Photographic report of Windfarm visit.

Some notes made on visit of Suzlon windfarm few yaers back.

• 1.25 MW machine was studied. It generated 20 thousand Units a day.Cost of the machine was Rs.5 Crore.Total windfarm had 500 such machines and windfarm capacity was 650MW.


• The windfarm was having 1.5 MW and 2.1 Mw machines under installation. The 1.25 MW machine had a height of 200 feet and gear ratio of 70 .


• The machine had 4 yaw motors which drove yaw drums. Yawing range was from 0 degrees to 950 degrees.


• Some terminologies:- PPE and JSA


• Pitch motors were driven by pitch drive. Pitching range was 0 degrees to 90 degrees.


• Pitch angle was marked as +7 or 0.


• Windfarm used to feed 220 KV lines.


• Lube oil was circulated with pumps.


• Generation voltage was 630 V. RPM was 1500.Active and reactice power was monitored.


• I saw Tool Kit register and tool Box Meeeting.


• An enginner explained how they overcame a problem by changing bolts into studs.


• Control was divided into parks of 24 motors.


• Capacitors were switched on based upon recative power requirement.


• Motors were first fed from grid, then they started generating.


• Battery supply was used for pitching in case of grid supply faliure.


• Theft was a major proble. We enjoyed tea made with biogas.


• Electronis was thyristor based.

Whats new in wind energy ?

• Relacing old wind turbines with 2 MW machines:- Germany's wind energy association BWE is adding more and more capacity this way. The old turbines are being sold to Eastern Europe and Cuba.
• India faces resistance in Chinese market:- Suzlon is not finding it easy to penetrate into Chinese market.
• 2010 Capacity addition:- India comes 3rd ( 2130 MW ) . Asia added 20 GW and Europe added10 GW. Global capacity is 200 GW. China alone added 16 GW. ( Lead by Shinovel and goldwind China has wow capacity of 42 GW).
• New Offshore Mammoth:- Vestas has come up with 7 MW turbine now. This offshore machine is the most powerful one ever built. This 135 m ( 443 feet) tall giant has rotor dia of 164 m.
• New player in India:- Moventas of Finland is coming to India with big bang. The Indian partner is the secret to be revealed !

Wind energy and small towns of India

For wind energy, small town is big game in India. Be it Dewas or Dhulia, Daman or Baroda, maximum benefit of wind energy growth has gown to small towns of India.

Now small town of Baramati is getting Rs 50 Crore wind turbine plant by Kenersys ( Kalyani group) to manufature 140 m tall 2 MW wind turbines ( k82) having 82m rotor dia. Production capacity planned is 250 machines per year.

This is when the offshore capacity lay hardly assessed. It will take another 2 years before we know how much wind power Indian sea waters have to offer.

Gamesa is investing hugely in the sector and plans to manufacture 2MW turbines by 2012 in small tows of Gujarat and Tamilnadu.