Ingeteam, an independent global supplier of electrical conversion and turbine control equipment, announced that a recent in-house R&D study has allowed them to work out the optimal electrical power conversion designs for offshore wind turbines up to 18 MW.
Ingeteam says it designed its new medium-voltage full power converter range “as a response to some of the most important challenges facing the offshore wind market today.” The next generation of converters for giant offshore wind turbines must be able to guarantee the fulfilment of the most demanding grid codes while meeting ever increasing power quality standards.
“We wanted to provide our OEM customers working on next-generation offshore turbines with a power conversion solution that combines optimized cost, high efficiency, easy maintainability and improved reliability – all combined into one rugged product,” says Carlos Gironés, R&D director of converters and controls at Ingeteam.
“Years of R&D have led to a power conversion solution that, by parallelizing two conversion lines, can push the previous power rating boundaries at medium voltage past the 13 MW limit to reach 18 MW,” he adds. “Such a cutting-edge solution in the sector is already emerging as the new standard for future offshore wind mega turbines.”
Ingeteam’s new converter range continues the development of HV IGBT semiconductors technology. This widely used technology has been proven during years of operation in harsh environments such as traction, marine propulsions and dredging applications. The assembly of the HV IGBT does not need any additional tooling, which eases the mounting process of the BPMs; and as the package of the semiconductor includes insulation to the cooling circuit, there is no need for deionized water.
Helping to lower LCOE
Ingeteam says its latest converters can help contribute to the lowering of LCOE by maximizing reliability and minimizing the maintenance requirements of its key components. The converter has maintenance-friendly characteristics such as front access and easily removable key components, which help to reduce operational costs.
Ingeteam’s MV full power converters have been specially designed for the offshore market, with a fully enclosed cabinet that guarantees the safe operation of the converter in harsh offshore weather. It is designed to resist the most demanding mechanical, electrical or ambient operating conditions, even in the worst grid conditions.
State-of-the-art controls
Ingeteam has developed the control algorithms of its full power converters to guarantee the fulfilment of the most demanding grid codes. The control algorithms have been developed under SIL simulation and HIL validation before test-bench validation and commissioning.
The converter’s controls are based on a distributed control topology to effectively manage different conversion lines. With this topology, the conversion lines can manage redundancy under faulty conditions, which increases each turbine’s availability.
“One of the main electrical drivetrain topologies is based on two electrically independent connections, one per conversion line. The power converter redundancy provides the benefits of increasing availability of the turbine if one of the conversion lines fails – which is a key factor in the offshore market, as it increases the energy yield and the return of investment,” says Gironés.
About Ingeteam
Ingeteam is a team of more than 4,000 people in 24 countries, with more than 80 years of experience in providing creative solutions to specific problems to electrify society in an innovative and sustainable way through cutting-edge technology specialized in the conversion of electrical energy.
Ingeteam’s complete product range in the onshore and offshore wind power sector includes power converters, wind turbine controllers, electric switchboards, INDAR generators, condition monitoring systems, SCADA and analysis systems for wind turbines up to 18 MW, in addition to multi-technology and multi-brand operation and maintenance services. Ingeteam is the world’s #1 independent supplier of wind power converters, with 55 GW of installed wind power capacity.
