Soft starters are key to green energy generation
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Fairford Electronics product story
Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team
Dec 7, 2006
Fairford is demonstrating the ongoing relevance of well established soft starter technology to a newer and greener form of energy generation
The company is supplying its QFE range of soft starters for use in wind turbines, providing the means to synchronise operation of the turbines to distribution networks, obviating the problems of direct-on-line starting.
The QFE soft starters are delivering a cost effective and highly reliable solution for bringing wind turbine generators on line smoothly.
They provide the means to synchronise the output of the turbine generator to power networks without massive inrush currents on the supply, and without the harsh shocks that can damage and break mechanical equipment such as bearings, couplings and gears.
The QFE soft starter comes into operation when the wind generator, under the action of its aerodynamic rotor, reaches a point just below synchronous speed (approximately 93 percent).
Working in reverse mode, the QFE unit is used to put the generator on line.
It ramps the generator voltage up to the system voltage, and as the generator accelerates further to synchronous speed, a by-pass contactor is closed by the wind turbine controller (WTC), once it has received a top of ramp signal from the soft starter unit.
When the by pass contactor is closed, the wind turbine's power factor capacitors are connected and the turbine rotor then accelerates the generator up to a greater than synchronous speed, allowing generation to begin.
The QFE Soft Starter units that perform this operation are Fairford Electronics standard 690V range.
They are designed to reduce the magnetic inrush currents, which are an order of ten times rated line current when starting the generator direct-on-line, to about one times rated line current.
This current is held as an acceleration current during progression from 93 percent to full synchronous speed and, finally, freewheeling current.
This is load current not drawn by the generator while it is at synchronous speed: it is handled by the QFE controller until the by-pass contactor is switched in.
"Having led the development of the soft starter since the late seventies, its appropriate that Fairford is taking the technology to new and developing industry sectors", said Nigel Follett, Fairford's Sales and Marketing Manager.
"With our involvement in wind energy systems, we are demonstrating the relevance of our soft starters to a still evolving method of power generation, proving that existing technology can still provide answers even in today's fast developing markets".
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