PERFORMANCE AND MAINTENANCE EXPERIENCESWITH A WIND TURBINE DURING 20 YEARS OF OPERATION

摘要

A wind electric generator with a 13.4-m (44-ft) rotor diameter was installed in the SouthernrnGreat Plains at the USDA Conservation and Production Research Laboratory, Bushland,rnTX, in May 1982 and was operated to assist in providing electricity to a 23 kW (30 hp)rnirrigation pump motor. The original turbine was a 240 V, single-phase generator with arnrated capacity of 25 kW. This prototype unit was changed to a three-phase, 40 kWrngenerator production unit in 1984 and later that year, a three-phase, 480 V generator ratedrnat 60 kW was installed. All three units used the same size rotor and design. The windrnturbine has generated power for over 93,811 hours during the 20 years and producedrnalmost 1,425,641 kWh of electricity. The wind turbine operated for 53.6% of the hoursrnsince installation and recorded a capacity factor of 20.4%. Although several componentrnfailures occurred during the testing period, the wind turbine had an availability of 90%.