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Development and Test of a 5 kW Wind Turbine for Modular Autonomous

Supply Systems

Conference Paper · January 2019

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Development and Test of a 5 kW Wind Turbine for Modular Autonomous Supply Systems

Authors: Berthold Hahn, Paul Kühn

Institut für Solare Energieversorgungstechnik e. V.
Königstor 59, D-34119 Kassel, Germany
Telephone: +49(0)561-7294-329
Fax: +49(0)561-7294-260
E-mail: bhahn@iset.uni-kassel.de

Abstract
A small wind turbine fitting into an autonomous power supply system has been newly developed in response to
requirements concerning power performance, reliability, usability, and costs. Several approaches to achieve specific
ex works costs in the range of large grid connected wind turbines were investigated. A specially designed induction
generator provides high efficiency at partial load, an integrated design concept leads to reduced weight, and a special
rotor blade design reduces production costs significantly.
A prototype is being tested at a test facility, which provides the experimental operation in an autonomous supply
system under different realistic conditions. Besides standard measurements, the testing is focused on the interaction
of the wind turbine with the supply system giving best attention to the dynamic behaviour of electrical properties.
Among others, inrush currents, hysteresis loop switching between generator stages, reaction and stability of the yaw
system, and fluctuation of electrical power under influence of stall effect are investigated.
The paper will present an overview of the different development approaches, the testing facilities and the first results.
1 Introduction
For a number of years the market offers a variety of different models of small wind turbine which had been produced
up to now in small numbers. Currently the specific prices of these small turbines are twice or even three times as high
as that of large state of the art wind turbines.
As there is principally a high demand for decentralised power supply with small autonomous systems a small wind
turbine with an output of 5 kW had been developed with aeroSmart5. The project had been carried out from the end
of 2001 until the end of 2005 with funds of the German Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and
Nuclear Safety (BMU).

Fig. 1: Example for the use of aeroSmart5 in hybrid systems or connected to the public grid

In spring 2004 a first prototype had been installed in the test field Kaiser-Wilhem-Koog and tested and optimised in
grid connected operation. A second prototype had been tested on the ISET test field “Alte Schanze” in Immenhausen
at the autonomous experimental hybrid system.

2 Project Partners
The development and tests of aeroSmart5 were carried out by a consortium of five companies and institutes, all of
which have a wealth of experience and detailed expertise.
SMA Technologie AG (project management)
SMA has the lead management in the overall project and is mainly in charge of system integration and the develop-
ment of electrical components including the entire control unit. In addition to that, SMA commissioned the company
microwind GmbH to conclude an extensive survey of relevant markets for the use of areoSmart5.

aerodyn Energiesysteme GmbH

aerodyn developed the entire mechanical structure, the design of the rotor blades, the casing, gear box, tower and
foundation. The applicability in remote areas of various concepts for the system’s tower and installation were exam-
ined within the framework of a subcontract with the company microwind GmbH commissioned by aerodyn.
University of Kassel, Institute for Electrical Energy Technology – Power Supply Systems (IEE-EVS)
The IEE-EVS designed the generator; a focus was to achieve a particularly high efficiency at partial load. A single-
phase generator with identical dimension and rated power was developed for a model variant.
Institute for Solar Energy Supply Technics (ISET)
ISET provides the test field “Alte Schanze” with wind and meteorological measurement equipment and an experi-
mental hybrid system. It contributes by optimising the system by measurements and evaluations of electrical and
other system specific parameters.

3 Technical Execution aeroSmart5

The objective of the development is a cost-effective and system compatible wind turbine which helps to extend the
use of renewable energy by integrating wind power into modular energy systems technology [1], [2], [3]. To achieve
this goal accident-sensitive functions should be reduced or transferred to electrical components and a wind turbine
price should be realized which, with respect to the rated power of the turbine, is close to the price of large contempo-
rary wind turbines.
Special technical objectives for the development are:
• universal applicability for various grids,
• cost-effective single components,
• high efficiency of drive train and generator,
• key role in integration ability and safety by suitable design of the electrical system including control and
operation.

Construction and design of aeroSmart5 is first of all oriented to the specifications of the international series of stan-
dards IEC 61400. As the future place of the installation is not known and the turbine could be erected e.g. at sites
with extreme external conditions, the small wind turbine fulfils some especially strict conditions, like the following:
• high maximal survival wind speed with 70 m/s,
• high resistance against humidity and dust for the casing: IP65,
• a large operation range with temperatures between –25 °C and 50 °C,
• a wide supply voltage range of 400 V ±15 % in 5 % of the operation time,
• a wide frequency range of 50 Hz ±2 %.

