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where the variable mechanical rotation, by means of micro-
processor control was made self-adapting to wind fluctuations.
Mechanical rotation could be superimposed by a flexible rotorfield,
controlled
frequency and phase in the proper way for feeding
both active power and reactive power suitably into the 50 Hz grid.
This was part of an ambitious project of the German Ministry for
Research and Technology (BMFT) in which I worked on my diploma
thesis in microprocessor control, developing and prototyping a
new nonlinear active damping method for synchronous generators,
as for direct coupling of wind converters to the grid.
The GROWIAN prototype, the world's largest wind converter
for a long time, was supported by major German companies under
leadership of MAN and went successfully in operation.
via
Figure 20.2
GROWIAN (GROsse WIndenergie ANlage) wind turbine.
Interestingly, it was not the innovative electronics which
caused problems, but the classical construction of the mechanical
shaft, and thus it was easy to denunciate big wind power as premature
and too expensive. Germany lost a leading position, needing two
more decades to bring this technology in this power range to the
market.
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