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First on the grid Woodward Kempen
FIRST ON THE GRID
Woodward Kempen is a global leader in the design and manufacture of wind turbine converters for onshore and offshore applications. Philip Yorke talked to Ludger Rupp, the company’s global sales director, about its modular power converter systems and growth in the offshore renewable energy market.
Woodward Kempen specialises in the development of renewable power systems (RPS) and is a global leader in the development and manufacture of modular wind power converter technology. The company forms an integral part of Woodward Inc., which was founded in 1870 in Colorado, USA and specialises in the development of integrated technologies for the aerospace and energy industries. Today Woodward’s growth is driven by its commitment to meeting the increasing demand for fuel-efficient, low-emission and highperformance energy management systems. With multiple global locations, Woodward is able to respond quickly to changing market needs by providing optimised solutions tailored to the local demands of its customers. The company is listed on the Nasdaq stock exchange in New York and employs more than 6000 people worldwide. In 2012 Woodward Inc. recorded sales of approximately €2 billion.
Optimised power generation systems
Woodward’s expertise in the development and manufacture of renewable energy wind converters is underscored by its established track record. The company provides innovative, tailor-made solutions worldwide and has supplied more than 11,000 wind turbine systems for both onshore and offshore applications. Woodward offers a broad portfolio of products including low and medium voltage, doubly fed (DFIG) and full size converter technology. The company’s latest flagship Concycle® medium voltage converter has been especially designed for operation in offshore wind turbines and provides optimal, high-performance results based upon many years of experience in offshore converter technology. Woodward also produces low voltage DFIG converters and full-size solutions for permanent magnet generators, which deliver optimal reliability and quality in a power-generating system, designed for variable speed wind turbines. The intelligent control of its Concycle® wind converters complies fully with all international grid code requirements.
Woodward is a also technology leader in the field of solar energy solutions and its 1000V solar inverters offer efficiencies of about 98 per cent and a wide, maximum
power point tracking (MPPT) that improves energy yield while offering one of the smallest CO2 footprints on the market. Additionally, Woodward offers power electronics solutions for power distribution, energy storage and marine propulsion applications.
Mr Rupp said, “We were one of the early pioneers when we entered the renewable energy market in 1995, producing IGBT frequency converters for wind turbines based upon the new requirements of the upcoming market. We had specific requirements to meet from the big energy providers such as Eon, and we supplied OEM manufacturers with converters rated up to 6MW. Now in offshore applications we are talking about wind installations that produce 6–10 megawatts of power and the demand for reliability and power quality continues to increase.”
“Initially it was the European market that was driving the industry but this is now a mature market and the main drivers for growth today are the emerging markets such as China, South Africa, India and South America, and in particular Brazil. Our wind turbine converters provide the gateway between the wind turbine and the grid itself and these world-class products control the electrical output of the wind turbine.”
Mr Rupp added, “Our extensive facility here in Kempen, Germany, is the global hub for our offshore applications worldwide and it is here that we specialise in the bigger output converters of 3MW and over. Offshore applications represent the biggest growth opportunity for us and we design our converters to meet the toughest and harshest conditions experienced at sea. Therefore reliability is of utmost importance to operators because servicing offshore installations is a very costly business, both in terms of maintenance and in respect of the revenues lost through an interruption in supply. However, in any event we do offer an unparalleled after-sales and technical support service worldwide and we also work closely with our customers to develop the optimal product to suit their specific requirements.
“In addition to our wind turbine converters, we also manufacture energy storage converters, solar inverters and shore power and dynamic positioning inverters. As an independent supplier we offer flexibility with our products and we are innovative in our approach to product development and customer service. It is also important to remember that we are a truly global organisation and can therefore provide a tailor-made, local service wherever a wind turbine installation may be required anywhere in the world.”
Innovative, modular platforms
Woodward’s Concycle® wind converters set the standards when it comes to reliability, efficiency and innovative technology. This is especially true of the company’s
compact, modular MP1 platform. This cutting-edge compact converter is well established in both onshore and offshore wind turbines and is being constantly updated to comply with the latest international grid code legislation requirements.
As a customer-orientated and flexible partner, Woodward also offers a local tender solution in countries where it is necessary for local suppliers to produce a certain percentage of the sustainable value chain. This is often required where a special tender consortium is involved like Brazil. Based upon the individual technology licence contract and the industrial property rights, Woodward is able to provide the appropriate critical elements of the overall project. n
For further information about Woodward’s latest wind turbine converters and services visit: www.woodward.com
Reactors for converters and drives
Mangoldt designs and manufactures various types of reactors for motor drive and frequency converter applications.
The renewable energy industry presents interesting challenges for reactor manufacturers. The electrical energy generated by wind turbines or PV panels is fed into the grid through special converters using either a series reactor or reactors combined with capacitors to form an input harmonic filter. The main issue for such reactors is the fundamental current load combined with a considerable amount of superimposed harmonics and ripple currents. In particular, these ripple currents can reach significant amplitudes, and frequencies can be in the region of 3kHz to 28 kHz. These demanding characteristics create the need for precise design of the iron core structure to achieve the desired electrical performance and to avoid excessive noise and heat.
The design of Mangoldt reactors is based upon more than 30 years of experience, unique in-house testing capabilities, and ongoing research and development. The reactors have proven to maintain their inductive properties and reliability in both rigorous and diverse applications throughout their entire lifespan. Mangoldt’s Polygap® technology achieves high linearity and stable inductance within the specified frequency spectrum, while minimizing the intensity of stray magnetic fields.
Mangoldt has gained notoriety for their ability to produce low loss converter reactors which enable the generation of renewable energy with high converter system efficiency. To confirm reactor performance, Mangoldt developed unique test equipment to prove the reactor’s conformity with stringent customer specifications and application requirements.
Hans von Mangoldt GmbH Hergelsbendenstrasse 18 D - 52080 Aachen, Germany Phone: +49 241 166070 Fax: +49 241 1660721 E-mail: info@mangoldt.com
