Key Windflow Innovations Receive International Design Approval

18 May 2010

The innovations at the heart of Windflow Technology’s New Zealand-made wind turbine have received design approval from the British independent certifying body, Lloyds Register.  As part of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Type Certification process for the Windflow 500 turbine, Lloyds Register has now completed its design appraisal of the entire nacelle and rotor assembly of the Windflow 500, including Windflow’s proprietary torque-limiting gearbox and teeter control systems, leaving only the tower design appraisal to be completed before Type Certification is expected.

 “The compact nacelle assembly built around the torque limiting gearbox and synchronous generator is the heart of the turbine.  Together with the two-bladed rotor with New Zealand grown wood-epoxy blades, it is the key to the Windflow 500’s robustness and cost-effectiveness” said Windflow CEO Geoff Henderson.  “Receiving design approval for the blades and nacelle to the highest international wind turbine standard validates all the key technologies in the turbine and is a huge achievement.  Two hundred and seventy-three Windflow documents, including specifications, drawings and calculations, were reviewed by Lloyds Register during their design appraisal of the nacelle assembly”.

The Christchurch based company has manufactured over 70 wind turbines in the past three years and has 65 in operation at the Te Rere Hau wind farm in Palmerston North.  The nacelles are assembled at Windflow’s Christchurch headquarters and the blades at its Auckland subsidiary, Wind Blades Ltd.  The turbines are proving themselves in some of the toughest wind conditions in the world and have been performing above their warranted availability for the past five months.

Windflow has been working for the last four years to achieve IEC Type Certification for its Windflow 500 turbine to the highest standard, Class 1A Edition 3, which includes surviving wind speeds of over 250 km/h.

“It has taken us several years and thousands of hours of engineering brainpower. We have many dedicated young engineers in our team and their efforts are a great contribution to the knowledge economy of New Zealand”, said Mr Henderson.

For further information: contact Geoff Henderson (03) 365-8960.