Industry article

Strategies to Extend Wind Turbine Lifecycles

E/E Systems and drivetrains for wind energy - a fateful couple. One cannot exist without the
other and both need to be adapted in such a way as to complement each other and run smoothly! This will
not only ensure high performance, but also make sure that the complete wind turbine will last longer -
even at peak performance! This exclusive industry article takes a closer look at the various strategies and
innovations that are being applied and developed. Read on to find out more on to increase your wind
turbines life-cycle!
A report released earlier this year The Cost Extending Turbine Lifecycles
Reduction Monitoring Framework (CRMF) showed
that the cost of energy from wind farms in UK waters Wind turbines in the past have typically been designed
has dropped by 11% over the last three years. for a service life of 20 years, but the extension of this
lifetime to 25 or even 30 years will have a significant
The report charted cost reduction progress from effect on CoE. However, with the wind industry still
2011 to 2014, and is measured in lifetime costs. It in its infancy, this step-change will be based on new
was delivered by ORE (Offshore ideas and innovation just as much as real-life data
Renewable Energy) Catapult in The demand for ever- and experience.
increasing capacities
collaboration with the Crown made it all the more dif-
Estate, and demonstrated that ficult for designers to gain There are examples of kilowatt-rated onshore turbines
the UK wind industry is on data and experience from that outlasted their 20-year lifecycle from the 1970s
course to meet its target cost of larger-series turbines. to 1990s, but many early turbines were replaced by
100/MWh by 2020. The report increased capacity models before reaching their full
highlights that: lifetime. This demand for ever-increasing capacities
made it all the more difficult for designers to gain
The lifetime cost of energy from offshore wind data and experience from larger-series turbines.
farms has been reduced from 136/MWh in 2011
to 121/MWh for projects moving to construction While the onshore market may have levelled out to
between 2012 and 2014. Crucially, these figures are a degree in terms of capacity the majority of large
measured across the whole lifetime of a project, not onshore turbines are rated in the 1-3MW range
just the 15 years covered by Government strike prices. the offshore market continues to demand larger
The biggest single contribution to cost turbines to meet strict targets for 2020 and beyond.
reduction has been the early adoption of larger, The lifecycle of these turbines, which will be rated
higher rated turbines. from 6MW to 10MW or more, takes on much more
importance in an offshore environment. The initial
A reduction in the cost of energy is the driving factor cost of the turbine makes up approximately just
behind development and innovation both offshore a third of the total capital cost, and with such high
and onshore, and extending the overall operating installation and operation and maintenance costs,
lifecycle of a turbine is a clear way to reduce Cost of it is essential to develop turbine platforms with a
Energy (CoE). longer life expectancy to help reduce the overall CoE
over the entire lifecycle.

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Industry article
Senvion 6.2M152
One such example of an extended lifetime is Senvions
new 6.2M152 offshore turbine, a prototype of which
was commissioned in March 2015 at the onshore test
site in Langen-Neuenwalde in Northern Germany,
The turbine is based on the success of Senvions
6.2M126 model according to the company, the
worlds most powerful commercially mass produced
wind turbine which is already in operation at the
Nordsee Ost Wind Farm. The 111th 6.2M126 turbine
was installed at the site in January 2015, with Senvion
recording the installation of 19 turbines in just ten
weeks.
The 6XM series has been designed specifically for
the offshore environment, and the latest prototype
has an increased rotor diameter of 152 metres. This
increases the swept area by 50% compared to the
previous model making it equivalent to the size
of three football pitches increasing energy yield
by 20% at a wind speed of 9.5m/s. Each turbine will
have a rated power of 6.15MW, enough to power up
to 4,000 homes. Senvion have made a number of
improvements to the turbine platform, including a
new smart tower function which allows 6MW turbines
to be based on monopile foundations as a structure
potentially reducing cost given the correct seabed
conditions.
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Key to the success of the turbine is the certified service
life of 25 years, which will be crucial to the continued
reduction in CoE in future years. This has been made
possible by ongoing development, such as improved
rotor bearings after anomalies were found in the
system last year. A technical upgrade was introduced
to the existing design in the form of enhanced, direct
injection of lubricant, and an adapted rotor bearing
design for the next generation of turbines.
Cord Bker of Senvion said, We have a state-of-the-
art product in a technological area that is still young
and developing rapidly. With regular adaptations,
we can ensure that existing turbines generate the
highest possible yield.
Senvion is also looking towards the future in other
areas to improve energy yield, with various projects
in action to develop methods of generating as many
full load hours as possible. One such idea utilizes a
setscrew which is installed in the pitch system and
can be used to take the turbine out of the wind if
it is too strong. The aim is to be able to predict the
wind as accurately as possible, so that the turbine
can be pitched out of the wind at the best possible
time, and crucially, at the very
With regular
adaptations, we can
last second so as to maximize
ensure that existing yeild. The Triple I Blade Control
turbines generate project (Intelligent, Integrated,
the highest possible Individual), is set up to realize
yield. this aim using LIDAR sensors.
This enables the measurement
of optical distance and speed, as well as remote
measurement of atmospheric parameters, thus
allowing the forecasting of future wind conditions up
to 50 metres ahead of the turbine. Senvion admits that
this technology is some way off, but the combination
of extended lifetime and optimized yield will have a
significant effect on overall CoE.
Industry article

