Wind Power Activities of Siemens
Siemens is testing 2 gearless wind energy stations in W Denmark. The first has been installed and the second will be installed by year-end. Gearless wind turbines have a simpler design, thus reducing maintenance expenses. This is especially relevant when the turbines are installed in locations where maintenance access is high, such as at sea. Siemens is jointly developing with the Norwegian group StatoilHydro , the world’s first floating, instead of on a solid pillar, wind turbine. It is expected to be operational in 2009.
The gearless wind turbine generators are some of the biggest permanent magnet machines ever built. A gear transforms the low speed of the wind rotor to a high speed necessary for generating electricity. The gearless test systems have synchronous generators that are excited by permanent magnets. They transform the rotor movement directly into electrical power.
The high seas are a good choice for Norway’s as its windiest regions are often protected nature reserves. The wind blows more consistently and stronger than near the coast. According to calculations made by the American National Renewable Energy Laboratory the wind
potential within 50 nautical miles of the USA coast is greater than the currently installed electrical power of all U.S. power stations [900 GW]. Offshore wind parks have existed for 15 years, all are near the coast because they can only be anchored to the ground in shallow waters, i.e., at a sea depth of less than 30 feet.
Norway is ideal for testing a prototype because the seabed drops steeply. The wind turbine will be 7.5 miles [12 km] from land where the sea is about 600 ft [185 m] deep. A solid pillar installation would be impossible after 300 feet at the deepest.
Another important advantage of these floating wind turbines is that they can overcome NIMBY [Not In My Back Yard] resistance from residents living near the shore as they will be out of sight. Utility companies in NY have not attempted to install wind turbines off of Long Island due to expected opposition. Does anyone believe that you will soon be able to see 300-400 feet [90-125 meters] high wind turbine towers from the beaches in the Hamptons, Malibu, or Palm Beach?
Photos Courtesy of Siemens AG.
