Wind Turbine Drivetrain Technologies
Elaheh Taherian-Fard, Ramin Sahebi, Taher Niknam, Afshin Izadian, Mokhtar Shasadeghi
Abstract
Employment of a specific technology in the conversion of wind energy to electrical power highly influences the cost and reliability of power generation. To help the selection of the best drivetrain technology, this article presents a thorough review of three major wind turbine drivetrains, namely gearbox, direct drive, and hydrostatic. Although the gearbox drivetrain has offered a mature and applicable technology, some inherent difficulties and manufacturing of specific generators and advancements in fluid power machinery resulted in new technologies that are true competitors of the gearbox. The cost, performance, and functionality of these drivetrains are now comparable with the gearbox peers. This article presents a comprehensive review of three different types of the drivetrain and their generators. This article particularly helps researchers and the engineers in the field with new insight into all technologies.