Enercon E-126 EP4

Sound is a much more important factor onshore
than it is offshore, and further innovations have been
used to reduce noise while improving efficiency.
A new generator design has realized significant
improvements in running smoothness and sound
power levels, with the overall sound power level of
the new platform just 105 dB(A) something which
presents a considerable advantage to site planners.

The new turbine does feature some characteristics

of Enercons previous generation E-126 model, but
improvements are clear to see. It is a direct drive
turbine with a mainly air-cooled electrically exited
Another such example of extended service life synchronous motor. However, where the older model
capabilities can be seen with Enercons new 4MW had a large and cumbersome nacelle and a 12-metre
turbine platform, E-126 EP4. The new platform was generator, the new model is substantially smaller. The
debuted at the Hannover Messe in April, with a nacelle has been reduced by 9 metres in diameter
prototype installation planned for late 2015, and and 19 metres in length, while the tower is higher
serial production expected in 2016. The EP4 is one and slimmer.
of the first onshore turbine platforms to be designed
specifically for a service life of 30 years. The E-126 blades, which comprise of a bolted inner-
steel segment and an outer glass-fibre reinforced
The first model to be introduced on the platform will epoxy (GFRE) segment, reduce load by 30% compared
be a 4.2MW turbine with a 127 metre rotor diameter, to the original blade design for the earlier model. The
designed for wind class IEC IIA. Two further models optimized concrete-steel hybrid tower, which has
will follow a low-wind IEC III model, and a high-wind a smaller base diameter and reduced dimensions,
IEC I model. offers savings via ring segment transportation and
installation, and requires 10% less concrete during
According to Enercon, the new 4MW platform is an installation.
intermix of innovative technology and intelligent
modular design for optimized efficiency and Summary
reliability.
The wind energy industry is a rapidly, and ever-
The design features a range of technological advances, changing industry. It isnt experiencing natural growth
which will enable it to generate approximately 14.8 and development, but is on a fast-track to meet
million Kilowatt hours annually at sites which have an European regulations on clean energy and carbon
average wind speed of 7.5 m/s at a hub height of 135 emissions. In that respect, the industry receives
metres. The E-126 EP4 features two-part rotor blades disproportionate subsidies from Government, but
whose aerodynamic profiles guarantee maximum those will be gradually phased out over the coming
yield at minimal structural load. The blades also years, and the wind industry needs to prove that it
incorporate trailing edge serrations (TES) which make can be a viable and economical source of energy for
up part of the overall noise-reducing concept. future generations.

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It is absolutely critical therefore, that the CoE is brought
down significantly to a point where wind farms can be
a profitable source of power. Most wind turbines up to
this stage have been designed with a service life of 20
years, but as they grow in size to 5MW and upwards
particularly offshore it is uneconomical to install
and then remove from service such giant machines in
such difficult locations. An extension to 25 or 30 years
of service life will have a huge impact on overall CoE,
and this is a trend that we expect to gather pace over
the next few years with cost reduction, as ever, at the
forefront of the industry.
If you are involved with E/E systems or drivetrain
technology in the wind energy industry and not only
want to read more information, but actually discuss
with industry experts, dont miss out on our
5th annual international Conference E/E Systems for
Wind Turbines - this year co-located with our
6th International Conference Drivetrain Concepts for
Wind Turbines !
Both events are taking place in Bremen from
30 November - 02 December, 2015!

Meet and connect with other wind professionals, use

our extensive networking opportunities and profit
from exclusive insight presentations!

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