As wind energy is becoming one of the primary forms of renewable energy, manufacturers are aiming to reduce costs and one solution is to have large turbines that can produce more electricity. In the following sections, we will look at some of the biggest turbines based on their blade diameters as well as production capacity.
Vestas V164:
The project for developing this turbine was planned in 2011 and the first of these turbines was made ready this year. It is a geared offshore turbine with 8MW capacity. Other elements include the lightweight nacelle and the blades, which are eighty meter long. The first of these turbines has been set up at test center for national wind turbines in Osterild, Denmark.
Enercon E126:
It is a large turbine with capacity of 7.5 MW and caters to the onshore market. The turbine consists of concrete tower having hub height of 135 meters and hybrid blades made from segmented steel composite with rotor diameter of 127 meters. Additionally, the generator present in the turbine is of twelve-meter diameter.
Repower 6M Series:
It is one of the largest turbines fitted in open sea and has a capacity of 6MW. Repower is both an offshore and onshore turbine with 126 meters of rotor width and if installed offshore, it has tower height of 95 meters.
Siemens SWT:
It is another offshore turbine with largest blades in the world of seventy-five meters. They have already been able to sign a deal with an energy company called Dong energy for 1.8GW and valued to be about €2.9 billion.
Alstom Haliade:
Before Siemens ousted it with its blade of 75 meter, Alstom Haliade held the world record for the largest blade with 73-metre long blades. The turbine is part of the 3GWoffshore project implemented in France. It consists of a permanent magnet generator using direct drive technology and has a diameter of 7.5 meters.
Sinovel SL6000:
It has a capacity of 6MW and is the largest turbine in China. The other features include a rotor of 128-meter diameter and ride through capacity in low voltage. The company is also planning to create a 10MW turbine in the near future.
Areva M5000:
Built in the 90s, it is one of the oldest offshore turbines with a capacity of 5MW. Only last year the company decided to replace the turbine rotor with a much larger 136 meters one as compared to the previous which was only 113 metres.M5000 will be used in a offshore project of France in English Channel.
Gamesa G5MW:
It is an onshore turbine with 5MW capacity, consists of a rotor of 128 meters and specifically designed to cater to class I wind speeds. It is quite lightweight and as such can make use of monopole foundation with as much as 35 meters of depth.
Bard 5MW:
The first of the turbines was installed in North Sea in the year 2008. If we look at the features, the turbine has a rotor diameter of 122-metres, 14-meter long nacelle and dimension of 8.5mtr Width x 8mtr Height.
Xemc 5MW:
It is an offshore turbine manufactured by a Chinese firm. The rotors are 100-metres in diameter with blades measuring 115-metres. It will be the only Chinese turbine that will get installed close to the Swedish cost in European waters.
Summary:
There are many large wind turbines being created all around the world with capacities ranging from 4MW up to 8MW. These wind turbines hold a lot of prospect and can help the world build up alternative sources of energy.
