Wind Generator Design Improvements: Ensuring Reliability and Improving Performance
As the installed base and generation capacity of wind generators grow, ensuring the reliability and availability of each unit becomes crucial. The wind industry must strive for long-term reliability through continuous engineering improvements.
This case study analyzes common failures for the widely-used 2.3 MW wind generator, with over 8,000 installations in the U.S. It proposes engineering design improvements to reduce manufacturing complexities, costs, and to enhance performance and reliability. Notably, a new stator core and winding design is introduced, featuring an innovative configuration that eliminates complex overhang transposition connections. This design reduces coil manufacturing, winding, and connection times by 30%, simplifying insulation needs, cutting losses, boosting efficiency, lowering temperature rise and extending insulation life.