Ingeteam's new high power DFIG wind converters obtain certification

As the amount of installed renewable power steadily increases around the world, the critical issue of grid stability has become increasingly complex. Grid codes are in constant evolution and the validation and certification process is an area of risk on the critical path of every development project. Ingeteam’s new generation of high power DFIG wind converters have been specially developed to minimize this risk, making them the most grid friendly and cost competitive drive train topology for onshore applications.

“At Ingeteam, our engineers and researchers work in direct contact with international regulatory bodies – IEC, UL, DNV-GL… – and take part actively in the elaboration process of new standards. Thanks to our experience and in-depth knowledge of the standards, the latest regulatory developments are integrated in our innovative designs. Our manufacturing sites are certified to confirm the high quality of the manufacturing process and all required quality tests are integrated in our product verification, validation, and certification procedure”, commented Ion Etxarri, R&D Quality & Innovation Manager of Ingeteam Wind Energy.

Full scale test bench and validation under extreme climate conditions

Ensuring the correct integration of the power converter with the electrical generator is key to maximize the performance of a wind turbine, especially in DFIG based topologies. Ingeteam’s new high power wind converters have been tested in full-scale bench tests in combination with rated power DFIG generators to validate the whole system performance for HW [hardware] and SW [software] integration, and have successfully passed all the combined tests. Moreover, data from these full-scale tests are then correlated with existing data to obtain detailed system models, enabling Ingeteam’s engineers to fine-tune performance.

Using a converter cabinet-scale climatic chamber, Ingeteam carries out detailed validation campaigns to provide empirical assessment of all possible climate conditions including the most extreme high-low combinations of temperature and humidity. Condensation tests simulate the worst scenarios to provoke condensation and confirm that there is no risk to the converter even in such extreme cases.

To reduce project risk and minimize the wind turbine cost of energy Ingeteam incorporates the latest international regulatory requirements at every stage of the process, from design through to production.

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