German wind turbine manufacturer ENERCON signed an agreement to acquire shares in Dutch wind turbine manufacturer Lagerwey. With this strategic investment, ENERCON strengthens its portfolio in onshore wind turbines in all wind classes.
For now, Lagerwey will continue to operate as a stand-alone company with its own brand and organization but will closely cooperate with ENERCON in areas where synergies can be realized. Being part of the ENERCON organization enables Lagerwey to benefit from ENERCON’s scale in purchasing, production, and global sales network.
The Lagerwey generator uses form wound coils in the stator which allow for a high filling factor and optimal usage of the slot area.
Hans-Dieter Kettwig, Managing Director ENERCON: “This strategic partnership with Lagerwey is a great opportunity to strengthen our market position by enlarging the portfolio with further competitive and reliable wind turbines. We see Lagerwey as an ideal technological partner with an experienced and competent team.”
Huib Morelisse, CEO of Lagerwey: “The investment by ENERCON, a developer of direct drive, wind-turbine technology, in our company is an acknowledgment of our advanced level of technology and the innovative capabilities of our team. Becoming part of the ENERCON organization and ENERCONs strong market position means that the Lagerwey technology can be leveraged.”
Lagerway says this about its generator design: A new era in direct-drive generator design
The Lagerwey direct drive permanent magnet generator outlines a new era for wind turbine integration. The torque density of our latest generator is very high (compared to conventional direct drive generators) because the magnetic topology uses permanent magnets and a natural air flow based system for cooling the generator. This results in a smaller generator diameter with relatively low mass because less active material is needed. The generator efficiency is very high -around 97% in both full and partial load- as there is no need for magnetizing currents with associated losses. The high partial load performance plays an important role in the overall energy capture performance of the turbine because it is where the turbine spends the majority of its working life.
Natural cooling
The Lagerwey generator design relies on a natural cooling system which uses the natural air flow around the generator to perfectly match its cooling needs. When there is power, there is cooling. The thermal path between the heat source and the cooling fins on the outside is designed to be as short as possible.
Variable speed and blade pitch
The Lagerwey variable rotor speed principle with active pitch is designed to follow the optimal aerodynamic working point of the blade at all times. This ensures optimal distribution of the loads at high wind speeds and high energy efficiency at low wind speeds down to 2.2 m/s.
Windings and permanent magnets
The Lagerwey generator uses form wound coils in the stator which allow for a high filling factor and optimal usage of the slot area. This contributes to a large available cross-section in copper and allows for low losses when currents flow through the coils. Low losses mean high efficiency and less need for cooling, it cuts both ways. The permanent magnet rotor uses embedded magnets which are coated and encapsulated to protect them from the environment. The stator coils and insulation materials are impregnated with resin to produce a very reliable insulation system with low voltage stress.
The MST tower is a Lagerwey design and consists of metal sheets that are transported on standard trucks. The tower is assembled on site by bolting the metal sheets together for lifetime connection with prestressed high-quality bolts, a proven concept used in other industries.
The company it provides strong and light tower solutions for all our wind turbines. The towers are built by top-class manufacturers to our design specifications.
Tubular steel towers (TST)
This type of tower is a proven concept that commonly used in the wind market today. Tubular Steel Towers are easy to assemble and form a sleek tower design.
Modular Steel Tower (MST)
The MST tower is a Lagerwey design and consists of metal sheets that are transported on standard trucks. The tower is assembled on site by bolting the metal sheets together for lifetime connection with prestressed high-quality bolts, a proven concept used in other industries. The MST is light and reduces transport movements to 10% in comparison to concrete tower solutions. This reduces transport costs. Another advantage is the ability to build ever higher towers. We are currently designing a tower of 166 meters high for our L136 platform that can be transported without the need for adapting existing infrastructure.
Filed Under: Towers
