable and predictable.
Bolted Steel Shell Tower
Higher towers significantly increase the energy yield of a wind turbine generator on sites with a high wind shear. At the same time, they pose considerable challenges in terms of transportability and costs. Siemens offers an innovative and economically viable tower concept to allow its wind turbines reach heights above 100 m.
The Bolted Steel Shell Tower consists of multiple tower sections, mounted on top of each other. Each section is made out of steel shells which are assembled together on site.
The steel shells are produced from bended steel plates and can be transported to site with standard trucks. They are bolted together with HRC (tension-controlled) bolts to form a tower section. The modular space concept of the Bolted Steel Shell Tower allows for very high hub heights (in excess of 140 m) with very low transportation requirements.
Turbine Load Control 2.0 (TLC®)
Siemens Turbine Load Control 2.0 (TLC®) actively controls the wind turbine loading based on real time operating conditions to maximize the annual energy production over the life of the wind power plant.
TLC® is an intelligent turbine control system which dynamically controls the wind turbine based on real time wind conditions allowing it to operate with only marginal or moderate reduction in power output in high load conditions.
When Siemens wind turbines are equipped with TLC®, some projects can utilize larger rotor diameters and help maximize the annual energy production without exceeding loads, and without the grid instability introduced by traditional sector management systems.
With traditional sector management, wind turbines will typically shut down at predefined conditions, such as occasional strong wind from certain directions. TLC® intelligently alters the control settings in accordance with the wind conditions and keeps the wind turbines in operation while remaining load neutral.
A reliable product and a well-run service organization help to ensure that wind turbines are a good investment. In addition to their strong and reliable basic construction, all Siemens turbines are accompanied by a comprehensive guarantee. This ensures that the customers know that their turbine will provide the best possible operational reliability both during the guarantee period and beyond.
Wind Turbine SWT-3.0-101
- Description
- Technical Specification
General
The SWT-3.0-101 is designed to cope with the highest of wind speeds and the roughest turbulence. Extreme wind conditions place tremendous loads on a turbine. The SWT-3.0-101 is built to deliver reliable performance under the world’s harshest operating conditions.
The SWT-3.0-101 utilizes the same rotor as Siemens’ SWT-2.3-101 geared machine. Through the application of proven components, Siemens balances innovation with security of investment.
Rotor
The SWT-3.0-101 rotor is a three-bladed cantilevered construction, mounted upwind of the tower. The power output is controlled by pitch regulation. The rotor speed is variable and is designed to maximize the aerodynamic efficiency.
Blades
The B49 blades are made of fiberglass-reinforced epoxy in Siemens’ proprietary IntegralBlade® manufacturing process. In this process the blades are cast in one piece to eliminate weaker areas at glue joints. The blades are mounted on pitch bearings and can be feathered 80 degrees for shutdown purposes. Each blade has its own independent pitching mechanism capable of feathering the blade under any operating condition. The blade pitch arrangement allows for optimization of the power output throughout the operating range, and the blades are feathered during standstill to minimize wind loads.
Rotor Hub
The rotor hub is cast in nodular cast iron and is fitted to the generator rotor with a flange connection. The hub is sufficiently large to provide a comfortable working environment for service technicians during maintenance of blade roots and pitch bearings from inside the structure.
Main Shaft
A cast, hollow and fixed main shaft ensures a comfortable internal access from the canopy to the hub.
Main Bearing
The rotating parts of the wind turbine are supported by a single, double-tapered roller bearing. The bearing is grease lubricated.
Generator
The generator is a fully enclosed synchronous generator with permanent magnet excitation. The generator rotor construction and stator winding are designed for high efficiency at partial loads. The generator is positioned between the tower and the hub producing a comfortably lean arrangement of the internals in the nacelle.
Mechanical Brake
The mechanical brake is fitted to the non-drive end of the generator rotor and has three hydraulic calipers.
Yaw System
A cast bed frame connects the shaft to the tower. The yaw bearing is an externally geared ring with a friction bearing. A series of electric planetary gear motors drives the yawing.
Canopy
The weather screen and housing around the machinery in the nacelle is made of fiberglass-reinforced laminated panels with multiple fire-protecting properties. The design implies fully integrated lightning and EMC protection.
