WESTWIND DESIGN FEATURES
Auto furl high wind protection - The centre of rotation the wind turbine is slightly offset from the yaw axis, so that in high winds the turbines will turn out of the wind and auto furl. This is an effective protection mechanism that has been used successfully in water pumping windmills for decades.
The weight of the tail boom provides a restoring force to turn the turbine back into the wind as the gust passes. Such a design is known as passive control and does not use electronics or actuators which may have a lesser lifespan than a mechanical fail-safe.
Three Blades - A 3 bladed rotor gives greater dynamic stability in free yaw than two bladed, minimizing the vibrations associated with normal operation, that can reduce the life of components.
Blades up wind of the tower - The blades don’t pass through the turbulence induced by the wind passing the tower. This results in less noise and vibrations.
Direct Drive - Having no gearbox means less parts to wear and less friction to be overcome by the blades. This results in earlier start up in light winds, more power produced, less noise and lower maintenance than designs using gearboxes.
Permanent Magnet Generator - Our specifically designed Permanent Magnet generators combine high efficiency with simplicity. With the magnets rotating around a fixed stator there is no need for troublesome high-speed slip rings and brushes. A permanent magnet generator also allows the rotor to be stopped and locked in light to moderate winds to enable servicing to be performed.
Manual Furl Mechanism - A lever or winch at the base of the tower can be used to manually furl the turbine. This pulls the tailboom and fin around to 90 degrees and so the blades become side on to the wind. Manual furling enables output to be reduced if necessary and also slows the blades to enable the rotor to be stopped for servicing.