Winds of change: Harnessing IT to optimise wind power

Joseph Vackayil

Chennai, Nov 4: Worldover, 17,600 mw capacity wind power generators are in operation. India has 1,340 mw wind turbines. Converting the ubiquitous wind energy into usable electrical power involves sophisticated mechanical and electrical engineering technology. Software and information technology also play a
significant role in operating modern windmills. The
gigantic wind electric generators are marvelous convergence of engineering and IT, which helps optimise power generation and increase operational efficiency.

A typical wind turbine consists of gear box, generator and control system.

The microprocessor-based control system facilitates remote monitoring and control. Its sensors identify the angle at which the wind is blowing, helps the turbine adjust to the wind flow, and sends down vital data regarding temperature, wind speed, power generated, power consumed and warning signals about any mechanical, technical or electrical flaw that might occur.

Till recently there used to be physical observation of the control system attached to each wind turbine for collecting the data and inputs. Wind farm operating staff had to move from wind mill to wind
mill identifying the fault, assessing it and sending service teams to attend to it. Repairs and fault rectification took a long time affecting power generation.

Now, major wind turbine manufacturers like Suzlon Energy Limited (SEL), NEG Micon India Ltd and Vestas RRB and wind farm developers like Wescare (India) Ltd have developed central monitoring systems (CMSs). Suzlon and Wescare plan to have a V-sat-based data transmission system to enable top-level managers and investors to monitor the functioning of wind mills and for effective maintenance and optimisation of manpower usage.

Suzlon has developed Asia’s largest wind farm at Vankhusawde hills (1,150 mt above mean sea level) in Satara district of Maharashtra. Already 433 wind turbines of 350 kw capacity are generating power
there. There will be over 500 by year-end.

At the wind farm Suzlon is setting up five central monitoring stations each connecting 100 mills.

The first station is in operation and the others are under construction. Mr ZM Donga, general manager, (O&M), Suzlon Wind Farm Services Ltd, told this correspondent during a recent visit to the wind farm, that each CMS would be connected to a common station which would be linked to the head office in Pune through V-sat.

Similar connectivity is being set up at Supa, in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra, where Suzlon has set up India’s first 1-megawatt wind turbines. Already 20 turbines are in operation and plans
are to have 50. The central monitoring system is already operational.
Mr Girish Tanti, director SEL told The Financial Express in Pune that the company’s plan is to hook up all its wind farms in the country for operational efficiency and optimum power production.

NEG Micon India has embarked on the CMS route, linking up 40 wind turbines on its farm near Kayathar in Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu.

Wescare, which has developed wind farms with an installed capacity of 115 mw and has plans to add another 50 mw by June 2002, has interconnected 85 turbines through its centrally monitoring communication system (CMCS), according to Mr N Ramani, managing director.

This CMCS is being uplinked to V-sat, which can download the on-line data to its corporate office in Chennai. The V-sat linked to the company’s Web page gives access to its customers anywhere in the world, to information on the company’s wind farms.