The 5M turbine has a die-cast, hollow rotor shaft. The turbine is equipped with a variable speed generator-inverter system and an individual electrical blade pitch system. The rotor consists of a cast rotor hub and three rotor blades made from a glass/carbon fiber hybrid fabric, together with synthetic resins, each blade weighing 18 tons. The material used and the hollow rotor shaft enable a significant reduction in the turbine’s weight.
The wind is tracked via eight electric geared motors. The drives are fitted with electromagnetic multiple disc brakes and the turbine’s nacelle is held by eight hydraulic brake calipers. The 5M is equipped with a helicopter platform on the roof of the nacelle, for offshore applications. Safety is ensured both by a lightening protection system and an automatic fire protection system.
Minimum stress in the tube tower is achieved by the characteristic frequency of the tower being higher than the rotating frequency of the rotor. The tower’s shape depends on the model and is either a tubular steel structure or a concrete-steel hybrid. A prototype of this wind turbine was constructed in Brunsbüttel, Germany.
TFOT recently covered other wind turbines, such as the first Magenn Air Rotor System (MARS), and a vertical axis wind turbine, which is not only more aesthetic but also better at gathering wind near and around buildings. TFOT also reported on a new concept of a floating rig, which converts the ocean’s wind into electricity, designed to create hydrogen that serves as fuel for a land power plant.
