GE Infrastructure – Energy
Wind Energy 101
Introduction to
wind turbine technology
Cy Harbourt
GE Energy
March 24, 2011
Virginia Mountain Section IEEE
March 24 2011
Rev 4 – CD Harbourt
1
• This presentation was
originally authored by Aaron
Barr from GE Energy in
Greenville, SC and was
presented at the December
meeting of the ASME in
Greenville.
• Thanks to Aaron for making
it available to us
March 24 2011
Rev 4 – CD Harbourt
Agenda
• Introduction – GE and Wind energy
• Wind Energy first principles
• Wind energy market
• Wind Turbines – component view
• GE Wind Energy opportunities
• Q & A session
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Introduction
05 November 2010
162December 2010
Rev
4
Early wind energy engineer…
Of all the forces of nature, I should think the
wind contains the largest amount of motive
power.
All the power exerted by all the men, beasts,
running-water, and steam, shall not equal
the one hundredth part of what is exerted by
the blowing of the wind.
Quite possibly one of the greatest
discoveries, will be the taming and
harnessing of it.
– Abraham Lincoln - 1860
March 17,
24 2011
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Rev 4 – CD Harbourt
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“I'd put my money on the sun and solar energy.
What a source of power!
I hope we don't have to wait
‘til oil and coal run out
before we tackle that.”
~Thomas Edison - 1931
March 17,
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Powerful Heritage… Innovative Solutions
Energy
Learning Center
Niskayuna, NY
Europe Renewables
Headquarters
Salzbergen, Germany
Global
Research
Center
Munich,
Germany
Energy
Engineering
Greenville, SC
Global
Research
Center
Shanghai, China
Global Research
Center
Niskayuna, NY
Global Renewables
Headquarters
Schenectady, NY
GE Wind
Manufacturing
Greenville, SC
Pensacola, FL
Tehachapi, CA
Power Conversion
Center of
Excellence
Salem, VA
JF Welch
Technology
Center
Bangalore, India
Global team with diverse expertise
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GE Energy….The largest renewables business on
Earth
Wind
• Leading N. American
wind turbine supplier
• 6x unit growth
since ‘02
• 16,000+ 1.5MW
installed globally
Solar
• Residential, commercial
and utility applications
• Largest commercial
solar project in Asia
• PrimeStar Solar thin film
technology investment
Biogas
• Power range:
0.25 MW-4 MW
• Fuel flexibility: Natural
gas or a variety of renewable
or alternative gases
• 10 manufacturing/assembly sites
• 4,000 global employees
• Installed base: 24+GW
• Projects in 40+ countries
•10,000 sub-supplier jobs created
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Wind Turbine Components
Worsham Field
GE 1.5 MW
1200-1700
Households
Rotor
35 metric tons
77 meters diameter
Nacelle
52 metric tons
Tower
120+ metric tons
60 to 100 meters
Car (for scale)
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Small vs. Big wind energy
Utility-Scale Wind Power - 850 - 6000 kW
•Owned by utilities, multi-million $ companies
1500kw
•Installed on wind farms, 10 – 600 MW
•Professional maintenance crews
•>13 mph (6 m/s) avg wind speed
Small Wind Power - 300 W - 250 kW
•Individual homes, farms, businesses, etc.
10kw
•On the “customer side” of the meter
•Or…off the grid entirely
•High reliability, low maintenance
•>9 mph (4 m/s) avg wind speed
Two Related technologies
You
Source: NREL
Different applications and economics
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Wind Turbine Growth: Size, Power and
Cost
CoE
From ~60 cents/kWh
down to 5-6 cents/kWh
for the period
1981
Rotor Dia. (m) 10
KW
25
1985
17
100
1990
27
225
1996
40
550
1999
50
750
2001
71
1,500
2005
88
2,500
2010+
125+
7,500+
Increased size, improved performance and technology innovation
Wind energy now cost competitive with conventional fuels
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Wind Energy First Principles
05 November 2010
Rev 2
12
Wind Turbine Principles
Converting one form of energy to another
Kinetic
Energy
Mechanical
Energy
Electrical
Energy
Component
Rotor
Gearbox
Generator
Converter
Efficiency
45-52%
95-97%
97-98%
96-99%
Overall: 42 – 50% Efficient Today… Theoretical Maximum is 59.3% (no losses)
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Wind Turbine Energy Capture
V2
Rotor power
P  21 ρAV1 C p
3
where :
C p  rotor power coefficient
V1
  air density
A  rotor swept area
Cp vs. PU Exit Velocity
Ideal (Betz limit)
0.6
0.5
0.4
Cp
Cp  0.593
0.7
0.3
0.2
where :
0.1
0
V2 
1V
3 1
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
1.2
PU Exit Velocity
Cp vs. PU Exit Veloc
(wind velocity slows by 2/3)
Source: “Wind turbines: Fundamentals, Technologies, Application and Economics”, Erich Hau, ISBN: 3540570640; (April 30, 2000)
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Wind Variation
Unsteady dynamics
•Turbulence
•Shear
•Density changes
Design challenges
•Across diameter
•15% average difference
•30% Instant difference
Loads analysis critical
to maintaining 20-year
life
Source: “Wind turbines: Fundamentals, Technologies, Application and Economics”, Erich Hau, ISBN: 3540570640; (April 30, 2000)
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Wind energy technologies
Wind is….
