Siemens' new direct-drive low wind turbine has reached the prototype testing stage.
Siemens' new direct-drive low wind turbine has reached the prototype testing stage. The onshore 3MW class model SWT-3.15-142, with a rotor diameter of 142 m has successfully passed prototype approval and has now been erected at the Drantum wind test site in Jutland, Denmark. The IEC Class IIIA wind turbine is the first Siemens model to be equipped with rotor blades based on hybrid-carbon technology. With tower configurations allowing hub heights of up to 165 m and 69 m rotor blades it is expected to set new standards in energy yield.
The WTG is part of the onshore direct drive product platform and uses the same nacelle and major components as models like the SWT-3.6-130. Specific settings of the control system and the lightweight 142 m rotor allow it to reach a high efficiency rating. Even at average wind speeds of only six m/s, it harvests an energy yield of 10 GWh/y.