Development and Performance Analysis of a Small Island Wind Turbine Generator System with High Reliability

Abstract

A small wind turbine generator system applied in coastal areas and islands must have good structures and protective actions to ensure reliable operation. In this paper, a small wind turbine prototype with high reliability is designed and examined in the real island conditions. With respect to lightning resistance, the whole structure has good lightning discharge channels, especially for the protection of the blades. Extensive use of nonmetallic materials on the critical components dramatically improves the turbine’s corrosion resistance and ensures the mechanical strength of the structures. For overspeed protection and power regulation, a furling device based on electric-driven control technology is designed and applied. After operation of the prototype for a year and a half, the results indicate that the performance of the turbine is very stable, and the electric-driven method of furling is very effective for protecting the turbine in strong winds. These measures are effective for improving the turbines’ reliability and are helpful for the application of small wind turbines in the marine environments.