•Really solar power!
•Uneven heating of earth
•Coreolis - earth rotation
DRAG
LIFT
•Moving mass
•Kinetic Energy!!!
1
Pw  CP ρAV 3
2
CP  Efficiency
ρ  air density
V  wind velocity
A  Swept Area
Max CP  16/27  59.3%
Source: NREL
3-blade horizontal axis turbines are optimal
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Wind Turbine Design Concepts
Horizontal axis
3-bladed
( HAWT )
VAWT )
Horizontal axis
2-bladed
Vertical axis
(
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Why 3 Blades?
0.6
0.5
1 Blade
Cp
0.4
2 Blades
Blade calculations include realistic
airfoils, L/D, and tip losses. Each
point along a curve represents an
optimized airfoil for given tip speed
ratio. Ideal curve is zero drag
optimum with rotational wake.
0.3
0.2
0.1
3 Blades
4 Blades
Ideal
0
0
5
10
 = Tip Speed Ratio
15
= Vtip / V1
- 4 blades cost more than 3 – provide marginal performance benefit
- 2 blades provides loads balancing issue - requires teetered hub/downwind
rotor
- 3 blades (tripod) provides
to loads resolution
Actualsolution
Cp is constrained
by Betz limit
Also: noise (tip speed), loads, blade
geometry
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U – Windspeed, m/s
R – Blade radial position, m
 - Rotational Velocity, rad/s
Varies with windspeed
 - Local twist angle, deg
Varies with radius
 - Blade pitch angle, deg
Varies with windspeed Wind
 - Angle of attack, deg
Varies with radius and wind
speed
Trade-off
Cost: Thrust loads = Material, weight
Benefit: Torque Loads = Power
Thrust:Torque ~ 10:1
Rotor Plane
Aerodynamic Lift

Drag
U
Thrust
Torque
Lift

R



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Power Curve Terminology
Power output vs. wind speed
at hub height – 10min average wind speeds
Example: official power curve for 1.5s
56
MPH!
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Wind turbines
Component view
21
Nacelle & Hub components
Wind
Sensors
‘Top box’:
low voltage,
control…
GE 1.5 wind turbine
52 metric ton nacelle
35 metric ton rotor
High-speed coupling
Mechanical brake
Gearbox
Generator
Pitch drive
6-ft
Pitch bearing
Bed
Frame
Hub
Yaw drives
Yaw bearing
Rotor main shaft Main bearing
Hokie Bird is registered trademark of Virginia
Tech
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Wind turbine assembly
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Wind turbine installation
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Blades – Product Differentiators
Blade Cross-section
Shell
Shear Webs
Blades critical to
performance:
Energy capture … revenue
Aerodynamic loads… cost
Trailing Edge
Spar Cap
Leading Edge
Blade Fatigue testing
Design optimization:
Materials
Airfoil geometry
Loads
Noise
Efficiency
Cost
Logistics
Source: National Renewable Energy Lab
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Hub & Pitch system
Hub Assembly
Source: GE energy – 2007 Sandia reliability conference
Pitch system… critical to
safety
Source: GE energy – 2007 Sandia reliability conference
Pitch blades out of the wind
Maintain rated power
Shut turbine down
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Gearbox and mechanical drivetrain
Root cause analysis process
MW-scale Gearbox
Parallel
stages
Planetary stage
Torque arms
Source: GE energy – 2007 Sandia reliability conference
Output –
1600RPM
Drivetrain… critical to
