WindLab™ Wind Turbine Power System
Product Summary• Programmable,VariableSpeedWindSource• Modern,RealWorldBladeDesign• HubAcceptsCustomBladesforPerformanceComparisonTesting• AllAlloy,CommercialGradePlanetaryGearBox• Purpose-BuiltThree-PhaseGeneratorwithDCExcitedEightPoleRotorandStator• AdjustableResistiveLoadforEachPhase• OnBoardSensorsandNationalInstruments™DataAcquisitionSystem• LabVIEW™GeneratedandUserConfigurableVirtualInstrumentPanel• Complete,Turn-KeySystem-ReadytoStartTeachingUponDelivery• IndustryLeadingWarrantywithUnsurpassedCustomerSupport• DesignedandManufacturedintheUSA
CREATINGEDUCATIONALLABORATORYEQUIPMENTFORTOMORROW’SENGINEER
A complete wind turbine electrical generation system, housed in a wind flow tunnel, featuring a three-phase generator and programmable wind speed source.
WindLab™ Wind Turbine Power System
CREATINGEDUCATIONALLABORATORYEQUIPMENTFORTOMORROW’SENGINEER
Description
A complete, portable, self-contained three phasewind turbine electrical generation power systemdesigned for engineering education andresearch.Allmajorcomponentsofafull-scalewindturbinepowersystemarereplicatedforhandsonstudy.
Althoughminiatureinscale,studentsareabletoexperiencethefullscopeofrealworldwindturbinethreephaseelectricalpowergenerationprinciples.Thesystemfeaturesaprogrammablespeedwindfanandwindtunnelenclosure.Thewindisductedthroughastraightenervanetoremovefaninducedairrotation,providingamorerealworldwindflowpattern.Windspeedismeasuredbyawindanemometer.Thescale,onemeterwindturbinefeaturesanindustrystandardthreebladedconfiguration,withmanualpitchadjustment.Bladescanbeinterchangedwithalternateair-foilspecbladesforperformanceinvestigationpurposes.
Theturbinerotorshaftdrivesacommercialgradeall-alloyplanetarygearbox,whichincreasesturbinerotorshaftRPMby3.99timestodrivethegeneratoratahigherRPM.ThepurposebuiltthreephasegeneratorfeaturesaDCexcited,eightpolerotorandaneightpole,threephasestator.Thewindturbinegeneratorgondolanacellefeaturesabuilt in “cutaway”section toallow thegenerator tobeviewed during operation. Three operator-controlledrheostatsallow independent resistive loadadjustmentforeachphaseofthethreephasesystem.Rheostatscanbecollectivelysetwitheven resistancevalues toprovidebalanced loadacrossallphases,orunevenlyset to demonstrate uneven loading characteristics onanelectricalgenerationsystem.
Industrial grade sensors measure and send systemparameters to an integrated National Instruments™digitaldataacquisitionsystem.Thissystemprovidesproper signals directly to control panel meters andthroughaUSBconnectionforrealtimedisplayontheprovided laptop computer. The virtual instrument,createdwith LabVIEW™,offers real timedisplayandinteractiveoperatorcontrolfeatures.Rundatacanberecordedforplaybackorfollow-onanalysis.Thedataacquisitionsoftwareisuserconfigurableandallsourcecodeisopen.
Allcomponentsarepre-mountedonaportablerollingchassisallowingtheentiresystemtobeconvenientlymovedforuseandstorage.Metalsurfacesarestainlesssteel,anodizedorpowdercoatedfordurabilityandeaseofmaintenance.Controlsareinplainviewandintuitivelyarrangedforeaseofuse.AcomprehensiveOperator’sManualdetailsallaspectsofsystemoperation.Complete technical and service informationallows students, educators and techniciansto gain a thorough understanding of systemdesign, operation and construction. Summaryoperating checklists allow rapid mastery ofsystem operation. Safety instructions addressalloperatingconditions.
Disassembled All-Alloy Planetary Gear Box
WindLab™enablesstudentsandresearcherstoreadilyconductin-depthexperimentationandanalysisofwindturbineelectricpowergeneration.
Theexistingrotorairfoilbladescanbeeasilyremoved,allowingalternativeairfoilrotorbladestobedesignedandinstalledforperformancecomparisontesting.Aeronauticalandstructural engineering studentswillfindthisWindLab™aspectalonetobechallengingandhighlyeducational.
Control engineeringstudentswillgainvaluableknowledgeandhands-onexperiencebeyondtheclassroomwiththeprogrammablevariablespeedwindfanthatcanbeoperatedmanuallyorprogrammedtoautomatespecificwindprofiles.Variouswindscenarioscanbeprogrammedandactuallyruntodemonstrate/determinewindturbinepowergenerationperformance.Theprogrammablewindspeedcapabilitiescanevenbeusedtorunactualwinddataprofilesfromproposedfull-scalewindturbinesitestohelpdeterminesitepotential.
Electrical engineeringstudentswillespeciallyappreciate thepurpose-built three-phaseelectricgeneratoronWindLab™. Withadjustableresistiveloadingoneachphase,userscanexperimentwiththeaffectsofunbalancedloadingatvariousgenerationspeeds,whileexperiencingthehands-onoperationofatruethree-phaseelectricpowergenerationsystem.
