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Drive train The mechanical component of the turbine which transmits the
motion of the rotor to the generator. The drive train consists of the
rotor shaft, gear, coupling and the generator armature.
EEG Abbreviation for ‘‘Erneuerbare Energien Gesetz’’ (Renewable
Energies Act). For the Federal Republic of Germany the EEG
superseded the ‘‘Stromeinspeisungsgesez’’ (Act on Supplying
Electricity from Renewable Energies into the Public Grid). The
EEG has been in force since April 1, 2000.
Engineering Technical calculations and construction works
Fossil fuels Energy reserves formed millions of years ago by the decomposition
of plants and animals in a vacuum, under high temperatures and
pressure. These fuels include oil, gas, lignite and hard coal.
Gear The gear lies between the slow-moving d rotor shaft and the fastmoving
generator shaft. The gear causes the generator shaft to
turn approximately 70 times faster than the rotor shaft. This is
essential as the generator must turn at a much greater speed than
the rotor. All of the rotor’s output is transferred to the generator
via the gear.
Generator The generator transforms the kinetic energy of the rotor into
electrical energy. Generators for wind turbines differ from
generators for conventional power plants. One reason is that the
generator is connected to a power source (the rotor) with a variable
output of kinetic energy. Normally an asynchronous generator is
used as electrical generator. (d asynchronous generator).
Generator slip The slip is the difference between the rotation speed of the
generator armature and the grid frequency in the stator of the
generator, it occurs only in asynchronous generators and allows
the simple operation of the turbine at various rotor rotation speeds
(see d rotation range, d asynchronous generator and d
inverter).
Grid frequency The rate of oscillation of an electricity grid: 50 Hz in Europe, 60 Hz
in the US.
Inverter An electronic device which regulates the energy produced by the
d asynchronous generator and feeds it into the grid. An inverter is
required in variable-speed turbines or those not directly connected
to the grid. The speed of the rotor’s rotation changes depending on
the wind conditions, so the inverter adjusts the energy from the
generator to the grid frequency, allowing the turbine to operate at
variable speeds.
Kilowatt (kW) 1,000 watts; a watt is a unit of measure for electrical power.
Kilowatt hours Unit for energy which is fed into a grid.
Life expectancy The period of time during which a turbine is operational. Life
expectancy depends on the quality of the turbine itself and on local
climatic conditions such as the level of turbulence at the site.
m/s Meters per second. A unit for measuring wind speed.
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