How does increasing array voltage level affect wind turbine design? 66 kV technology should make transmission of offshore energy cheaper and more efficient. But in what ways will this affect the WTG design and what are the current approaches to 66kV grids? Markus Görzer, Director of Electrical System and Design, and Anton Wolf, Chief Mechanical Engineer, both at AMSC Windtec in Austria answer these questions in a joint interview. Read the full interview here: http://bit.ly/Slideshare_Goerzer_Wolf

1. AMSC Windtec on Effects of
IncreasingWind ParkVoltage
Levels
www.66kv-offshore-wind.com
IQPC: The both of you will be speaking on how
theincreasingwindparkvoltagelevelisaffecting
wind turbine designs. Would you tell us a bit
more about your background at AMSC Austria
and your first experiences with these effects?
Markus Görzer & Anton Wolf: AMSC Austria
has experience in developing wind turbines for
more than 20 years - from the rotor blade to the
grid connection. In more detail, development of
mechanical parts, electrical parts and the controlling
software by using different simulation tools. The
range of AMSC Portfolio is from 1,6MW to 10MW
turbines with different drive trains. In 2008 AMSC
installed the first offshore turbine outside of Europa
and this year AMSC finished two 5,5MW prototypes
for offshore.
We are responsible for the electrical design and the
mechanical design of these turbines.
IQPC: Where do you see the main drivers behind
the move to higher collector grid voltage levels?
Where the main benefits for the move?
Markus Görzer & Anton Wolf: The main driver
is to find the best way to bring a huge amount of
energy from offshore to regions where the energy is
needed. The technical industry has to find the most
cost effective way of the energy distribution.
The main driver for higher collector grid voltage
levelsisthereductionofcablecostsandpowerlosses
in the wind park interconnection. But this must be
offset with the higher cost of other components.
IQPC: Where do you see the main obstacles to
overcome until 66 kV grids may be established
as a common standard for offshore collector
systems?
Markus Görzer & Anton Wolf: To change from
actual 30kV range to 66kV means to double the
voltage half the current for the same power.
Today we don’t have any current rating problems
from the turbine perspective. Normal current rating
of switch gear is in the range of 630A and the
operation current of a 5,5MW turbine at a 30kV grid
is around 110A at that configuration. The limits to
connect turbine in serial are 5.
The increasing costs for switch gears, transformer,
sea cables and the increasing risk of failures must be
verified before the step to 66kV is done.
IQPC: Current approaches to get turbines ready
for 66 kV seem to concentrate on adapting
structures to cope with increasing size and
weight of switch gear and transformers – where
do you see the main challenges here?
Markus Görzer, Director of Electrical System and Design, and Anton Wolf, Chief Mechanical Engineer, both
at AMSC Windtec in Austria, will be talking about “Effects for offshore wind turbine designs with increasing
wind park voltage level” at the international conference 66kV Offshore Wind this November in Bremen.
Before the event we had the chance to talk to both about main drivers behind the move to higher collector
grid voltage levels and the main obstacles to overcome until 66 kV becomes a standard. Read the full
interview with our speakers here!
Expert Interview