In developing the VENSYS WECs, we focused on simplifying the design by reducing

it to what is really essential: as small as possible a number of high-quality and tested

components are used.
The VENSYS generator functions without parts such as gear box, intermediate
shaft and couplings, which are failure-prone and need intensive maintenance.
The use of permanent-magnet excitation eliminates the need for excitation coils, slip
rings and the generation of direct current for excitation purposes.
The use of wear-free toothed belts in the pitch system leads to further savings, as
they make lubrication and seals unnecessary. Further advantages are achieved by
installing the entire system for controlling the supply of the generator output to the
public grid, including the converter and the transformer, inside the base of the
tower.
An external building for the transformer and other components is not needed. This
feature enhances the reliability of the VENSYS WECs still further and helps
maximise the energy yield - a big plus-point for any operator.

Especially when designing the generator we made economical and efficient

operation our highest maxim. By using an external rather than an internal
generator rotor, it was possible to reduce the outer diameter of the generator, the
heart of the wind turbine.
As the multipole synchronous generator works directly at rotor speed, a failure-
prone and maintenance-intensive gear box is unnecessary. The bearings for the
turbine rotor form an integral part of the generator. This reduces the necessary
maintenance work to the grease-lubrication of this one set of generously
dimensioned slow-speed bearings, which fulfil two functions: they absorb the forces
generated by the rotor and at the same time function as generator bearings.
No auxiliary equipment is needed.
In contrast to conventional machines, our generator is subject to virtually no wear.
This generator design ensures consistently high efficiency and significantly increases
the energy yield of the system.
In our opinion it is only possible to build a highly profitable wind turbine if a direct
drive system is used.
Power is not transmitted from the turbine rotor to the multipole generator by the
type of contact between metal parts which occurs with gear teeth. Thus, the machine
is not sensitive to torque surges which result from gusts.
In the VENSYS generator, the generator excitation is produced by very high quality
permanent magnets (NdFeB). They are mounted directly on the rotor yoke and are
sealed off from the outside environment in order to provide permanent protection
from corrosion.
On the basis of our long experience with permanent-magnet excitation, we can
guarantee a stable and sufficient generator excitation for the whole life-span of the
wind turbine. The use of permanent magnets also has other important advantages:
There is no need to generate direct current for excitation, so that no energy is lost
for this purpose, or to use a slip ring assembly to transmit such current to the
generator rotor.
We also do without additional equipment such as cooling fans, filters or other parts
which are subject to wear and require additional maintenance. The high-quality
generator winding is made of preformed coils.
It too is sealed off against environmental influences, thus ensuring reliable operation
over the entire life-span of the machine.
The advantages of this solution are such as to convince even sceptics. In particular,
the fact that the energy not needed for generator excitation is 100 percent available
as generator output to the grid is a major advantage when the generator is
operating under partial load.

From our long experience in designing wind turbines we know how important the
cooling system is for ensuring trouble-free operation of the system over a long life-
span.
So when designing the cooling system (DE 196 365 91 C2) for our wind energy
converters, we decided to use a passive air-cooling system in order to ensure highly
efficient, fail-safe operation. The cool air flow which drives the rotor is guided
directly over the warm generator parts by specially formed cooling ducts.
No additional fans or control units are needed.
With this design, the degree of cooling provided corresponds directly to the power
output of the machine so that a constant generator temperature is guaranteed.
Another advantageous feature is the enclosed design of the electrical system, which
prevents direct contact between the cooling air and the electrical components. The
generator winding is protected from aggressive substances contained in the air.
This is especially important when the wind turbine is operated in a near-shore area.

There is no question - reliability of operation is of prime importance in a wind

turbine.
The triply redundant blade pitch system plays a very important role here. It
controls the power output and, if necessary, slows or stops the rotation of the turbine
rotor by turning the rotor blades out of the wind.
Thus rotor brakes, which are susceptible to heavy wear, are not needed.
One special feature of our machine is the use of toothed belts, which do not need
lubrication and are maintenance-free, to transmit power for controlling the pitch of
the blades from the pitch motors to the blades.
The forces involved are distributed over many teeth, which minimises wear and
virtually eliminates the risk of failure, thus greatly increasing the reliability of the
entire system.
The toothed belt drive is not affected by moisture or dirt.
Maintenance-free double layer capacitors (Ultra Caps), whose capacity is not
affected by temperature, are used for backup energy storage. They supply the power
necessary for controlling the pitch of the blades e.g. in case of a grid failure.
With about 100.000 charging cycles, they are designed to fulfil this function over the
whole life-span of the wind turbine.
The use of toothed belts and Ultra Caps ensures the maintenance-free, fail-safe
operation of our pitch system.

The air-cooled frequency converter designed especially for the VENSYS wind
turbines feeds the entire power output of the generator into the public grid.
All parts of this system, whose main components are the converter and the
transformer, are located inside the base of the tower. Thus, an external building for
the transformer and other components is not needed.

The decoupling of generator and grid with the help of the converter makes variable
speed operation of the generator possible, an advantageous feature which leads to
higher power output when operating under partial load and a smoother power
output at full load.

Semi-conductor diodes are used to rectify the current on the generator side of the
converter system. This increases the reliability of the system, reduces energy losses
and prevents voltage spikes in the generator windings.

The active IGBT-modules on the grid-side comply with all requirements with
regard to the supply of current to the grid. The result: a maximum of grid stability
is always guaranteed.
The entire converter system is of modular design and requires very little in the way
of maintenance.
A further feature is the method of grounding the system: It ensures low EMI-loads,
which significantly increases the operational reliability of the sensors and
controllers.

The circuit breaker at the generator is a further guarantee for reliable operation, as
it can interrupt the power flow from the generator if necessary.