Enercon E 82 Operating Manual

Operating Manual
ENERCON Wind Energy Converter

E-82 E2 / 2300 kW
Operating Manual
ENERCON Wind Energy Converter
E-82 E2 / 2300 kW
Operating Manual E-82 E2
Legal notice
Publisher: ENERCON GmbH ▪ Dreekamp 5 ▪ 26605 Aurich ▪ Germany
Phone:+49 4941 927-0
Fax: +49 4941 927-109
Copyright: © ENERCON GmbH. Any reproduction, distribution and utilisation of this docu-
ment as well as the communication of its contents to third parties without ex-
press authorisation is prohibited. Violators will be held liable for monetary dam-
ages. All rights reserved in the event of the grant of a patent, utility model or
design.
Content subject to change: ENERCON GmbH reserves the right to change, improve and expand this docu-
ment and the subject matter described herein at any time without prior notice.
Document information
Document Date Language "Original" or translation of <Document>
D0143420-2 17.09.2010 eng D0135273-2a (ger)
ii D0143420-2
Table of contents
1 General information ................................................................................... 1

1.1 About this document.................................................................................. 1
1.2 Liability limitation ....................................................................................... 2
1.3 Symbols and representation...................................................................... 3
1.3.1 Text and layout conventions..................................................... 3
1.3.2 Risk levels of safety instructions .............................................. 4
1.3.3 Pictograms used for safety instructions.................................... 5
1.4 Related documents ................................................................................... 7
1.5 Warranty .................................................................................................... 7
1.6 Customer service and Service addresses ................................................. 7
2 Product overview ....................................................................................... 8

2.1 Area of application..................................................................................... 8
2.2 Design and operating principle .................................................................. 8
2.3 Type plate.................................................................................................. 10
2.4 Technical specifications ............................................................................ 12
2.4.1 Power specifications................................................................. 12
2.4.2 Rotor......................................................................................... 13
2.4.3 Generator ................................................................................. 14
2.4.4 Dimensions and weights .......................................................... 14
2.4.5 Emissions during operation ...................................................... 15
3 Basic safety instructions ............................................................................ 16

3.1 Intended use.............................................................................................. 16
3.2 Operator/owner responsibilities ................................................................. 17
3.3 Danger zone .............................................................................................. 20
3.4 Staff qualifications ..................................................................................... 20
3.4.1 General requirements............................................................... 20
3.4.2 Qualifications ............................................................................ 21
3.4.3 Unauthorised persons .............................................................. 22
3.5 Risks to persons and property................................................................... 23
3.5.1 Mechanical hazards (rotating parts) ......................................... 24
3.5.2 Mechanical hazards (various) .................................................. 25
3.5.3 Electrical hazards ..................................................................... 26
3.5.4 Thermal hazards ...................................................................... 27
3.5.5 Noise hazards .......................................................................... 27
3.5.6 Hazards from consumables and auxiliary materials ................. 27
3.5.7 Hazards from particular weather conditions ............................. 28
3.5.8 Combined hazards ................................................................... 29
3.6 Personal protection equipment (PPE) ....................................................... 30
3.6.1 Mandatory protection equipment in a danger zone .................. 30
3.6.2 Recommended or situation-specific protection equipment....... 31
D0143420-2 Table of contents iii

3.6.3 Personal fall protection system ................................................ 32

3.7 General safety equipment ......................................................................... 33
3.7.1 EMERGENCY STOP button .................................................... 33
3.7.2 Main switch............................................................................... 34
3.8 Conduct in case of hazardous situations and accidents ........................... 36
3.9 Hazard signs ............................................................................................. 38
4 Assemblies ................................................................................................ 39
4.1 Nacelle ...................................................................................................... 39
4.1.1 Design overview ....................................................................... 39
4.1.2 Rotor head, nacelle roof and generator rotor ........................... 42
4.1.2.1 Components in the rotor head and on the nacelle roof ............ 42
4.1.2.2 Components on the generator rotor ......................................... 46
4.1.3 Machine house (rear part of nacelle)........................................ 48
4.1.4 Generator ................................................................................. 53
4.2 Tower......................................................................................................... 54
4.2.1 Design ...................................................................................... 54
4.2.1.1 Steel tower ............................................................................... 55
4.2.1.2 Concrete tower ......................................................................... 56
4.2.2 Tower variants .......................................................................... 58
4.2.3 Foundation ............................................................................... 60
4.2.4 Overview of tower base ............................................................ 61
4.2.5 E-module .................................................................................. 63
4.2.6 Further components in the tower base ..................................... 67
4.2.7 Service hoist ............................................................................. 69
4.2.8 Cooling and ventilation equipment ........................................... 72
4.2.9 Platforms .................................................................................. 73
4.2.10 Lighting ..................................................................................... 76
4.2.11 Cable layout ............................................................................. 77
4.2.12 Nacelle access ......................................................................... 78
5 Features and functions .............................................................................. 79

