| Gamma 60 wind turbine | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Classification | Two-bladed, upwind, teetered, variable speed, yaw control, horizontal-axis wind turbines (1.5 MW Gamma 60, 2 MW Gamma 2000) |
| Inventor | Wind Energy Systems Taranto S.p.A., Hamilton Standard, ENEL, Aeritalia, Finmeccanica, ENEA (Italy), and Sulzer |
| Invented | 1986 |
| Prototype tested | 1992 - 1997 |
| Number built | 3 (1 - Gamma 60; 2 – Gamma 2000) |
| Total investment | ITL ₤39,000 million (USD $30 million) |
The Gamma 60 wind turbine, a 1.5 MW two-bladed upwind horizontal axis wind turbine, was installed by Wind Energy Systems Taranto S.p.A. (WEST) at Alta Nurra, Sardinia, Italy in April 1992.[1] Founded on original research and development work by NASA and Hamilton Standard (then a division of United Technologies Corporation), the Gamma 60 wind turbine was the world's first variable speed wind turbine with a teetering hinge.[2][3]
The Gamma 60 wind turbine was commissioned to assess the feasibility and performance of power regulation through yaw control, rather than industry-standard blade pitch control, including broad range variable speed in a two-bladed teetering hinge wind turbine.[4] The WEST Gamma 60 wind turbine project team included Hamilton Standard, ENEL, Aeritalia, Finmeccanica (now Leonardo), ENEA (Italy), and Sulzer.[5]
Three Gamma turbines were manufactured, and one was erected and successfully tested from 1992 - 1997 on the Mediterranean island of Sardinia.[2][5] Commercialization of the Gamma 60 prototype was planned, including a conditional investment for 10 Gamma turbines by a US utility, but legal disputes and contractual claims between WEST and ENEL, the privatization of ENEL, and tumbling oil prices in 1998 resulted in the program's cancellation.[4][6][7][8][9]
- ^ de Vries, Eize (April 1, 2020). "Seawind steps up development of radical two-blade offshore turbine". Windtech International. Windtech Offshore. Archived from the original on June 21, 2020. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
- ^ a b Jakubowski, Martin. "History of the Development of the Seawind Technology". Seawind Technology. Seawind Ocean Technology. Retrieved January 7, 2017.
- ^ Carlin, P.W.; Laxson, A.S.; Muljadi, E.B. "The History and State of the Art of Variable-Speed Wind Turbine Technology". NREL. National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Retrieved February 1, 2001.
- ^ a b "WEGA II Large Wind Turbine Scientific Evaluation Project". WEGA II European Commission. European Commission. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
- ^ a b Doman, Steve (August 2, 2011). "Glidden Doman's Rotor Technology for Helicopters and Wind Turbines – A 65 Year History". The EPCo Group.
- ^ Sturani, Maria (June 10, 1996). "Italy's 1996 Privatization Plans Deemed Realistic and Cautious". WSJ.com. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved November 23, 2020.
- ^ "OPEC disappoints, oil slides". money.cnn.com. CNN. November 30, 1998. Retrieved November 23, 2020.
- ^ Dackerman, Raymond A. "Gamma Wind Turbine Evolution". LinkedIn. Retrieved April 8, 2020.
- ^ Caruso, Silvestro (October 28, 2020). "Overview of the Gamma 60 Experience". Seawind Ocean Technology.