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