Enercon E40 – 500 kW

Enercon GmbH, based in Aurich, Lower Saxony, Germany, is the fourth-largest wind turbine manufacturer in the world and has been the market leader in Germany since the mid-nineties.

One of Enercon’s key innovations is the use of a gearless, direct drive mechanism, used in combination with an annular generator. This is in contrast to most other wind turbines, which use a gearbox in order to increase the rotation speed of the generator. Other differences in Enercon’s wind turbines are their distinctive drop-shaped generator housings (designed by Lord Norman Foster) and their towers, which are painted with green rings at the base to blend in with their surroundings.

At a particular location, the wind speed will vary about an annual mean value. The expected energy yields for the Enercon E40 at various annual wind speeds (AMWS) is shown below:

Model:	ENERCON E-40
Rated capacity:	500 kW
Rotor diameter:	40 m
Hub height:	46/65/78 m  (variety of towers and bases)
Converter concept:	gearless, variable speed, variable blade pitch
Rotor with pitch control
Type:	upwind rotor with active pitch control
Direction of rotation:	clockwise
Number of blades:	3
Swept area:	1,276m2
Blade material:	fiberglass (reinforced epoxy) with integral lightning
	protection
Rotor speed:	variable, 18 – 38/18 – 34 rpm
Tip speed:	38 – 80/41 – 78 m/s
Pitch control:	three synchronized blade pitch systems with
	emergency supply
Generator with drive train
Hub:	rigid
Main bearings:	double-row tapered roller bearings
Generator:	direct-driven ENERCON ring generator
Grid feeding:	ENERCON inverter
Braking system:	– 3 independent pitch control systems with
	emergency supply
	–  rotor brake
	–  rotor lock for service and maintenance
Yaw control:	active through adjustment gear load-dependent
	damping
Cut-in wind speed:	2,5 m/s
Rated wind speed:	12,5 m/s
Cut-out wind speed:	28 – 34m/s
Weight:	Rotor – 2,700 kgs Nacelle (without rotor) – 23,200 kgs towers from 35,000 – 61,500 kgs.
Remote monitoring system:	ENERCON SCADA