ABB Wind Turbine Generator: Innovation to the Core and Maximum Energy Efficiency

 

 

Though in possession of world-leading wind turbine generation technologies such as PMSM and so on, ABB still made a great deal of practical innovation for mainstream application types in the Chinese market. While facing price competition caused by overcapacity of complete machine, that holding optimized energy efficiency of life cycle laid the foundation for ABB’s long-term cooperation with lots of wind turbine manufacturers. 

As the world-leading supplier of motors and variable speed drives, ABB has boasted more than 30 years of experience in the wind turbine generator segment worldwide. The company provides the widest range of induction and synchronous motors and generators, and inspires worldwide customer confidence with its reliable products and services, designed and built to optimize user's productivity. In China, whether in the applicability to mainstream products, in the advancement of technology, or in the localized layout of production and R & D, ABB Electrical Machines all have been ready to soar in serving Chinese local wind power segment as the vanguard of ABB China industry chain.   

Riku Kytomaki, President of ABB Electrical Machines Ltd.

Finding the great potentials of the Chinese wind power market, ABB launched a brand new doubly-fed wind turbine generator and showed it at China Wind Power 2010 held recently. Leading technology and practical innovation of details help it the highlight of the show.  

The new generators feature an enhanced rotor design plus modular and adaptable interface. They are also an excellent choice as replacement units at existing wind parks. The standard base construction for different powers enables high quality large-scale manufacturing for fast delivery times, and the modular turbine interface connections can be changed to suit the individual customer’s specifications. Both air and water cooling are available, and a 60 Hz version is supplied to customers in the US markets. A patented rotor design with an optimized winding-end support ring to deliver enhanced over speed withstand and high cooling performance. The improved insulation level offers high-voltage peak integrity and allows the use of various types of converter. The new design also offers minimized Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) levels.

The platform is based on well proven ABB design which has been used by leading turbine manufacturers since 1997, providing reliable and efficient operation in locations all over the world. The reliable ABB slip ring design used in the new generator series is based on more than half a century of experience in building slip ring motors for many demanding applications. This in-house expertise is combined with specialized know-how provided by leading slip ring manufacturers. The optimized cooling air circulation of the slip ring unit offers reliable operation even during peak loads. The new rotor construction with the ABB slip ring unit enables continuous reactive power production and high stability during sudden over speeds. Presently, the new generators have been in mass production both at ABB Shanghai Factory and worldwide.

 Structure of ABB New Standard Slip Ring Wind Turbine Generator

Grid connection price has been the bottle-neck of wind power and the price competition has been more and fiercer from the downstream wind power site to upstream supplier. ABB Electrical Machines Ltd. hasn’t been affected by the blundering price reduction trend yet. What ABB pays sustained attention to is the long-term win-win with its partners.

According to Riku, the Chinese leading wind turbine manufacturers have started to focus on efficiency and complete life cycle of electrical machines. The broad ABB product range, backed by a complete offering of life cycle services and expertise in wind turbine applications, forms a solid foundation for long lasting partnerships. This helps mitigate challenges and risks turbine manufacturers and wind power plant operators face in the design, construction and operation of wind turbines. ABB is the market leader for the key turbine electrical drive train components, including generators and converters. ABB has been able grow its wind generator business globally with two digit numbers each year. The fastest growth takes place in Asia, and more specifically in China.

ABB’s electrical drive train products are designed to maximize kilowatt-hour production and increase the return on investment through proven high reliability and availability. As an example can be mentioned various types of permanent magnet generators, where the efficiency is high in the whole speed range. ABB electrical drive train products support grid code compliance based on ABB’s active participation in global grid code working groups, standards definition, field testing, and research and development. The availability can be increased by supporting the network in different kind of fault situations, e.g. by improving the ride through capabilities. ABB offers a full spectrum of life cycle services, from pre-purchase engineering, installation and commissioning, spare parts management, technical support, online and classroom training, preventive maintenance, spare part kits, to retrofit and refurbishment.

As a part of ABB Group's global strategy to better serve their customers, ABB Electrical Machines Ltd. has been established to produce ABB's high quality high-voltage motors locally in China. The company is founded as a wholly owned foreign enterprise. The new plant of ABB Electrical Machines Ltd. is designed and constructed following the latest technologies and standards from ABB's European factories. It utilizes the same state of the art production processes that ABB is renowned for worldwide. Its motors are built in accordance with the proven, advanced specifications in the 21st century. These processes and specifications include VPI, climate controlled coil manufacturing area, Micadur Compact Industry insulation system, balancing 2-pole motors at full speed - all to guarantee the superior quality. The company has also its own team of product specialists and engineers to understand local needs. The plant was put into production at the beginning of 2006 with voltage range up to 11.5 kV and output power up to 3000 kW. The complete product range available through the new company includes HV products from 100kW to 70MVA, both locally made and imported products.

