On the European market, smaller wind turbines are typical! Especially in Italy and UK according to the stated market tariffs for Small Wind. Vestas V27 is an older high performance turbine in the small wind class and complies with the market tariffs for Italy. What is significant to highlight about the Vestas V27 turbine, is how it builds on a hydraulic pitch system requiring an in-depth understanding of the technology and how it works. This is important when it comes to daily operation and maintenance, to upgrading the turbine system with a retrofit solution for lifetime extension and availability, and to securing an independent need of old Vestas spare parts. Roughly, this means that it is critical to have the technological knowhow in order to replace an old vestas component with a new and different component in the V27 turbine. There are no standard components with the same functionalities as the old components to find on the market due to the V27’s more than 15 years presence on the market. The technological knowhow is key to how you implement applications and software into the new component for the next step of integrating the new component, including integrating software into the older and existing system.

How to retrofit older Vestas V27 turbines
DEIF Wind Power Technology is in close collaboration with CMC Wind S.r.l, the Italian turbine system supplier,in order to retrofit older Vestas turbines. CMC Wind S.r.l has successfully taken over the daily operation and maintenance of their own Vestas V27 turbine after DEIF Wind Power technology has provided an entire retrofit package for replacing the turbine controller in an old Vestas V27 turbine followed by training and technology transfer for the daily operation. The process of carrying out a robust retrofit solution depends on the specific turbine’s system and technology to determine the concrete retrofit solution for upgrading a turbine’s lifetime and performance. The V27 turbines' controller system are irreplaceable and no standard component can thus be integrated as a one-to-one solution. Therefore, it is crucial to start by carrying out a thorough analysis of the turbine system and interaction between components as a baseline for designing the suitable retrofit package. Once the design has been completed, DEIF Wind Power Technology designs a retrofit solution package composed of turbine components, applications, and sensors including add-ons to be integrated into the entire system. What affects turbine performance is the technology and knowhow for integrating a new system. In this case, we focus on the advanced wind turbine controller in replacement of the old Vestas V27 controller system.

Retrofit solution kit for upgrading Vestas V27 turbine controller:

1. Design package for complete integration of new components into the wind turbine after an analysis has been conducted.
2. Component package: Advanced Wind turbine Controller and Thyristor controller for replacement
3. Application and sensor package for upgrading the V27 turbine including add-ons to upgrade performance e.g according to shock, vibration and wind sensor
4. Review, commissioning and training

This retrofit approach, including replacement with new turbine control above standard, ensures optimal performance, lifetime extension, increased availability, and is robust enough to last longer than the entire mechanical and commercial system’s remaining lifetime. Components come with a new 5 year warranty. Furthermore, DEIF ensures 20 years of supply warranty on new spare parts.

Knowledge transfer to master daily operation and maintenance after the upgrade
What DEIF Wind Power technology does, is to involve the customer step-by-step in a training throughout the entire process of commissioning the turbine. With this approach, we make sure to prepare our customers with the tools and knowhow to manage the daily operation of the new system. With this approach, CMC Wind has taken over the daily operation and maintenance with a minimal need of support, because they have been provided with the insight and knowledge about the logic of the system and how it interacts with the new controller.

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Read more about DEIF's Wind Turbine Retrofit Solution