5.1 Sensors ..................................................................................................... 79
5.2 Operating modes ....................................................................................... 79
5.2.1 Overview................................................................................... 79
5.2.2 Automatic mode ....................................................................... 80
5.2.2.1 Full load operation .................................................................... 80
5.2.2.2 Partial load operation ............................................................... 81
5.2.2.3 Idle mode.................................................................................. 82
5.2.2.4 Automatic stopping ................................................................... 82
5.2.3 Manual mode............................................................................ 83
5.3 Yaw system ............................................................................................... 66
5.4 Cable untwisting ........................................................................................ 85
5.5 Rotor brake................................................................................................ 86
5.6 Pitch system .............................................................................................. 87
iv Table of contents D0143420-2

5.7 Temperature monitoring ............................................................................ 89

5.8 Generator drying system ........................................................................... 90
5.9 Detecting and removing ice build-up ......................................................... 91
5.9.1 De-icing without blade heating ................................................. 91
5.9.2 De-icing by blade heating (optional) ......................................... 92
5.10 Nacelle position during ice build-up........................................................... 93
5.11 Power generation and conditioning ........................................................... 94
5.12 Response to grid faults.............................................................................. 95
5.13 Power supply for own consumption........................................................... 95
5.14 Remote monitoring .................................................................................... 96
6 Safety equipment and safety functions ..................................................... 97

6.1 EMERGENCY STOP button ..................................................................... 97
6.2 Main switch................................................................................................ 98
6.3 Security door lock ...................................................................................... 99
6.4 Sensor system........................................................................................... 99
6.5 Mechanical safety devices ........................................................................ 100
6.6 Safe stopping of the wind energy converter in hazardous situations ........ 101
6.6.1 Automatic stopping by means of blade emergency pitch system
.................................................................................................. 101
6.6.2 Emergency braking of the rotor ................................................ 101
6.7 Rotor lock .................................................................................................. 102
6.8 Acoustic sensor ......................................................................................... 104
6.9 Speed monitoring ...................................................................................... 105
6.10 Monitoring of blade loads .......................................................................... 105
6.11 Vibration monitoring .................................................................................. 106
6.12 Oscillation monitoring ................................................................................ 106
6.13 Air gap monitoring ..................................................................................... 107
6.14 Electric overload protection ....................................................................... 107
6.15 Torque monitoring system ......................................................................... 108
6.16 Lightning protection ................................................................................... 109
6.17 Fire protection ........................................................................................... 110
6.18 Transformer and medium-voltage switchgear assembly ........................... 111
6.19 Hazard signs and labels ............................................................................ 112
6.19.1 Tower area ............................................................................... 112
6.19.2 E-module area .......................................................................... 116
6.19.3 Nacelle area ............................................................................. 118
6.19.4 Rotor head area; not shown ..................................................... 120
7 Options ...................................................................................................... 121

7.1 Navigation lights system............................................................................ 121
7.1.1 Obstruction lights with emergency power supply and monitoring
.................................................................................................. 122
7.1.2 Obstruction lights without emergency power supply, with moni‐
toring ........................................................................................ 122
D0143420-2 Table of contents v

7.1.3 Obstruction lights without emergency power supply, without

monitoring................................................................................. 122
7.1.4 Hazard lights with emergency power supply and monitoring ... 122
7.2 Daytime marking ....................................................................................... 123
7.3 Blade heating system ................................................................................ 123
7.4 Ice detector................................................................................................ 124
7.5 Shadow shut-off ........................................................................................ 124
7.6 Noise optimisation ..................................................................................... 125
7.7 Transmission ............................................................................................. 125
7.8 FACTS properties...................................................................................... 126
8 Operation................................................................................................... 127
8.1 Safety instructions ..................................................................................... 128
8.2 Control panel on control cabinet................................................................ 129
8.2.1 Operating controls .................................................................... 129
8.2.2 EMERGENCY STOP................................................................ 132
8.2.3 Stopping the wind energy converter ......................................... 133
8.2.4 Starting the wind energy converter (regular) ............................ 133
8.2.5 Quick-starting the wind energy converter ................................. 134
8.2.6 Shutting down the wind energy converter ................................ 135
8.2.7 Starting up the wind energy converter...................................... 137
8.2.8 Switching from automatic to manual mode .............................. 138
8.2.9 Switching from manual to automatic mode .............................. 139
8.2.10 WEC start-up checklist ............................................................. 140
8.2.11 Suppressing remote monitoring ............................................... 141
8.2.12 Resetting errors ........................................................................ 142
8.2.13 Using the telephone ................................................................. 143
8.2.14 Working on the WEC display.................................................... 144
8.2.14.1 Display of current operating values .......................................... 145
8.2.14.2 Display of current operating states ........................................... 146
8.2.14.3 Main display screen and operating controls ............................. 148
8.2.14.4 Structure and description of menus in the main display ........... 149
8.2.14.5 Status messages ...................................................................... 151
8.3 Tower lighting ............................................................................................ 153
8.3.1 Operating unit ........................................................................... 153
8.3.2 Operation.................................................................................. 155
9 Malfunctions and troubleshooting.............................................................. 157

