Mitsubishi high efficiency large capacity wind turbines

Abstract

Recently, generation of electricity by wind power has been rapidly increasing all over the world as an environment-friendly power generation system, because it makes use of an inexhaustible supply of wind energy, without emitting any carbon dioxide. In the past, development of wind power generation systems has been carried out mainly with the intention of the reduction of the power generation cost, including the equipment construction cost, and also the improvement of the operational reliability. However, in addition to these basic targets, minimization of the influence of variations in output level to the distribution system is the subject of recent study. Attention is now being paid to one possible solution involving use of a variable speed wind turbine that is capable of effectively reducing changes in output level by absorbing variations in wind energy as inertial energy. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) has developed a new variable speed wind turbine, MWT-S series, incorporating a permanent magnet synchronous generator made by Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, the first system of this kind in the world, and installed it at the Tappi Wind Park of Tohoku Electric Power Co., Inc., for verification test in July 2000. From the results of the verification tests performed jointly with Tohoku Electric Power Co., the characteristics of the variable speed wind turbine, including (1) reduction in output power variations, (2) reduction in rush current, (3) reduction in operating noise and (4) less maintenance, have been duly verified. For further improvement of the cost-effectiveness and reliability of wind power generation, MHI started the operation of a 600 kW synchronous generator type wind turbine in April 2002 and is now developing a 1,000 kW high-efficiency induction type, covering a low wind speed range, and also a 2,000 kW large capacity synchronous generator type wind turbine. These new turbines are expected to be in operation by the end of 2002.