Furthermore it had to be taken into account that in general there will be no technical maintenance on site and no
service team nearby. Therefore the following requirements had to be considered in addition:
• easy assembly on site or only with little technical support,
• high safety level of technical equipment and for persons,
• easy to use without special knowledge,
• high robustness and reliability,
• long service life combined with long maintenance cycles.

The technology of aeroSmart5 which had been developed on the basis of these requirements is significantly different
to that of contemporary large-scale systems. The most important requirement is reliability as great as possible and
maintenance as low as possible, since having qualified personnel coming to the site could possibly cost as much as
the wind turbine itself.
Another important construction requirement is the resistance against sand and dust. At costal sites the negative im-
pact of salt and humid air had to be taken into consideration. Therefore all system components had to be sealed on a
long-term basis to prevent their penetration. Furthermore the nacelle weight had to be designed for an easy transport
and assembly.
The above mentioned considerations and the deduced requirements lead to the technical data shown in fig. 2. In
addition fig. 2 shows schematically the principal construction of aeroSmart5 for the connection to a three phase grid
with 400 V voltage.
Technical Data
IEC type class: TK 1
Rated power (6-poles / 1.5 kW / 5.0 kW
4-poles):
Asynchronous generator: Two-speed,
pole-changing
Frequency: 50 Hz
Cut in wind speed: 3.5 m/s
Rated wind speed: 13.5 m/s
Max. survival wind speed: 70 m/s
Operating temperature range: -25 °C to 50 °C
Yaw: Downwind turbine
with free yaw
Power control: Passive stall
Number of rotor blades: 3
Rotor diameter 5.1 m
Rated speed: 120 min-1 / 180 min-1
1. Brake system: Electromagnetic safety
brake
2. Brake system: Redundant mechanical
brake
Weight nacelle without rotor: 110 kg
Weight rotor: 31 kg
Fig. 2: Technical data, main components and functions of aeroSmart5

3.1 Machine Casing

The components rotor bearings, gearbox, generator, safety brake, vertical bearing and slip ring transducer of the
system are situated in the machine casing. The very compact cast aluminum case had been optimised with respect to
stiffness, strength, heat removal and manufacturing. The complex component part is cast as one piece and entirely
processed to be the finished product in a single setup. This is achieved in a cost-effective way through an automated
process with the highest level of accuracy and quality. The entire machine is coated with a special sea water-resistant
coating in order to guarantee optimal protection against corrosion.

3.2 Development of Rotor Blade

The rotor of the aeroSmart5 has three rotor blades made of a pultruded GRP profile. The material has excellent
fatigue characteristics and is very abrasion resistant and UV-resistant. The power in case of high wind speed is con-
trolled by means of an aerodynamic profile with specifically designed stall characteristics. As there were no suitable
airfoils available the development of a special profile was necessary, which had been tested in the wind tunnel of the
University of Stuttgart. With this airfoil, despite of the simple blade structure of constant depth and without twist, a
cp of 0.43 is reached for the rotor.
A problem for aeroSmart5 is that the rotor of the system has to resist the pressure of extreme winds. The design wind
speeds reach up to 70 m/s. At these wind speeds, aeroSmart5 has been shut down and reached standstill.
In order to resist the wind forces the airfoil section has such a low flap wise bending resistance that the rotor blade
can bend elastically by more than two thirds of its stretched length. Upon extreme winds with speeds of 70 m/s the
rotor blade bends to 70 % of its stretched length, which reduces the rotor's radius to 67 %. As a result of the strong
deflection, the projected area attacked by the wind becomes significantly smaller, and so does the drag coefficient,
because of the strong outward curvature of the blades due to the deflection. Under extreme wind conditions, these
two effects reduce the wind thrust on the entire system to half of the thrust on systems with rigid rotor blades. Due to
this, the manufacturing costs could be reduced significantly, since material for the load transmitting components such
as rotor shaft, machine casing, vertical bearing, tower, bracing and foundation were saved.

3.3 Generator Development

Due to cost reduction a pole-changing asynchronous generator had been provided for the aeroSmart5 and designed in
the Institute IEE-EVS of the University of Kassel. To be able to achieve cheap and highly efficient wind power, the
efficiency of the mechanical electronical energy conversion in a large power range of the delivered power was allo-
cated an important role.
First of all different models of asynchronous generators were investigated, dimensioned and in particular optimised
for high efficiency. After these optimizations, similar stator and rotor systems of asynchronous generators were
installed into the aeroSmart5’s machine casing and examined together with the gear box as an entire drive train.
The generator is designed to allow pole-switching and its two rotational speed values are switched according to the
wind speed. The rated power of the first stage (6-pole) is 1.5 kW, the second stage’s rate (4-pole) 5.0 kW.

