Mod-2 wind-turbine field-operations experience

The Mod-2 wind-turbine project is a development and research test operations programme sponsored by the US Department of Energy (Office of Solar Electric Technologies), managed by the NASA Lewis Research Center. The development of the turbine was initiated in 1977 under a contract which NASA awarded to the Boeing Engineering Company (now Boeing Aerospace Co.). The three-machine, 7.5 MW Goodnoe Hills cluster, located near Goldendale, Washington, is now in a research/experimental operations phase that offers a unique opportunity to study the effects of single and multiple wind turbines interacting with each other, the power grid and the environment. Following a brief description of the turbine and project history, the paper addresses major problem areas and research and development test results. Field operations, both routine and nonroutine, are discussed. Routine operation to date has produced over 13 379 000 kWh of electrical energy during 11 064 h of rotation. Nonroutine operation includes suspended activities caused by a crack in the low-speed shaft that necessitated a redesign and reinstallation of this assembly on all three turbines. With the world´s largest cluster back in full operation, two of the turbines will be operated over the next several years to determine their value as energy producers. The third unit will be used primarily for conducting research tests requiring configuration changes to better understand the wind-turbine technology. Technical areas summarised in the paper pertain to system performance and enhancements. Specific research tests relating to acoustics, TV interference and wake effects conclude the paper.