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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.