An experimental 200 kW vertical axis wind turbine for the Magdalen Islands

A 200 kW vertical axis wind turbine will be installed in the Magdalen Islands power network which has 26 MW of installed diesel generator capacity. The site is located in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and has an average annual wind speed of 8.5 m/s. The wind turbine will be 24 meters in diameter and 37 meters in height. The turbine will be connected to the network in the fall of this year for a one year performance evaluation. The Magdalen Islands power network and the wind turbine will operate as a symbiotic system. The network will start the turbine whenever there is sufficient wind. Power supplied by the wind turbine will reduce diesel fuel consumption. Descriptions of protection and control equipment and method of operation are presented. The power output of the wind turbine is calculated on the basis of wind data acquired on the islands and performance estimates of the wind turbine. An economic evaluation is presented based on fuel costs and estimated costs of production models of the wind turbine. It is shown that the wind turbine system should prove to be economical when used in conjunction with the diesel generating plant on the Magdalen Islands.