China’s onshore turbine installed in Jilin Province features a rotor diameter of 270 meters and blades that are 131 meters long, generating enough electricity for 160,000 households annually.
Sany Renewable Energy, a subsidiary of the multinational heavy equipment manufacturer Sany Group, announced the delivery of a 15 MW wind turbine at a facility in Tongyu County, Jilin Province, China. According to the company, this machine is in prototype form and will undergo a year of testing to verify its reliability, as reported by Interesting Engineering on October 10. The SI-270150 model is the largest onshore wind turbine by unit capacity and has the largest rotor diameter (270 m) of any onshore wind turbine installed worldwide to date. Last year, the largest installed onshore wind turbine was the MySE 10.X-23X from Minyang Smart Energy, featuring a blade diameter of up to 230 meters.
15 MW turbine undergoing testing in Tongyu County, Jilin. (Photo: Sany).
This onshore wind turbine is Sany’s flagship product, developed based on the 12.X – 16.X MW platform. It has an operational lifespan of 25 to 30 years. The system features blades that are 131 meters long, achieving a maximum sweeping area of 57,256 m2. With such a large capacity, a single turbine can generate enough electricity to power 160,000 households for an entire year.
The SI-270150 boasts a super-light design and load-reducing technology utilizing artificial intelligence, which minimizes load while simplifying long-distance transportation. These technologies enhance performance and ensure that the turbine can be transported to remote areas with fewer challenges. The turbine’s drivetrain includes a dual tapered roller bearing (TRB) integrated with a main shaft support system, providing high load capacity and stability, allowing the turbine to operate more reliably under various conditions.
In January, Sany announced that the first blades for the wind turbine were produced at the Bayannur Intelligent Industrial Park. As blade lengths increase, the demand for greater stiffness and durability also rises to prevent issues such as stalling, vibrations, and even blade failure. To address this challenge, Sany developed an optimized aerodynamic design for the wind turbine blades with increased thickness and a rounded trailing edge. This design improves the structural integrity of the blades.
Sany has also integrated several advanced technologies in the blade manufacturing process, including 3D design for sealed welds at the trailing edge and pre-preg fiberglass technology, thereby replacing manual production with an intelligent automated process. To enhance the recyclability of the super-long blades and increase sustainability, Sany utilizes structural components made from recycled polyurethane.
