aeocon for Small Scale Wind Turbines

Maximum Energy Yield!

The SIEB & MEYER feed-in converter aeocon for small wind turbines has been developed based on a concept for which we have applied a patent. aeocon combines the rectifier, the inverter and the ballast circuit in one compact housing. This concept allows triggering the ballast resistor directly. The rated power of the device designed for single-phase 230 V mains is specified with 4 or 5 kW.

The "brain" of aeocon is the control especially adapted to the requirements of small wind turbines. This allows excellent control of the different operating states under consideration of the characteristic curve of the turbine. This characteristic curve can be defined as performance over frequency curve P(f) or performance over voltage curve P(U). The control ensures smooth start-up of the wind turbine at every time and selection of the optimum operating point during different wind conditions. The wide-range power input allows feeding in energy even at low wind speeds. This has positive effects on the energy yield and increases overall efficiency of the wind turbine.

The Distinctive Features of aeocon

aeocon extracts maximum power of the small wind turbine. The control speed of aeocon meets the high demands of small wind turbines, as for example in case of peak power caused by gusts of wind. Through the direct use of the rotor speed signal provided by the generator frequency and the nine interpolation points used for precise adjustment of the P(f) or P(U) control curve, aeocon reaches excellent control performances.

In periods when the small wind turbine can not supply power, aeocon switches off and does not consume electricity from the public grid, i.e. no standby power. As soon as the small wind turbine supplies power again, aeocon switches on automatically and takes control of the wind turbine. Besides the intelligent management of the ballast circuit aeocon fulfills various protective functions during operation. Strong winds may result in power exceeding the maximum admissible feed-in power. In this case the ballast circuit ensures continuous operation of the turbine. Even in the event of a power failure aeocon ensures operation at the optimum operating point of the small wind turbine. If the maximum admissible input voltage is exceeded in the above mentioned cases, the wind turbine will automatically be decelerated with the maximum available ballast power.

The integrated galvanic isolation allows parallel connection of the devices and thus three-phase small wind turbines with up to three times the individual device power are also an optimum field of application. The cross communication between the devices is established via the aeocon communication box. An external control and external safety components communicate with the devices via a digital input and two potential-free relay outputs. The integrated USB interface offers easy parameter setting of aeocon via the PC software aeocon control without using an additional power supply unit. Using his password the turbine manufacturer can comfortably upload the appropriate parameter set and the matching country standard to the converter. An RS232 / RS485 interface for the PC connection is provided for diagnosis and data recording via aeocon control during operation. The convection ventilation of aeocon without the need for an external fan offers the highest possible device reliability, because no mechanically movable components are built in.

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