reliability
Input - ~15RPM
Source: GE transportation
Design optimizations:
Reliability… 20 year life
Torque capability
Maintainability
Size, weight, Cost
Global source-ability
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Wind Turbine generator types
1) Fixed Speed System – no
converter
INDUCTION GENERATOR
2) Doubly-Fed High speed
Generator
WOUND ROTOR
INDUCTION GENERATOR
TRANSFORMER
TRANSFORMER
GRID
3
GEAR BOX
GEAR BOX
3
Pros: Low cost, simplicity
3
IGBT POWER CONVERTERS
Cons: Poor performance
Pros: Excellent compromise of cost &
grid
Poor grid integration
C) Direct-drive generator – no
gearbox
3) High speed synchronous
generator
SYNCHRONOUS
GENERATOR
SYNCHRONOUS
SYNCHRONOUS
GENERATOR GENERATOR
TRANSFORMER
GEAR BOX
3
3
Rectifier
IGBT
Inverter
Pros: Grid integration, controllability
Cons: Higher power electronics cost
TRANSFORMER
TRANSFORMER
GRID
GRID
3
GRID
3
GEAR BOX
GEAR BOX
3
Rectifier
3
IGBT
Rectifier
Inverter
GRID
3
IGBT
Inverter
Pros: Elimination of gearbox –
reliability
Cons: Large generator – high cost
Generator choice is critical to operational flexibility & grid integration
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Tower and Power Electronics
Source: GE energy – 2007 Sandia reliability conference
Source; GE Energy
View of 2.5MW tower base
Power conversion… critical to
flexibility
Grid integration and compliance
Variable speed capability
March
24 2011
Designed & manufactured at
GE
in Salem,
29
Rev 4 – CD Harbourt
Wind Energy Market
30
2009
31
2030
Power Required Doubles !
32
Environmental Challenges
1875
Pasterze Glacier, Austria
2004
Increasing atmospheric CO2 is warming the planet
Power generation is leading cause of CO2 emissions
Carbon constraints increase demand for renewable
energy
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US Power Generation Mix
Source: Energy Information Administration
Non
Renewable
Renewable
Half the US power is coal-fired
2009 new installs : 39% wind, 9% coal
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Wind Resource – U.S.A.
Wind Speed (m/s @
50m)
>8
7- 8
6-7
4-6
<4
(10 m/s = 22.4 mph)
US percent of electricity
consumption from wind:
~1%
Midwestern United States is ‘Saudi Arabia of
Wind’
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Wind Resource - Europe
Wind Speed (m/s @
50m)
>8
7- 8
6-7
4-6
<4
(10 m/s = 22.4 mph)
Wind power penetration
% of electricity consumption
25.0%
20.0%
15.0%
10.0%
5.0%
0.0%
Denmark Spain Germany Ireland Portugal Greece Netherlands EU
Source: BTM Consult ApS - September 2005
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Top Wind Power countries
MW
% world
35,195
22%
25,853
16%
25,813
16%
18,784
12%
10,827
7%
4,845
3%
4,775
3%
4,340
3%
3,474
2%
3,408
2%
22,770
14%
Source: BTM Consult [3]
US and China with more than 1/3 of the World’s
MW
China expected to take #1 position by 2015
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Top Windpower US States
Top 10 producers Capacity
24.1%
26.8%
3.42%
3.5%
10.4%
3.6%
4.4%
5.0%
7.95%
5.1% 5.6%
Texas
Iowa
California
Washington
Minnesota
Oregon
Illinois
New York
Production
Colorado
North Dakota
26 Others
Source: AWEA
Source: AWEA
Texas, Iowa and California generate ~½ of total
Dakotas could power the entire US
Source: AWEA
http://www.awea.org/
