Wind Energy Technology

Compentency	Analyzing the project management work flow for a wind farm (from the production resp. construction of turbine components to electricity generation and turbine maintenance)
Module type	elective module
Semester	summer
Site	Kassel
Language	English
Workload	90 hours course attendance; 60 hours self-study
Credits points	6
Recommended qualifications	none

Mechanical Aspects of Wind Energy

After the successful participation in the course Mechanical Aspects of Wind Energy the students are able to:

apply their gained knowledge about the design of different wind turbines resp. single components and their material requirements on specific locations
identify the optimal location for a planned wind farm and to develop it after analyzing the requirements for construction, logistics and grid connection as well as national standards

Wind turbine components:
- different wind turbine designs and their components
- functional requirements
- aesthetic criteria
Mechanical drive train and machine house:
- comparison of different design concepts
- blade adjustment system, rotor brake
- step up gears, generator coupling tracking of wind direction
Machine house design:
- different gear boxes and mechanical drives
- needed safety and braking systems
Loads and structural demands:
- static aerodynamic and structural loads on blades and towers
- dynamic loads on blades and towers
- extra loads from the mechanical systems connected to the wind turbine
- modeling to calculate the loads and structural demands
- mechanical components and control system loads
Forces and performance curves for the wind turbine
Rotor blades in composite construction:
- materials, composite material construction
- rotor blade construction
- rotor blade connection to the hub
Towers and foundation (design and varieties):
- steel tube towers, concrete tower, lattice tower
- suitable foundation
Planning, installation and operation:
- planning wind farms
- developing a Gantt chart to define when the different design / construction / testing and operation will commence
- legislations for land and environmental operation
- transport facilitations for wind farm
- plant erection, testing and operation
- safety aspects
- service and maintenance
- certification of wind power plants
Field excursion to German wind farm sites

After the successful participation in the course Electrical Aspects of Wind Energy the students are able to:

distinguish the design of different types of Wind Energy Converter and to analyze their function in different control concepts
be aware of different electrical networks and possible problems related with grid integration and grid control
apply mathematical models for control system design and plant simulation

Components and functions of Wind Energy Converter (WEC):
- main components of wind energy converters
- rotor blade with pitch drive
- input torque, generator
- mechanical drive train
Calculation of blade setting and obtaining performance curves
Grid integration:
- different electrical networks
- grid influences
- different problems related with grid integration
- schemes for grid control
Control concepts and operational results:
- island grid operation of WECs
- grid operation, interconnection operation
Control system design and plant simulation:
- plant components characteristics
- control systems for the plant operation
- development of mathematical models for control and simulation
- dimensioning of the controllers