IEC 61400
Encyclopedia
IEC 61400 is a class of IEC
international standard
s regarding wind turbine
s.
Wind turbines are capital intensive, and are usually purchased before they are being erected and commissioned
.
Some of these standards provide technical conditions verifiable by an independent, third party, and as such are necessary in order to make business agreements so wind turbines can be financed and erected.
IEC started standardizing international certification on the subject in 1995, and the first standard appeared in 2001.
The common set of standards sometimes replace the various national standards, forming a basis for global certification.
The US National Renewable Energy Laboratory
participates in IEC standards development work, and tests equipment according the these standards.
In Canada, the previous national standards were outdated and impeded the wind industry, and they were updated and harmonized with 61400 by the Canadian Standards Association
with several modifications.
Turbulence intensity quantifies how much the wind varies typically within 10 minutes. Because the fatigue loads of a number of major components in a wind turbine are mainly caused by turbulence, the knowledge of how turbulent a site is of crucial importance. Normally the wind speed increases with increasing height. In flat terrain the wind speed increases logarithmically with height. In complex terrain the wind profile is not a simple increase and additionally a separation of the flow might occur, leading to heavily increased turbulence.
The extreme wind speeds are based on the 3 second average wind speed. Turbulence is measured at 15 m/s wind speed.
List compiled from a number of sources.
International Electrotechnical Commission
The International Electrotechnical Commission is a non-profit, non-governmental international standards organization that prepares and publishes International Standards for all electrical, electronic and related technologies – collectively known as "electrotechnology"...
international standard
International standard
International standards are standards developed by international standards organizations. International standards are available for consideration and use, worldwide...
s regarding wind turbine
Wind turbine
A wind turbine is a device that converts kinetic energy from the wind into mechanical energy. If the mechanical energy is used to produce electricity, the device may be called a wind generator or wind charger. If the mechanical energy is used to drive machinery, such as for grinding grain or...
s.
Purpose and function
The 61400 is a set of design requirements made to ensure that wind turbines are appropriately engineered against damage from hazards within the planned lifetime. The standard concerns most aspects of the turbine life from site conditions before construction, to turbine components being tested, assembled and operated.Wind turbines are capital intensive, and are usually purchased before they are being erected and commissioned
Project commissioning
Project commissioning is the process of assuring that all systems and components of a building or industrial plant are designed, installed, tested, operated, and maintained according to the operational requirements of the owner or final client...
.
Some of these standards provide technical conditions verifiable by an independent, third party, and as such are necessary in order to make business agreements so wind turbines can be financed and erected.
IEC started standardizing international certification on the subject in 1995, and the first standard appeared in 2001.
The common set of standards sometimes replace the various national standards, forming a basis for global certification.
Harmonization
In USA, standards are intended to be compatible with IEC standards, and some parts of 61400 are required documentation.The US National Renewable Energy Laboratory
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory , located in Golden, Colorado, is the United States' primary laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory is a government-owned, contractor-operated facility; it is funded through...
participates in IEC standards development work, and tests equipment according the these standards.
In Canada, the previous national standards were outdated and impeded the wind industry, and they were updated and harmonized with 61400 by the Canadian Standards Association
Canadian Standards Association
The Canadian Standards Association, also known as the CSA, is a not-for-profit Standards organization with the stated aim of developing standards for use in 57 different areas of specialisation...
with several modifications.
Wind Turbine Generator (WTG) Classes
Wind turbines are designed for specific conditions. During the construction and design phase assumptions are made about the wind climate that the wind turbines will be exposed to. Turbine wind class is just one of the factors which need to consider during the complex process of planning a wind power plant. Wind classes determine which turbine is suitable for the normal wind conditions of a particular site. Turbine classes are determined by three parameters the average wind speed, extreme 50-year gust, and turbulence.Turbulence intensity quantifies how much the wind varies typically within 10 minutes. Because the fatigue loads of a number of major components in a wind turbine are mainly caused by turbulence, the knowledge of how turbulent a site is of crucial importance. Normally the wind speed increases with increasing height. In flat terrain the wind speed increases logarithmically with height. In complex terrain the wind profile is not a simple increase and additionally a separation of the flow might occur, leading to heavily increased turbulence.
| Wind Class/Turbulence | Annual average wind speed at hub-height (m/s) |
Extreme 50-year gust in meters/second (miles/hour) |
|---|---|---|
| Ia High wind - Higher Turbulence 18% | 10.0 | 70 (156) |
| Ib High wind - Lower Turbulence 16% | 10.0 | 70 (156) |
| IIa Medium wind - Higher Turbulence 18% | 8.5 | 59.5 (133) |
| IIb Medium wind - Lower Turbulence 16% | 8.5 | 59.5 (133) |
| IIIa Low wind - Higher Turbulence 18% | 7.5 | 52.5 (117) |
| IIIb Low wind - Lower Turbulence 16% | 7.5 | 52.5 (117) |
| IV | 6.0 | 42.0 (94) |
The extreme wind speeds are based on the 3 second average wind speed. Turbulence is measured at 15 m/s wind speed.
List of subclasses
- IEC 61400-1 Design requirements
- IEC 61400-2 Design requirements for small wind turbines
- IEC 61400-3 Design requirements for offshore wind turbines
- IEC 61400-4 Gears
- IEC 61400-5 Wind turbine rotor blades
- IEC 61400-11 Acoustic noise measurement techniques
- IEC 61400-12 Wind turbine power performance testing
- IEC 61400-13 Measurement of mechanical loads
- IEC 61400-14 Declaration of apparent sound power level and tonality values
- IEC 61400-21 Measurement and assessment of power quality characteristics of grid connected wind turbines
- IEC 61400-22 Conformity testing and certification
- IEC 61400-23 Full-scale structural testing of rotor blades
- IEC 61400-24 Lightning protection
- IEC 61400-25IEC 61400-25International standard IEC 61400-25 provides uniform information exchange for monitoring and control of wind power plants...
Communication protocol
List compiled from a number of sources.