
The new HTW5.2-136 wind-turbine generator is designed to increase output in light-wind regions that have annual average wind speeds below 7.5 m/s.
Hitachi, Ltd. has developed a 5-MW offshore wind-turbine generator system with a downwind configuration. The HTW5.2-136 features a 15% larger rotor swept area to increase output in light-wind regions that have annual average wind speeds below 7.5 m/s.
The new system is scheduled to begin a trial run in October onshore at the Fukashiba Wind Power Station in Kashim-aport of Hitachi Wind Power Ltd. Should the trial run prove successful, Hitachi Wind Power intends to release the new turbine generator in FY2017. It’s worth noting that the rated power of the previous model, the HTW5.0-126, has been increased to 5.2 MW and will be released as the HTW5.2-127.
The use of renewable energy is spreading in Japan, due in part to the feed-in tariff scheme that was introduced in July 2012 to encourage the creation of a low-carbon society. As an archipelago of islands, there is also potential for Japan to make greater use of offshore wind-turbine generators and take advantage of the vast areas of open sea with extensive wind resources and minimal constraints on site availability and transportation.
A number of these installations are currently being planned. But to generate power more efficiently, offshore wind turbine generator systems must be extremely reliable and have a large per-turbine output.
To date, Hitachi’s turbine generator systems command the top share in Japan in terms of orders. A cumulative total of 250 turbines have been ordered, of which 118 are currently in commercial operation*.
Hitachi’s first 5-MW turbine generator system began operation at Hitachi Wind Power’s Fukashiba Wind Power Station in Kashima-port in September 2015, and the system has also been selected for the Fukushima Floating Offshore Wind Farm Demonstration Project (Fukushima FORWARD) currently being undertaken by the Fukushima Offshore Wind Consortium.
Hitachi has increased the rated power of the new HTW5.2-136 5-MW class wind-turbine system to 5.2 MW by optimizing its set-up and its control programs. It has also made it possible to increase output in light-wind regions that have an annual average wind speed below 7.5 m/s by increasing the rotor diameter to 136 m, thereby enlarging the wind swept area by 15% more than the previous model.
In the future, Hitachi intends to market the HTW5.2-136 for use in light-wind regions along the coasts of Honshu, the main island of Japan. The company also plans to market the HTW5.2-127 for use at windier sites, such as the coasts of Hokkaido, northern part of the Tohoku region on Honshu, and southern Kyushu, which require wind turbines with the ability to withstand stronger winds.
Filed Under: News, Offshore wind, Turbines