Integrated inverters for yaw control

4th Quarter 2012 Electrical switching & drive systems & components

The Husum wind energy exhibition is the world’s top event for the wind energy sector. In September Bonfiglioli used the occasion to present a new gearmotor with an integrated inverter control system.

Bonfiglioli’s new yaw control gearmotor for the next generation of wind turbines incorporates all the company’s vast know-how and experience. Bonfiglioli offers a complete yaw control solution based on the integration of mechanical, electrical and electronic control sub-systems in a single mechatronic unit. The new, integrated unit guarantees improved performance and delivers advantages in terms of reliability, compactness, reduced weight and a reduced number of components, offering a complete plug and play solution. It is designed to satisfy the needs of global wind turbine manufacturers, especially those producing turbines of more than 3 MW in power, for which reliability and availability are particularly important.

Existing turbines equipped with conventional yaw systems with fixed speed motors and no inverter control can be quickly and easily retrofitted without having to change the mechanical layout of the nacelle. Bonfiglioli’s new inverter offers immediate benefits not only in terms of both functionality and yaw system reliability. Electronic torque control extends the life of the gearmotor and also ensures even load distribution, especially in the presence of load peaks caused by wind gusts. In the case of turbines with yaw systems controlled by conventional inverters, retrofitting still optimises system costs by eliminating or reducing the size of the installation cabinet and saving on cabling and commissioning times.

For more information contact Robert Rohman, Bonfiglioli, +27 (0)11 608 2030, [email protected], www.bonfiglioli.co.za

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