3.4 System Control Unit

The system control unit fulfils the function to perfectly detect all the system’s operating conditions and to trigger
corresponding actions, if necessary. The generator and the electromagnetic brake system are the components inside
the nacelle which are to be controlled by the system control unit. The electrical connection to the generator and brake
system is achieved via slip rings and a cable which leads to the tower. The system control unit is located in a separate
special steel casing in IP65, which is installed at the bottom of the tower.
On a display the most import system information like power output and rotor speed are shown. With the help of an
interface the system collects measurement data or carries out parameter settings. If a telephone line is available a
remote control is also possible via the interface.
A special focus is on the safe system operation. Consequently, in contrast to conventional small-scale wind turbines,
the aeroSmart5 will have like large-scale wind turbines a number of sensors that monitor the systems operation. This
security sensor chain consisting of a centrifugal switch, vibration switch and thermo switch is connected in series to
the brake system. Any of these sensors can trigger an EMERGENCY STOP and thus actuate the brake system and
stop the machine.

4 Prototype Testing
The first prototype of an aeroSmart5 had been erected in spring 2004 on the testing field of the Windtest Kaiser-
Wilhelm-Koog GmbH at the North Sea coast. The system had been connected in parallel to the public grid and could
be tested without possible influences from the test hybrid system. In addition to optimising the pitch angle and the
output hysteresis the power curve had also been recorded.
The ISET has set up a test field at the “Alte Schanze” site in Immenhausen, approx. 10 km north of Kassel that al-
lows measuring the small wind turbine at operation, as part of an autonomous hybrid system. With regard to its elec-
trical integration into the autonomous system, this prototype has to fulfil requirements that exceed those of a connec-
tion to the grid. The erection of the second prototype at the “Alte Schanze” took place in autumn 2004.
The hybrid system is placed in a standard container and operated autonomously, without being connected to the grid.
A 2.6 kW PV system provides the required energy, and if necessary several generators in test operation (here:
aeroSmart5), backed up by a diesel generator. If the battery is charged and a high feed-in takes place from PV sys-
tems and wind power at the same time, the consumption can be significantly increased by switching in dump loads.
The core of the hybrid system are three battery converter Sunny Island (4.5 kW each) by SMA, which together with a
battery bank (60 V, 30 kWh) form and monitor the grid. All other components (three PV power converters
Sunny Boy with 850 W each, diesel generator 9 kW) which are connected to the autonomous grid work independ-
ently and are reliable on their own, i.e. in case of internal failures of these components or of the grid they have to
switch into a safe operation state or have to switch themselves off, if necessary. In the case of the hybrid system on
the test field a superior system control in form of a PC monitors all functions additionally. With the help of this PC
all connected systems can be intentionally switched in and off via a bus system (Interbus-S).
All generators and loads as well as grid connection if necessary are equipped with current, voltage and power meas-
urement devices. Thus it is not only possible to balance energy flows but also to measure the dynamic behaviour of
these parameters. A meteorological mast supplies e.g. wind data at hub height of the wind turbine. For testing the
aeroSmart5 additional measurements of the nacelle position, tower acceleration, active and reactive power were
realised by a quick analogue transmission.
The data basis of the aeroSmart5 measurements are continuously measured 1-Hz-values of electrical parameters of
all grid components, of the meteorological parameters and the specific operation parameters of the aeroSmart5. In
addition selected operational parameters are evaluated in a 60-Hz-measurement in order to examine the dynamic
behaviour of the aeroSmart5; among them are wind speed and direction, azimuth angle of the nacelle, active and
reactive power, tower acceleration, generator rotational speed value as well as grid frequency and voltage.
Fig. 3: Prototype of the aeroSmart5 and ISET hybrid system at “Alte Schanze“

The testing and measuring of the prototype integrated into the hybrid system mainly focus on its interaction with the
three Sunny Island inverters. Observed are voltages, currents and the frequency at various operation modes of the
aeroSmart5, particularly upon connection to the grid and switching between the two generator stages. Measurements
and evaluations that concern the installation itself are also carried out on the “Alte Schanze” test field. The testing of
aeroSmart5 at “Alte Schanze” examines the following characteristics:
• energy flow and energy balance under different daytime and seasonal irradiance and wind conditions,
• functioning of reactive power compensation in different operational modes,
• dynamic behaviour of electrical parameters upon connections to the grid and switching between the two genera-
tor stages,
• interaction between electrical parameters in the grid and fluctuating wind power feed-in during partial load and
during the stall characteristics,
• impact of the stall effect to power limitation in case of high wind speed and turbulence intensities,
• influence of tower shadow on power signal and reactive vibrational excitation of blades and tower,
• dynamic alignment of the nacelle towards wind direction in case of turbulent flow,
• transient behaviour in case of low wind speeds,
• power curve based on IEC 61400,
• power behaviour in case of different internal and external operational modes.

