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Endurance
Wind Generator
Making Renewable Energy an Easy and Safe Choice
Alpine Group & Associates
Turnkey Installations USA Nationwide and Worldwide!
Alpine Group proudly presents the
Endurance Wind Generator,
one of
the world's safest, most cost effective wind turbines for the 21st Century Generation of
Green Energy.
Our goal is and will always be
to reduce the cost of renewable energy for the end user and
Endurance Wind Power has
done this by taking decades of combined experience and expertise
in this industry and deploying them into their unique wind turbine
design. Some of the key features include:
~First
Small Wind Turbine ever designed to the specifications and safety
standards of the Large Mega Watt Wind Turbines
~Similar
to Large Wind Turbines the Endurance connects directly to the Power
Grid eliminating the need for expensive and sometimes unreliable
inverters
~Over
Speed Protection involving redundant and fail safe brake calipers
which stop the rotor in any wind condition thus ensuring the safety
of people that work or live near the erected turbine
~Patented
Dual Voltage System Design - Allowing the wind turbine to maximize
power generation in both high and low wind velocities
~Anemometer
(installed wind measurement device) - Proprietary control system -
senses cut-in and cut-out wind speeds for optimal performance
The Endurance Wind Turbine is
sized to closely match energy production of the average
U.S.
household demand (10,000-15,000 kWh/yr) when installed in a moderate
wind resource (10 - 12 mph). By closely matching energy production
to demand, return on investment for the system is maximized, making
it possible for customers to be responsible stewards of the
environment while at the same time meeting their energy needs in
ways that make financial sense.
Wind Power
is one of the cleanest forms of renewable energy in the world -
energy that is regenerated daily by the SUN. As areas of the planet
are warmed up by the sun's rays, air sweeps in to fill in the low
pressure zones, resulting in wind power.
The wind can be slowed by various obstacles such
as trees, bushes, buildings etc... It may not look or feel windy at
the ground level where you stand yet as you elevate the height of
where you are - wind can be 5-10 times stronger.
Wind energy is converted into electricity by a
wind turbine. Listed below are the details of an Endurance Wind
Turbine which typically depict the main components of a modern day
Large Wind Turbine.
Wind Turbine
ROTOR -
Usually a set of 3 Blades at the front of a Wind Turbine.
SHAFT
- The Blade Assembly which is connected to the ROTOR turns a SHAFT
which is connected to the NACELLE
and transfers
the motion into the housing unit that is located at the top of the
TOWER.
NACELLE
- The housing unit that is at the top of the tower holds the GEAR
BOX and induction generator - in the Endurance Turbine all the
controls are at the bottom of the
tower to make is much easier for installation and servicing.
GEAR
BOX
- the GEAR BOX increases the shaft speed which is connected to a
GENERATOR that converts the rotational movement of the SHAFT into
electricity.
INDUCTION GENERATOR
- The endurance wind turbine is unique in that it uses an induction
generator which produces grid compatible electricity eliminating the
need for costly, unreliable inverters that are used in almost all
other small wind turbines.
CONTROL BOX
- the Controller and other components that direct the flow of
electricity produced by the turbine and manages all other working
aspects of the Wind Turbine is situated at the bottom of the TOWER -
this is a unique design advantage of the Endurance Wind Turbine over
other units that house controls in the NACELLE atop the TOWER.
TOWER
- The tower height is extremely important. Wind velocities are much
greater at higher heights, directly affecting power output.
Endurance
Tower heights
come in 63 FT, 83 FT and 105 FT TOWER Heights. The higher TOWER
heights generally receive 35-40% more wind.
A Better Approach to WindPower
A look into our Design Specifications and Reasoning
There is no debating
that the Endurance is different from any other small wind turbine
available today.
Unlike all other small turbines the Endurance is an Induction Generator
meaning it is built to produce grid-compatible
power (120VAC) directly from the generator.
Most small turbines today use
permanent magnet (PM) alternators to generate power. This power is
ideal for battery-charging or stand-alone, remote power
applications, but it is not grid-compatible. An Induction generator
is the ideal choice for the
large on-grid, corporate, agricultural or residential customer.
The
Endurance is the only small wind turbine available on the market
that produces AC power that is directly compatible with the power
grid. This is a major advantage for the Endurance in the
rapidly growing grid-connected market. Note that the use of an
induction generator is well proven
and reliable.
Because the Endurance is
designed for the on-grid market, and other small turbines are not,
the Endurance incorporates parts that those familiar with current
small wind technology might not find very familiar. In particular
there are four features unique to the Endurance:
~
Anemometer
The
anemometer serves several useful functions, including allowing motor
starts, and giving the controller the ability to evaluate system
health by comparing rotor speed (which correlates to rotor power) to
wind speed. Most importantly it helps determine more accurately when
our cut-out wind speed has been reached. This is more important to
the Endurance than any other small turbine because of the brake
system employed. The
Endurance braking system quietly and safely
brings the rotor to a complete stop in high winds, and the
anemometer determines when those high winds occur.