9.2 Fault messages ......................................................................................... 158
9.3 Other messages ........................................................................................ 159
10 Installation and initial commissioning ........................................................ 160
11 Maintenance and repair............................................................................. 161
vi Table of contents D0143420-2


11.2 Maintenance by ENERCON ...................................................................... 161
11.3 Maintenance performed by operator/owner .............................................. 162
11.4 Repair; retrofitting; replacement of parts ................................................... 163
12 Final decommissioning of the wind energy converter ............................... 164

12.1 Decommissioning ...................................................................................... 164
12.2 Dismantlement .......................................................................................... 165
12.3 Disposal..................................................................................................... 166
Glossary of terms ...................................................................................... 167
Index.......................................................................................................... 174
D0143420-2 Table of contents vii

Table of figures
Pict. 1: General view ............................................................................................ 8

Pict. 2: Type plate................................................................................................. 10
Pict. 3: Position of type plate ................................................................................ 11
Pict. 4: Sectional drawing of nacelle (main components) ..................................... 39
Pict. 5: Nacelle: Rotor head.................................................................................. 42
Pict. 6: Generator rotor ......................................................................................... 46
Pict. 7: Nacelle: Machine house ........................................................................... 48
Pict. 8: Base of steel tower / concrete tower ........................................................ 54
Pict. 9: Definition of tower heights ........................................................................ 58
Pict. 10: Concrete tower with components in the tower base................................. 61
Pict. 11: E-module in concrete tower (1st level) ..................................................... 64
Pict. 12: Concrete tower with further components in the tower base ..................... 67
Pict. 13: Tower platform ......................................................................................... 74
Pict. 14: Hatch in topmost platform ........................................................................ 75
Pict. 15: Cable layout in cable twisting area ........................................................... 77
Pict. 16: Nacelle access ......................................................................................... 78
Pict. 17: Power curve (qualitative) .......................................................................... 81
Pict. 18: Current flow in the wind energy converter ................................................ 94
Pict. 19: Signs on tower outside ............................................................................. 112
Pict. 20: Signs on safety ladder .............................................................................. 113
Pict. 21: Signs at entrance (inside)......................................................................... 114
Pict. 22: Signs on service hoist .............................................................................. 115
Pict. 23: Signs on control cabinet ........................................................................... 116
Pict. 24: Signs on transformer room ....................................................................... 117
Pict. 25: Signs in the nacelle .................................................................................. 118
Pict. 26: Control panel on control cabinet............................................................... 129
Pict. 27: WEC display on the control panel of the control cabinet .......................... 144
Pict. 28: View of main display after WEC start-up .................................................. 148
Pict. 29: Menus in main display of control cabinet control panel ............................ 149
Pict. 30: Status list in the main display ................................................................... 151
Pict. 31: Tower lighting operating unit .................................................................... 153
viii Table of figures D0143420-2

1 General information
WARNING!
Operating a wind energy converter entails certain
risks.
A lack of knowledge of the operation of the wind en‐
ergy converter and the associated risks may cause
serious personal injury and damage to property.
Therefore:
– Read this document carefully.
– Observe all information in this document, in par‐
ticular the safety instructions.
– Refrain from any manipulations of or activities in
the wind energy converter the effects of which
you are unable to anticipate or that are prohibi‐
ted to you by the instructions in this document.
1.1 About this document

This operating manual provides details about the design and
functionality of ENERCON E-82 E2 wind energy converters as
well as important instructions for their safe and efficient opera‐
tion. For this reason, the WEC operator/owner must carefully
read and understand this guide prior to performing any manipu‐
lations of or activities in the wind energy converter. The same
applies to any person who is present in the WEC on behalf of
the operator/owner.
It is a basic prerequisite for operational safety that all safety warn‐
ings and operating instructions provided in this manual be fol‐
lowed.
This operating manual is a component of the wind energy con‐
verter. It must be kept in the WEC and be accessible to anyone
present in the WEC at all times. At the time of hand-over to the
operator/owner, the document is located in a folder in the con‐
trol cabinet in the WEC tower base.
The illustrations serve as an aid to understanding and may dif‐
fer slightly from the actual design of the wind energy converter.
In addition, they are frequently simplified and depict the actual
item only in principle.
D0143420-2 General information 1/180

