After connecting the world’s largest onshore wind turbine to the grid in October, the Chinese wind farm company Sany Renewable Energy encountered an unexpected issue. As it turns out, the turbine’s blades are altering the local microclimate.
A massive installation. With a capacity of 15 MW, the SI-270150 turbine is Sany’s new flagship product for the onshore sector. Its 430-foot-long blades create a rotor with a diameter of 886 feet, making it the largest in the world.
To put this into perspective, the turbine’s rotor diameter is larger than the 30 Rockefeller Plaza building in New York City, which stands at 850 feet.
At full power. The Chinese design can generate up to 56 million kWh of electricity annually. The first SI-270150 turbine achieved full power operation on Nov. 16, just one month after it was connected to the grid.
Since no other onshore wind turbine of this capacity is in operation, Sany set a new world record with the turbine running at full output. However, the company didn’t expect that it would affect the local microclimate.
Unexpected effect. Installed at a test wind farm in Tongyu in Jilin Province in Southeast China, the massive wind turbine has caused unexpected alterations in the nearby microclimate and local wind patterns.
The hypothesis suggests that these rotors create variations in wind speed and affect the temperature distribution in nearby areas. The impact of these changes on the sustainability of this type of wind turbine is still unclear. However, Chinese scientists plan to monitor these variations closely to assess their long-term effects.
Testing. Although the world’s largest onshore wind turbine isn’t yet available for sale, it’s expected to last between 25 and 30 years. Sany will test it for over a year at the wind farm where it assembles its prototypes.
This testing process involves nearly 2,000 performance evaluations to verify the design and reliability of its components under real-world conditions. One key factor to be monitored will be the effects on the microclimate.
China vs. Europe. With an increasing number of larger and more efficient models, China continues to strengthen its position as a leader in the wind energy industry, outpacing its European rivals. The country currently holds 65% of the global wind capacity and is home to four of the top five wind turbine manufacturers.
While Sany was installing the world’s largest onshore wind turbine, another Chinese wind turbine manufacturer, Mingyang, was simultaneously installing the world’s largest offshore wind turbine. It has a capacity of 20 MW.
Image | Sany
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