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Typical Application of SuperCell-5816
PITCH CONTROL IN WIND TURBINES
Using a 16 V supercapacitor bank in wind turbine pitch control systems is mainly for reliable, safe and fast response continuous operation (Emergency Pitching) during power failure.
Wind turbines must turn (feather) the blades to a safe angle if the grid power fails, generator trips or overspeed condition occurs. A supercapacitor bank provides instant backup energy to drive the pitch motor when batteries or grid power are unavailable. Supercapacitors are preferred because they can deliver very high current instantly.
Wind turbines must turn (feather) the blades to a safe angle if the grid power fails, generator trips or overspeed condition occurs. A supercapacitor bank provides instant backup energy to drive the pitch motor when batteries or grid power are unavailable. Supercapacitors are preferred because they can deliver very high current instantly.
Advantages
- Fast Response: Pitch control needs milliseconds-level response to sudden gusts, grid disconnection or emergency stops. Supercapacitors excel here because of very low internal resistance (ESR), High surge current capability and No chemical delay like batteries. Batteries alone may respond too slowly or degrade over time. Hence the Supercapacitor bank is ideally suited for this role compared to batteries.
- High Cycle Life: Wind turbines perform frequent small pitch adjustments which requires many charge-discharge cycles. Batteries would fail prematurely in this role. Supercapacitors offer more than 1,000,000 charge-discharge cycles, Minimal degradation over years and is ideal for continuous micro-cycling. Hence the Supercapacitor bank is ideally suited for this role compared to batteries.
- Wide Temperature Tolerance: Wind turbines often operate in cold climates or hot offshore environments. Supercapacitors perform reliably from −40 °C to +65 °C without any freezing or thermal runaway risks. Hence the Supercapacitor bank is ideally suited for this role compared to batteries.
- Maintenance-Free & Safe: Pitch control systems are located in the nacelle (on top of the wind turbine tower, right behind the rotor blades), and is very difficult and expensive to access. Compared to batteries Supercapacitors offer “No electrolyte leakage”, “No fire risk”, “No periodic replacement” and “Long service intervals (10–15 years)”. Hence the Supercapacitor bank is ideally suited for this role compared to batteries.