Tower
The SWT-3.0-101 wind turbine is mounted on a tapered tubular steel tower. The tower has internal ascent and direct access to the yaw system and nacelle. It is equipped with platforms and internal electric lighting.
Controller
The wind turbine controller is a microprocessor-based industrial controller. The controller is complete with switchgear and protection devices. It is self-diagnosing and has a keyboard and display for easy readout of status and for adjustment of settings.
The NetConverter® power conversion system allows generator operation at variable speed, frequency and voltage while supplying power at constant frequency and voltage to the MV transformer. The power conversion system is a modular arrangement for easy maintenance and is water cooled.
SCADA
The SWT-3.0-101 wind turbine is equipped with the Siemens WebWPS SCADA system. This system offers remote control and a variety of status views and useful reports from a standard internet web browser. The status views present information including electrical and mechanical data, operation and fault status, meteorological data and grid station data.
Turbine Condition Monitoring
In addition to the Siemens WebWPS SCADA system, the SWT-3.0-101 wind turbine is equipped with the unique Siemens TCM condition monitoring system. This system monitors the vibration level of the main components and compares the actual vibration spectra with a set of established reference spectra. Result review, detailed analysis and reprogramming can all be carried out using a standard web browser.
Operation Systems
The wind turbine operates automatically. It is self-starting when the wind speed reaches an average about 3 to 5 m/s. The output increases approximately linearly with the wind speed until the wind speed reaches 11 to 12 m/s. At this point, the power is regulated at rated power.
If the average wind speed exceeds the maximum operational limit of 25 m/s, the wind turbine is shut down by feathering of the blades. When the average wind speed drops back below the restart average wind speed, the systems reset automatically.
Rotor
| Type | 3-bladed, horizontal axis |
| Position | Upwind |
| Diameter | 101 m |
| Swept area | 8000 m² |
| Speed range | 6-16 rpm |
| Power regulation | Pitch regulation with variable speed |
| Rotor tilt | 6 degrees |
Blades
| Type | Self-supporting |
| Blade length | 49 m |
| Tip chord | 0.63 m |
| Root chord | 3.4 m |
| Aerodynamic profile | NACA63.xxx, FFAxxx, SWPxxx |
| Material | GRE |
| Surface gloss | Semi-mat, < 30 / ISO2813 |
| Surface colour | Light grey, RAL 7035 |
Aerodynamic Brake
| Type | Full span pitching |
| Activation | Active, hydraulic |
Load-Supporting Parts
| Hub | Nodular cast iron |
| Main shaft | Nodular cast iron |
| Nacelle bed plate | Nodular cast iron |
Mechanical Brake
| Type | Hydraulic disc brake |
| Position | Generator rear end |
| Number of callipers | 3 |
Canopy
| Type | Totally enclosed |
| Surface gloss | Semi-gloss, 25-45 / ISO2813 |
| Colour | Light grey, RAL 7035 |
| Material | Fire retardant GFRP with inlayed EMC shielding |
Generator
| Type | Synchronous, PMG |
| Nominal power | 3000 kW |
Grid Terminals (LV)
| Nominal power | 3000 kW |
| Voltage | 690 V |
| Frequency | 50 Hz or 60 Hz |
Yaw System
| Type | Active |
| Yaw bearing | Externally geared |
| Yaw drive | 8 (optional10) electric gear motors |
| Yaw brake | Passive friction brake |
Controller
| Type | Microprocessor |
| SCADA system | WPS |
| Controller designation | WTC 3.0 |
Tower
| Type | Tubular steel tower |
| Hub height | 74.5 m, 79.5 m, 89.5 m, 94 m, and 99.5 m |
| Corrosion protection | Painted |
| Surface gloss | Semi-gloss, 25-45 / ISO2813 |
| Colour | Light grey, RAL 7035 |
Operational Data
| Cut-in wind speed | 3 m/s |
| Nominal power at | 12-13 m/s |
| Cut-out wind speed | 25 m/s |
| Maximum 3 s gust | 70 m/s (IEC version) |
Weights (approximately)
| Rotor | 60 t |
| Nacelle | 78 t |
| Tower | 73 t |