Milestones for series production

Wind turbine manufacturer Kenersys has commissioned SSB Service, Rheine with the construction of its pilot series K82 and K100 turbines. The OEM will launch its two turbines mainly on European markets and on the Indian subcontinent.

The K82, a 2.0 MW turbine with an 82 m rotor diameter and the K100, a 2.5 MW turbine with a 100 m rotor diameter offer an innovative electrical system, designed for the world market and, in particular, also for locations with a weak grid, where an irregular voltage is more the norm than the exception. During power failures and major fluctuations in grid voltage, WTGS are normally switched off. Such stops affect, in particular, the drive train, the brakes and the rotor blades, as they are subjected to considerable forces. Where such events occur frequently, this drastically reduces the service life of a WTGS. Kenersys´ engineers have therefore developed an electrical system ensuring that even during a power failure, the WTGS is not switched off and remains in operation until it is connected to the grid again. With their sophisticated cooling water system the turbines are also designed for constant high and low temperatures.

The development of a WTGS with such innovative features represents an enormous challenge and requires considerable know-how as well as flexibility. Naturally this also applies to the construction of prototypes and the pilot series. Kenersys has chosen SSB Service as a partner for this venture because of the firms considerable know-how and in order to use this joint production basis for defining the standards for Kenersys future series production in Wismar (production starts in August 2009).

For the construction of the first prototype - the K82 for the Swedish utility company Göteborg Energi -SSB Service first of all developed a concept of installation steps based on Kenersys´ construction drawings. The logistics and thus the schedule for the Just-in-Time delivery of spare parts and components were based on the calculated assembly times. A list of components had already been provided by Kenersys.

Every plant manufacturer knows that a well planned assembly of a prototype is a key prerequisite for ensuring a smooth production. And, in particular, the construction of the first prototype requires considerable know-how in order to also discover any optimisation potentials deviating from the planning and to perfectly implement these in every detail.

Willi Elsenheimer, Site Manager of SSB Service, Rheine commented: “During assembly it became clear that the planned cable routing did not represent the best possible solution. We have therefore changed and adapted the cabling in close cooperation with Kenersys. This modification was also immediately included in the Bill of Materials for subsequent series production of the turbine. This is, however, only one of many examples of our important preliminary work, carried out by us for the subsequent assembly steps of the K82 and K100 series production in Wismar.“

The K82 prototype with a total weight of 68 tons was built on a trailer and loaded, once assembled, onto a truck for its trial operation in another hall, where the K82 was extensively tested and then transported to the installation site in Sweden. Whilst the K82 was still being tested, SSB Service already built the K100 with a total weight of 92 tons. Tests were carried out at the Rheine assembly site in cooperation with Kenersys engineers prior to this turbine also being shipped to Sweden.

Until commencement of Kenersys´ production in Wismar, all Kenersys turbines will be produced in cooperation with SSB Service in Rheine. This is a clear indication of Kenersys´ trust placed in SSB´s work.


All about the SSB group

Since 1970 the SSB group has been on the move worldwide with customer-specific products revolving around drive technology and wind energy. The company’s longstanding experience and considerable know-how form a strong foundation for a comprehensive range of products and performances: from motors, gears, control and switch gear up to control elements for Wind Turbine Generator Systems, SSB offers sophisticated solutions for standard products or one-off designs. SSB is one of the pioneers of the rapidly growing regenerative energy production market and has been the market leader in the segment electrical pitch systems and switch gear since 1995. In particular for the wind energy sector, SSB Service GmbH offers a proactive all-inclusive worldwide service for all types of Wind Turbine Generator Systems. This includes the entire value-added chain from remote monitoring and maintenance to the supply of spare parts and fault finding up to the optimization of systems by staff with over 10 years of experience in the wind sector.