Alstom turbine goes up at National Wind Technology Center

Boulder, Colorado, April 26–Today, Alstom Power, the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) dedicated the installation of a 3-MW, 60-Hz Alstom ECO 100 wind turbine, the first in the U.S., at NREL's National Wind Technology Center.  

The 100+ guests weathered wind, rain and snow to celebrate a three-year Cooperative Research and Development Agreement that will enable Alstrom and NREL to investigate Alstom's Pure Torque power transfer system, mechanical load reduction strategies, dynamic loads on the wind turbine tower and foundation structures, and LIDAR-assisted control algorithms.  The 3-MW Alstom turbine towers above the nearby 1.5-MW GE and 2.3-MW Siemens turbines with its 90-meter tower and 100-meter rotor diameter.  Alstrom hopes to continue its relationship with NREL in future research and development activities leading to U.S. offshore wind installations.