Mechanical engineeringstudentswillgainknowledgeandexperiencewiththeon-boardrotortogeneratorspeedamplificationgearbox.
TheintegrateddataacquisitionsystemrecordsanddisplaysdatainrealtimeforenhancedexperimentationandanalysisofallaspectsoftheWindLab™System.
Theverycapable,open-endeddesignofWindLab™allowsforamultitudeofeducationalandresearchpossibilitiesincluding;
CREATINGEDUCATIONALLABORATORYEQUIPMENTFORTOMORROW’SENGINEER
WindLab™ Wind Turbine Power System
• Basicunderstandingofwindturbinepowergenerationsystemoperation
• Aerodynamicperformancestudiesofwindturbinebladeairfoils
• Gearboxdesignandoperationanalysis
• Threephaseelectricalgeneratoroperationandanalysis
• Electricalpowerproductioninsteadystatewindconditions
• Unsteadywind/gustingconditionsaffectonpowerproduction
• Balanced/unbalancedloadingaffectsonwindturbineperformance
• Programmablewindprofilesforperformancestudies
• Frequencycontrolconsiderations
• Experimentalanddataacquisitiontechnique
• Discussiontopic:Considerationsforstand-aloneenergystoragesystems
• Discussiontopic:Considerationsforpowergridintegration
• Discussiontopic:Considerationsforwindfarmcoordination
• Discussiontopic:Considerationsforwindturbinemaintenance
• Discussiontopic:Powerfactorforaninductiveload
Experimental / Demonstrational Opportunities
Airfoil built with rapid prototype technology for comparative testing
CREATINGEDUCATIONALLABORATORYEQUIPMENTFORTOMORROW’SENGINEER
WindLab™ Wind Turbine Power System
Dimensions WindLab™:67wx45dx76hinches(170wx114dx193hcm) AsShipped:70wx48dx82hinches(178wx122dx208hcm)
Weight WindLab™:712lbs(323kg) AsShipped:792lbs(359kg)
Instrumentation DataAcquisitionSystem: NationalInstruments™Hardware 32AnalogIN-16DigitalIN/OUT-2Frequency/CounterChannels WindowsLaptopComputer-allSoftwareLoadedandPre-calibrated SingleCableUSBtoPCConnection CustomVirtualInstrumentDisplaywithConfigurableDataOutput InstalledDataAcquisitionSensors/Channels WindSpeed WindTurbineRotorRPM GeneratorRPM GeneratorFrequency GeneratorVoltageforEachPhase CurrentDrawforEachPhase TotalPowerOutput ControlPanelMountedDisplays/Controls: WindSpeed TurbineRPM Voltage(3total,oneforeachphase) Current(3total,oneforeachphase) LoadRheostats(3total,oneforeachphase)
OperatingConditions/Limitations WindFan:Limitedto8.2AmpElectricalCurrentDraw(fuseprotected) Generator:7.5Volts,0.25Amp,3.25Watts(LimitedforSafety)
OperatingRequirements TypicalLaboratoryorClassroomSetting Power:208Vsingle-phase50/60Hzfusedat15amp
Details Purchase Specifications
• A wind turbine electric power plantdesigned for engineering education andresearch.
• Aprogrammablewindfanandscalewindturbine mounted in a rigid, mobile windtunnelcabinet.
• Windfantobedrivenbyon-board,variablefrequencydrivewithpanelmountedspeedcontroller.
• Windturbinetobeindustry-standardthreeblade horizontal axis configuration withadjustable/replaceableblades.
• Wind turbine to drive planetary gearconfigurationstep-upgearbox.
• Generatortoconsistofathreephase,DCexcited8polerotor,eightpolethreephasestator,withalternatingcurrentoutput.
• Unit to include operator panel-mountedgenerator voltageandcurrentmeters foreachpowerphase.
• Load to be supplied by three operatorpanel-mounted rheostats, adjustedequallyforbalancedload,orunequallyforunbalancedloadscenarios.
• Tobe suppliedwith aUSBbaseddigitaldata acquisition system complete withcomputer and user configurable dataacquisitionsoftwarecapableofmeasuring,recording and displaying analog, digitaland frequency signals, including: WindSpeed, Turbine Rotor Speed, GeneratorRPM, Voltage, Current, Power andFrequency.
• Equipped with calibrated transducerscapable of measuring all elementsrequiredfordataacquisitionsystem.
• All metal surfaces to be stainless steel,anodized or powder coated to promotedurabilityandwearresistance.
• ProvidedwithacomprehensiveOperator’sManual with design, operation andconstructioninformation.
• Provided with summary operatingchecklists and safety instructions for alloperatingconditions.
• Tobecoveredbyafreetwoyearwarranty.
Screen Shot of Included Virtual Instrument Panel
TurbineTechnologiesLtd.410PhillipsSt.Chetek,WIU.S.A.•Ph:715-924-4876Fax:715-924-2436www.turbinetechnologies.cominfo@turbinetechnologies.comv2.14©2012