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Wind Industry Growth - USA
2009 Installs
Source: AWEA
2005: 5 turbine manufacturer active in US
2009: 10+….Competition is growing, GE remains in good
position
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Wind Energy Grid Challenges
05 November 2010
Rev 2
40
Utility Scale Wind Generation …
5-10% Penetration Easily Managed
Utility Windfarms
EON - LVRT spec
100-500 MW Farms Being Developed
• Grid Codes Rapidly Evolving
150 MW Trent Mesa, TX
Jutland - Western Denmark
3000 MW Wind Capacity Out of 6800 MW Total
• 20% of Average Demand Supplied by Wind
• Max 1 Hr Penetration Is 80%, max 20% change per
hour
Danish Transmission Grid w/
Interconnects & Offshore Sites
• HVDC Link to Norway, Hydro As Virtual Storage
Managing a Variable Resource
• 1 to 48 Hour Wind Forecasting
Wind Site Forecasting
• Coordinated Economic Dispatch of Hydro, GT, .…
March 24 2011
Rev 4 – CD Harbourt
Advanced
Basic
Performance Requirements
Grid Requirements Evolution
Active Anti-islanding,
Torsional,
others
Anti-islanding
O/U Voltage
Overcurrent
O/U Frequency
Zero
Power
Voltage
Control
LVRT with controlled
current injection
Reserve
Functions
Fancy Voltage
Control
(WindVAR)
Zero VRT – no trip
(e.g. Western
Australia)
Frequency
Response
Voltage control
(old DVAR)
LVRT – no trip
(e.g. Taiban, E-ON)
Curtailment
PF control
None
None
Volt/VAR
Control
Protection
EON - LVRT spec
LVRT
Active Power
Control
Application Characteristics
Single WTGs
Low Penetration
Large Farms
Multiple Farms
High Penetration
March 24 2011
Rev 4 – CD Harbourt
Grid Integration …Critical
for Large Scale Wind
Rapidly Evolving Grid Codes
• Success of wind is driving sweeping changes
Voltage
• New electrical control features evolving
• Ride-Thru, Real/Reactive Power control
• Wind needs to be as Grid-Friendly as Traditional
Case)
Emergency Voltage
Generation forComposite
50 GW(Worst
Global
market
1.50
Scotland
1.40
Power
1.30
Scotland
1.20
EON
Denmark
1.10
LVRT Full Power Tests
Voltage (PU)
1.00
EON
0.90
France
0.80
Denmark
0.70
0.60
0.50
0.40
Global Transient
Voltage Requirements
EON
0.30
0.20
0.10
Australia
0.00
0.0
0.1
1.0
10.0
100.0
1000.0
10000.0
Time (seconds)
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Ancillary Services & Wind Variability
Unit Dispatch
Operational/Cost
Regime
Technology
Advancements
600
500
MW
Slower ->
700
400
300
200
Spinning Reserve
(Day Ahead Scheduling)
multiday forecasting –
participation in SMD
100
0
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
Hour
<- Faster
Time Scale
10500
Load Following
(5 Minute Dispatch)
Frequency & Tie-line
Regulation (Seconds)
Short-term
forecasting and wind
farm active power
management
10000
9500
0
60
120
180
MAPS Load
MAPS Pgen Total
MAPS Base Load
QSS Load
QSS Pgen(i)
QSS Pgen Total
WTG level active and
reactive power
controls
Voltage
Power
600 seconds
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Windfarm Electrics –
Real & Reactive Power Control
Clean
volts on
host
utility grid
Colorado
Green
162Taiban
MW
Mesa
Taiban
204 MW
Plateau
204 MW
~ 1500 mi
March 24 2011
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Wind Turbine Transient Response
GE Wind farms are more stable that conventional
synchronous generators.
Voltage recovery of the
wind farm is better
Synchronous Generator
swings dramatically???