ABB (www.abb.com) is a leader in power and automation technologies that enable utility and industry customers to improve performance while lowering environmental impact. Additionally, globalized manufacturing, sales and customer service network also guaranteed more reliable after-sales services of the OEMs committed to exploring overseas markets.

As the biggest supplier of turbine components and the leading supplier of wind power grid system, ABB has complete product portfolio comprising electric drive, grid-connected, wind turbine control and protection, yawing and pitch control, electrical appliance protection and isolation, lightning protection system, and hydraulic and cooling systems, etc., among which converters, circuit breakers & contactors, transformers and HVDC markets and technologies are all in the leading position.

A wide range of local product portfolio makes ABB the big winner of Chinese wind power banquet. ABB has actively taken part in the construction of many Chinese large wind power projects, including the largest wind power station—Jiangsu Rudong wind power station and the first offshore wind power station— Shanghai Donghai Bridge offshore wind power station. In 2009, ABB saw over 125% year-on-year increase in the performance of wind power business.

ABB’s wind turbine generator business worldwide is increasing at a double-digit rate every year. At present, it has occupied more than 40% of total European market share and most top ten complete machine manufacturers in the world such Vestas, Gamesa, and GE, etc. adopt ABB motors. In China, Sinovel, Goldwind, and Dongfang Electric and so on also keep good cooperation with ABB China. Over the past three decade, ABB Group has produced 30,000 motors applied to wind turbine generators. In the last year, ABB achieved about one billion USD sales in global wind power business, of which the sales increase in Asia, especially in China, is the fastest. 

China, with more than 70 wind turbine manufacturers, has been the market where wind power segment develops fastest. Their goal is to support the wind turbine manufacturers selecting the right drive train concept for their specific needs. Through modularization ABB is able to offer solutions with well proven and standardized platform. Their strategy is to develop and deliver in China for China, being present and manufacturing locally for the Chinese market. In accordance with Riku, there are two categories for ABB mainstream wind turbine generators, namely synchronous generators and asynchronous generators, while the former are divided into low-speed permanent-magnet direct-drive synchronous generators and high-speed permanent-magnet direct-drive synchronous generators.

Actually, Riku has been with wind business already in late 90’s developing some of the first wind generator prototypes in two-megawatt range. Last four years he has been with wind generator business working as a Profit Center Manager and Global Product Group Manager in different countries, Since April 2010, Riku Kytomaki is appointed to Local Business Unit Manager for Machines in China and also acts as the company president of ABB electrical machines Ltd. With the background above, Riku for sure has a profound understanding of global wind power markets.

In Europe the development is focused on multi-megawatt turbines, and especially during last couple of years for offshore applications. In China there are still vast areas available for wind business development on shore, and the development focus is in scaling up the volumes for massive production for huge wind power plants. Also there are a lot of focuses in distribution network development in China, i.e. network capacity and stability related developments.”To satisfy the capacity of wind power plants and grid-connected needs, the emphasis on future development of Chinese wind power segment first is to increase the reliability and expand the capacity of wind turbines, next to improve the capacity and stability and power distribution network, and then to perfect the complete supply chain needed by large-scale wind power development.” stated by Riku.

As an expert of high-voltage motors and wind power technology, Riku shared with us, gongkong®, his views on technology development trends of wind turbine generators, especially offshore wind power technology: global development trend is in multi-megawatt generators having permanent magnet rotor and output more than 5 megawatts. These turbines are aimed for offshore, where the reliability and availability are of special importance. Depending if the solution is geared or gearless, the generator weigh in multi-megawatt range can vary in the range of 10 tons to more than one hundred tons. In offshore applications the environmental loads are very high, e.g. having strong winds, humidity and salty air. Therefore the most important criteria for offshore wind generators are the reliability and maintainability. That is taken into consideration in design phase with correct material selection, well proven dimension criteria, extensive testing and taking maintainability into consideration already in design phase. 

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ABB Wind Turbine Generator: Innovation to the Core and Maximum Energy Efficiency