A new control system for wind turbines, built by Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands (ECN) makes it possible to build larger wind turbines that produce up to 13% more energy.
Tests carried out at the ECN wind farm using the system, which allows blades to be adjusted individually, show that the load on the wind turbine blades can be reduced by at least 20 %. ECN and wind turbine manufacturer XEMC-Darwind have designed a control system, based on Individual Pitch Control, that allows each of the three rotor blades to be controlled and adjusted individually. A computer programme constantly monitors the wind load and adjusts the positions of the blades accordingly. This makes it possible to design larger wind turbines with rotor blades that are more than 6 % longer and that can produce up to 13 % more energy. The ECN Individual Pitch Control system was subjected to prolonged, large-scale testing for two months on a wind turbine with a rotor diameter of 115 metres – the XEMC-Darwind XD 115. Testing took place at the ECN test farm in the Wieringermeer area, in accordance with the international IEC standard.
