Energy ... Wind
Utility Scale Wind Turbines

Characteristics of the GE 2.5 - 120 Wind turbine

Burgess COMMENTARY

Peter Burgess

A 'Brilliant' Wind Turbine

A common criticism of wind power is that the wind is inconsistent so you can’t rely on it. To a certain extent that’s true, especially since the grid has difficulty routing energy quickly and efficiently based on real-time conditions. General Electric (GE) thinks it has a solution: a “brilliant” wind turbine.

GE has completed a prototype of a wind turbine designed for utility-scale wind farms that’s capable of communicating with remote sensors, neighboring turbines, the industrial internet, and on-site battery banks. A wind farm filled with intelligent turbines, on-site storage, and a cadre of sensors will enable the machinery to communicate with the grid, predict power requirements, and balance supply and demand in real time. Sensors allow the turbines to perform self-diagnostics and have troubleshooting data available when a technician arrives for maintenance.

The GE 2.5-120 turbine generates up to 2.5 MW with a rotor diameter of 120 meters. Large rotors and tall towers enable this turbine to efficiently generate power at lower wind speeds, even in areas with a lot of trees.

GE’s 2.5-120 the world’s most efficient high output brilliant wind turbine. The first wind turbine to combine world-class efficiency and power output at low wind speed sites capturing a 25% increase in efficiency and 15% increase in power over GE’s 2.85-103. This high efficiency and high output unlock higher returns for wind farm operators at low wind sites. GE’s 2.5-120 is first to utilize the Industrial Internet to help manage the variability of wind providing smooth predictable power to the world. The 2.5-120 integrates energy storage, driving higher wind farm output, improving services productivity and creating new revenue streams for customers.

Features & Benefits

• • Most efficient, high output wind turbine, capturing a 25% increase in efficiency and 15% increase in power for low wind speed sites
• • Reliable design based on the proven 2.5 MW platform
• • Improved grid-friendly design
• • 120 meter rotor, 58.7 meter blades with proven single blade pitch control
• • Latest enhancements in load management controls
• • 50/60 Hz
• • 110 meter tower configuration for IEC environments
• • 139 meter tower configuration for DiBT environments
• • 106 dB A standard sound power level
• • Sound reduced operations and sound mitigation technology available