Time (seconds)
March 24 2011
Rev 4 – CD Harbourt
Wind Forecasting
Eltra, Denmark - 2000 Study
• 1.9GW onshore farms, 16% consumption
• 3.4TWh produced, 1.3TWh miscalculated (38%)
• Climatology-based forecast, inaccuracies up to 800MW
• $12M imbalance payments (0.3c/kWh)
AWSTruewind forecast
using a combination of local
statistical models, and 3D
meso-scale climatology
Current State-of-the-Art
• Local statistical model + 3D climatology model - 10-15% mean abs
error for day-ahead and 5-10% error for 6 hr ahead forecasts
• 2005 regulations in Spain provide:
- Penalties for >20% error on 24hr production forecast
- Incentives for <10% error over rolling 4hr forecast
• 2003 Cal ISO regulations – unbiased hourly, daily forecasts – settlement
monthly for net deviations at average rate
• Utilities need short (<6h), med (24-36h) and long term (>72h) forecasts
March 24 2011
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Wind Energy Offshore
05 November 2010
Rev 2
48
Offshore Wind … GW Scale
Renewable
• US East Coast, Great Lakes, BC,
UK, Germany, …
• Proximity to Population & Load
Centers
• 10-20 Km Offshore, Water
Depths to 10-40 M
Offshore Construction,
7.2 GW RFP’s in UK
Challenges
• Hurricane Exposure, Waves, Sea
Bed Stability
• Deep Water Foundations > 40 m
Can Open Vast Resource
• Tough Service Environment,
Need Autonomous Operation
GE 7x 3.6 MW –
Arklow Banks, Irish Sea
20 GW Potential off NE Coast,
Capacity Factors to 50%
Offshore Wind Potential
Significant Offshore Growth Potential . . . Drivers Are:
• Renewable Obligations ( UK, US)
• Kyoto compliance (Germany, Ireland)
Over 30GW Of Specific Sites In Various Stages Have Been Announced
9.6 GW
23 GW
UK
Sweden
8600
600
Canada
700
200
Denmark
2700
150 400
Ireland
Germany
900
USA
8300
8600
600
Belgium
Active Develop
Source: Emerging Energy Research / GE Wind
Concept / Early
Stage
750
300
300
Netherlands
March 24 2011
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Offshore Multi-Generational Plan
Phase II
Now
Fatigue Effect
?
Jacket weight
increases with
depth even at
constant MW rating
Depth dependence on weight
can be reduced substantially
with a floating foundation
system
Phase I
March 24 2011
Rev 4 – CD Harbourt
Floating Wind Challenges
f2 > 1.785 Hz
Oil & Gas Opportunity
(Wide)
Excitation from
blade passing
0.312 < f1 < 0.383 Hz
Excitation from
rotor operation
Compliant Floating System
Current Wind Opportunity
(Narrow)
March 24 2011
Rev 4 – CD Harbourt
DOE LWST 2 Offshore Program – 5MW+
Offshore Turbine System Design
• 5-7 MW turbine rating
• Design for Availability, Reliability
• Access & service strategies
• 5-6 c/kWh target in 20 m depth
R&D Focus
• Foundation technology
• Turbine configuration – 2 vs. 3 blade
• Drivetrain development
• Rotor development to 140 m
• RM&D, CBM
Medium & Deep Water Foundations
2 Blade vs 3 Blade Tradeoff
Service Technology, RM&D
March 24 2011
Rev 4 – CD Harbourt
Wind Turbines
GE 1.5 MW
Electrical Pitch
Drives
• 77 M Rotor Diameter
• 50-100 M Tower
• 98% Availability
• Speed 10-20 RPM
• Variable Pitch
Doubly-Fed
Generator
Main Shaft &
Bearing
Gearbox
Epoxy-Glass
Composite Blades
Transformer &
Electrical
Power Electronic
Converter
Wind Energy Opportunities
05 November 2010
Rev 2
55
Advanced technology development
Blade
Constructio
n
Wind
Sensing
Compact
Drivetrains
Aerodynami
c
optimization
Advanced
Generator
s
Wind Farm
Management
Advanced
Load Control
Power
Electronics
Advanced
Material
Development
Advanced
Tower
Design
Possibilities are endless
Engineers
Needed!
VT Grad
GE Electrical
Engineer
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Additional Reading
GE Wind Energy external http://www.gepower.com/businesses/ge_wind_energy/en/index.htm
Organizations
European Wind Energy Association
www.ewea.org
American Wind Energy Association
www.awea.org
Danish Wind Industry Association
www.windpower.org
Windpower Monthly
www.wpm.co.nz
AGORES
Sources
www.agores.org A Global Overview of Renewable
Competition
Overall list:
http://energy.sourceguides.com/businesses/byP/wRP/lwindturbine/byN/byName.shtml
Vestas, Denmark
www.vestas.com
Enercon
www.enercon.de
REpower, Germany
www.repower.de/index.php?id=347&L=1
Suzlon
ww.suzlon.com
Siemens, Danmark http://www.powergeneration.siemens.com/products-solutionsservices/power-plant-soln/windpower/windturbines.htm
Nordex
www.nordex.dk
Gamesa, Spain
http://www.gamesa.es/index.php/en
Against windpower lobby: www.windkraftgegner.de in German with links to English sites
March 24 2011
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GE
Energy
Thank you … Questions?
Cy Harbourt
[email protected]
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