 ~
Brakes
The Endurance was designed as part of an
over-speed protection system (OPS) project.
We chose pneumatic brakes that are commonly used
in the transportation industry; consequently parts are both
inexpensive and dependable. We guarantee safety by employing two
independent, fail-safe brake calipers, each with the ability to stop
the rotor in the worst conditions. The brake is located on the rotor
shaft, ahead of the gearbox.
~
Gearbox and Induction Generator
The gearbox in the
Endurance is key to allowing the use of an induction generator. The induction generator must turn at speeds much faster than
a quiet wind turbine rotor of this size. Generating power at high
rotational speeds is an efficient method employed by all major power
plants (e.g., gas turbine generators turn at thousands of RPM). The
gearbox allows our slow (~ 200 rpm) rotor to turn the generator at
1,800 rpm. The induction generator in turn produces grid compatible
60Hz, 120 or 240 volt, single-phase power, allowing seamless
grid-connection
that results in overall reduced system cost.
~
Control
System
Keeping all
systems running smoothly is the control system. The controller
determines when it is safe to start up the turbine, when it is
necessary to shut down, and continuously monitors overall system
health to ensure safe, reliable operation. Its design, along with
the fail-safe brakes ensures that the Endurance rotor can never
enter a runaway situation.
The control system also allows us to remotely
monitor and even control the turbine operation via a wireless
interface. We know our
customers appreciate not having to worry about whether the turbine
needs servicing, or even if it is operating properly. The controller
can assess all that, and then send the necessary information
wirelessly to a home display unit, providing feedback on system status, wind speed,
power production, time until next service interval and whether any
faults have been detected. A fault displayed on the home unit can be
called in to our shop, thus allowing us to quickly and remotely
diagnose any issues that
may arise. In addition, the unit allows the user
to safely stop the machine from inside their home with the press of
a button. You will be able to monitor how your investment is paying off
by simply looking at the display showing kilowatts being generated!
Endurance Wind Generator Features
Fiberglass
Blades
Fiberglass blades use high-performance airfoils designed
specifically for insensitivity to roughness (bugs and dirt), low
Reynold's number operation (low speed) and stall control
(constant speed operation), making the Endurance one of the
quietest running small wind turbines in the world.
Rotor Hub
Rotor Hub is a sandwich construction for high strength and long
life, with taper-lock bushing connections to the main shaft for
easy alignment and high torque capacity.
Dual
pneumatic brakes
Dual
pneumatic brake calipers operate independently to ensure
redundant, failsafe protection against over-speed, making the
Endurance safe for residential, agricultural and corporate uses.
Large 16"
brake disk
Large 16" brake disk provides high torque capacity, and is
located close to the turbine rotor for maximum safety.
Main shaft
bearings
Main
shaft bearings were selected following detailed engineering
analysis for extreme loading, maximum deflection and extended
life. Bearings are housed in pillow blocks for self-alignment
and ease of serviceability.
Induction
generator
Induction generator delivers grid-compatible power eliminating
the need for an inverter, batteries or any other power
electronics, thus improving efficiency, increasing reliability
and lower product costs.
Gearbox
Gearbox is an inline helical with a 9:1 gear ratio, a high
service factor (2.4) for long life, and a hollow shaft for
direct connection to the main shaft (no couplings).
Tail
Tail
orients the rotor upwind of the tower using free yaw, thereby
minimizing yaw error operation and eliminating tower shadow
noise.
Solid
state relays
Solid-state relays to control the electrical connection to the
grid are neatly housed in an easily accessible control panel
from the ground, making maintenance and servicing quick,
convenient and easy.
Tower
Tower is available in tilt up 63', 84' and 105' tower heights,
designed for installation and maintenance convenience and safety
(Lower heights are custom designed to suit individual needs -
higher height towers produce more wind and thus more energy).
Slipring
Slipring feeds output power to four high-voltage wires (hot,
hot, neutral and ground) running down the tower connecting
directly to the home and electric grid via a breaker panel,
similar to any large appliance.
Turntable
yaw bearing
Turntable yaw bearing is a 4-point contact ball bearing designed
for high overturning and thrust loads and oscillatory motions.
Anemometer
Anemometer senses cut-in (4 m/s) and cut-out (25 m/s) wind
speeds, providing additional levels of diagnostics and
monitoring for optimum performance.
RPM
sensors
RPM
sensors for both the rotor and generator offer redundancy for
increased safety.
Onboard
control system
Onboard control system continuously monitors and manages turbine
operation, conveniently located at the tower base in the control
panel.
Nacelle
cover
Fiberglass nacelle cover and nose cone keep the weather out and
provide a sleek appearance.
Wireless
remote monitoring unit
Wireless home unit provides remote monitoring of turbine with
display of wind speed, power output and other useful
information, and allows the owner to stop and start the turbine
from the comfort of home for maximum convenience and safety.
Retail
$31,700 -- Save $1,000
Your Price $30,700
Harness the
Wind & Order Today Call 208.756.8820
Wind Atlas Wind Charts
  
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