5 First Results of Prototype Test

Investigations on the test field “Alte Schanze” had shown possibilities to optimise the interaction of aeroSmart5 and
the autonomous supply system as expected.
The power supply of the ISET hybrid system had been considerably determined by the power output of aeroSmart5.
As the power output of the wind turbine cannot be regulated, a complete charge of the battery could not be achieved
when using stepped dump loads to integrate the charging current.
An overloading of the battery could be prevented by a stepped connecting of the dump loads. Nevertheless there
were few incidents of a short-term battery overload when the aeroSmart5 was shut down and switched on the grid in
the case of good wind conditions and an already charged battery. The reason for overloads was the delayed activation
of the dump loads and the advanced aging of the battery of the hybrid system.
Furthermore a permanent change between charge and discharge took place (fig. 4), which could be observed during a
continuous power output of the aeroSmart5 when the battery was already fully charged. That caused a repeated
connecting and disconnecting of the large dump load putting an additional strain on the battery. This means that the
operation of aeroSmart5 has a negative impact on the charge state and the operating life of the battery without further
adaptation measures.
In the course of the tests the simple dump loads had been replaced by the SmartLoad of the company SMA. As the
SmartLoad can continuously adapt its consumption to the load surplus in the grid an optimisation of the battery
charge had been achieved as a matter of principle. After SmartLoad had been integrated into the autonomous supply
system no further overload occurred. The detailed evaluation of the functioning of aeroSmart5 interacting with
SmartLoad is part of further investigations.

Fig. 4: left: power flows in the hybrid system, battery states (BS = 7 Æ Battery fully charged,
BS > 7 Æ overcharge) and switch-off of aeroSmart5 (10-min-mean values, 2005-07-18 to 2005-07-20)
and right: course of battery current and voltage (1−min-mean values, 2005−07−20)

Testing the prototype on the test field “Alte Schanze” confirmed the function efficiency of the wind turbine under
significantly turbulent wind conditions. Fig. 5 shows up to date results of the measurement of the electrical power
output of the aeroSmart5 at “Alte Schanze”.

Fig. 5: Power curve of aeroSmart5 at the site “Alte Schanze”, (10−min−data: 2005−12−01 to 2006−01−26)

6 Outlook
Currently a single phase variant for the North American grid with 60 Hz is investigated in parallel. The bringing onto
the market of both variants of aeroSmart5 is planned for mid 2007. Furthermore a new development is considered.
The selected nominal value of aeroSmart5 is adapted to typical small capacities of generators and consumers in
decentralised supply systems. In the case of slightly higher consumer capacities several wind turbines can be inte-
grated in parallel due to the modular philosophy of the hybrid system "Sunny Island”. In this case a 10 kW wind
turbine would be significantly more cost-efficiently than two 5 kW turbines. Therefore possibilities are investigated
to develop a 10 kW variant of the aeroSmart based on the aeroSmart5 which is currently tested.
 7 Literature

1. S. Heier, W. Kleinkauf, F. Raptis: Rural Electrification with Hybrid Plants. 20th International Conference CIGR:
Rural Electrification and Rational Use in Agriculture. 21.–25. April 1997, Agadir, ANAFID, Agadir, Morocco,
pp 3.1–3.7
2. J. Bishop, O. Haas, W. Kleinkauf, F. Raptis, J. Sachau: Standardisation of Systems Technology for PV Power
Supply – Modular Structures with Series Produced Components. 2nd World Conference and Exhibition on Photo-
voltaic Solar Energy Conversion, July 1998, Wien
3. W. Kleinkauf, F. Raptis: Elektrifizierung mit erneuerbaren Energien – Hybridanlagentechnik zur dezentralen,
netzkompatiblen Stromversorgung. In: Forschungsverbund Sonnenenergie – Themen 96/97 – Strom aus Sonne und
Wind. Köln, 1997
4. S. Heier, Windkraftanlagen –Systemauslegung, Integration und Regelung-, 3.Auflage, Stuttgart/ Leibzig/
Wiesbaden: B.G. Teubner, 2003 ISBN 3-519-26171-5

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