DESCRIPTION

Technical Description

The yield of a wind power plant depends on the prevailing wind speeds and the usability of the electricity generated. In order to study the operation of a wind power plant under real weather conditions, ET 220.01 was developed for the ET 220 experimental system.

The ET 220.01 wind power plant consists of an engine room, also called a nacelle, mounted on a pivoting mast with a stable base and supports. The speed of the rotor and the wind speed are measured.  These measured values are displayed on the control unit and in the ET 220 software. The ET 220 control unit measures the generator's current and voltage. It is also possible to connect the accompanying battery to the wind power plant via a charge controller.

The rotor is aligned to the wind direction by means of a vane on the nacelle. The rotor hub contains a mechanical capacity controller that uses rotor blade adjustment. The wind power plant generates a direct current at a wind speed of about 5m/s. A rectifier is integrated in the nacelle. 

Before commissioning, ET 220.01 must be connected to the control unit of ET 220. Cables are provided for this purpose, separated for the sensors and the generated electricity. It is easy to change the location of the ET 220.01 wind power plant. To do this, the device is dismantled and can easily be transported on rollers. The device is weather resistant so that it can also be operated in bad weather periods over several days. 

The well-structured instructional materials for ET 220 and ET 220.01 set out the fundamentals and provide a step-by-step guide through the experiments.

Learning Objectives / Experiments

- conversion of kinetic wind energy into electrical energy
- design and function of a wind power plant in stand-alone operation 
- energy balance of a wind power plant under real wind conditions