Objective A 225 KW medium size wind turbine with a 32 m diameter rotor has been constructed, installed and tested on Sardinia, in order to demonstrate the operation of a wind turbine typical for Mediterranean sites. The wind turbine is connected to the grid of the island. The estimated annual yield is 650 MWh.Wind turbine erected in May 1986. Since installation, operation has shown that the design approach provides satisfactory results from the performance standpoint. However several design modifications have been made : - Generator placed at top of tower. - Brakes have been resized. - Control system reviewed. - Blades have been changed. Troubles arose due to overspeeding of the rotor in turbulent conditions giving valuable data for pitch-control response requirements in such conditions. From projections based on these early results, energy cost is already competitive with diesel generated electricity and will fall further with system replication. Due to the technical problems encountered during the operation and the lower than projected wind regime, the wind turbine has produced much less than the projected energy. Alenia, based in the experience gained from this project, produced two improved versions of the machine. 38 units of the third version have been ordered by ENEL. The impactof this project has been a favourable one. The project was a success, as this machine formed the basis of the first medium size commercial wind turbine of Alenia.The MEDIT wind turbine, with large diameter (32 m) relative to power (225 KW) and CFRP blades, has been constructed and installed at Alta Nurra on Sardinia, Italy. The aim is to build and test a medium size wind turbine which would be suitable for connection to relatively small (1000 KW) diesel fired grids of the Mediterranean areas. It is connected to the grid by an induction generator.The reactive power control is performed by a compensation capacitor and the frequency control by fast pitch control. The cut-in windspeed is 4. 2 m/s, the nominal 9. 8/s and the cut-out 20 m/s.A self installation device called "Spider" allows easy erection of the tower and installation of the nacelle and the rotor, once they have been assembled together on the ground. "Spider" climbs the tower by means of a hydraulic system on a toothed track on the surface of the tower.The estimated annual yield is 650 MWh at 6,5 m/s annual mean windspeed. The cost of electricity is 196 LIT/KWh while the conventional cost is 276 LIT/KWh.For the realization of this project AERITALIA cooperated with ENEA and ENEL. Programme(s) ENG-ENALT 2C - Programme (EEC) of demonstration projects relating to the exploitation of alternative energy sources and to energy saving and the substitution of hydrocarbons, 1983-1985 Topic(s) Data not available Call for proposal Data not available Funding Scheme DEM - Demonstration contracts Coordinator Alenia SpA EU contribution No data Address Via Vitorchiano 81 00189 Roma Italy See on map Total cost No data