1.2 Liability limitation

All information, notes and instructions in this operating manual
were compiled in strict adherence to the applicable standards
and regulations, taking into account the state of the art and the
company’s many years of experience in operating ENERCON
wind energy converters.
ENERCON does not accept any liability for damage caused by
the WEC’s operator/owner due to the following:
 Failure to observe this operating manual
 Failure to observe limitations of liability in the EPK contract
(if concluded)
 Use of the WEC for anything other than its intended use
 Employment of untrained personnel
 Improperly executed maintenance or repair work, unauthor‐
ised modifications or any other technical changes made to
the wind energy converter
This manual also describes optional components. The actual
scope of supply may differ from the explanations and illustra‐
tions in this operating manual due to customised design, omis‐
sion of optional components, or the latest technological changes.
The obligations agreed in the delivery contract, the General
Terms and Conditions, the manufacturer’s terms of delivery and
the legal regulations valid on the date of the signing of the con‐
tract apply.
2/180 General information D0143420-2

1.3 Symbols and representation
1.3.1 Text and layout conventions

Representation of
additional notes General information and additional notes are identi‐
fied by this symbol.
ENERCON Stands for ENERCON GmbH.
1. Identifies step-by-step instructions to be carried out in a specific

2. order.
Identifies step-by-step instructions that do not need to be car‐

ried out in a specific order.
Identifies the expected result of an action.
Grey squares identify level one bullet points.
Grey dots identify level two bullet points.
– Dashes identify bullet points that are part of safety instructions.
Italics font Identifies names of objects and control system messages (if it is
necessary to quote them literally), quoted headings, etc. Exam‐
ples:
 Names of operating controls and indicators:
Press Error reset button;
Pay attention to Manual on indicator light;
 Switch positions of operating controls:
Turn the Start / Stop switch to Start;
 Menu names on display screens:
… please see Mains data menu;
 Messages on display screens:
Status message Turbine operational is displayed.
 Headings that are being referenced:
…, see Power values in this chapter.
"in double quotes" Identifies other text portions that are meant to stand out from
the body text, such as quotations, special technical terms, docu‐
ment titles, etc.
Bold font Apart from headings and marginal text, identifies other impor‐
tant text portions or single words requiring special emphasis.

References These reference chapter headings. They indicate the chapter

number and the number of the first page of that chapter; howev‐
er, the relevant passage may be on a subsequent page.
1.3.2 Risk levels of safety instructions

Safety instructions are preceded by signal words that identify
the degree of risk.
DANGER!
… points out an imminently hazardous situation
which, if not avoided, will result in death or serious
injury.
WARNING!
… points out a potentially hazardous situation
which, if not avoided, may result in death or seri‐
ous injury.
CAUTION!
which, if not avoided, may result in minor or moder‐
ate injury.
NOTICE!
which, if not avoided, may result in damage to prop‐
erty or the environment.

1.3.3 Pictograms used for safety instructions

Safety instructions contain pictograms identifying the type of risk:
Risk of falling from height (e.g. through open trap‐

doors or openings in the floor that have not been
covered)
Risk of falling from height (e.g. from platforms with‐

out fencing)
Hazardous spots/areas
Machinery may start up automatically
Entanglement hazard
Explosive substances
Flammable substances
Harmful substances or irritants
Risk of hand injuries
Watch out for falling objects

Hot surfaces
Cold conditions or falling ice
Laser radiation
Optical radiation
Risk of crushing
Slippery surface
Suspended load
Hazardous electrical voltage
Tripping hazard

1.4 Related documents

Documentation for In addition to this operating manual, separate documentation for
specific components the following components applies:
 Operating instructions for safety ladder
 Operating instructions for service hoist
 Operating instructions for winch
These documents are stored either in a document pouch on the
respective device or in the same folder together with this operat‐
ing manual.
1.5 Warranty
The statutory warranty obligations of the manufacturer apply.
For any warranty given by ENERCON beyond the scope of
these statutory obligations, please refer to the relevant contrac‐
tual agreements.
1.6 Customer service and Service addresses

You may contact ENERCON’s customer service around the
clock by calling the relevant Service station. These and other tel‐
ephone numbers are listed on a separate sheet in the WEC fold‐
er located in the control cabinet in the tower base of the wind
energy converter.
You may also look up the telephone numbers and other informa‐
tion on the ENERCON SIP (Service Info Portal) web page at
https://sip.enercon.de/SIP (case sensitive!).
In addition, ENERCON is always interested in receiving news
and learning about new experiences that result from the use of
its products and could be valuable for the continuous improve‐
ment of its products.
This document exclusively mentions ENERCON Service as a
technical service provider. If the operator/owner has commis‐
sioned another service provider to perform maintenance or oth‐
er work, replace ENERCON Service with the name of that serv‐
ice provider.

2 Product overview
2.1 Area of application
The sole use of the ENERCON E-82 E2 wind energy converter
is the generation of electrical energy from wind power.
The E-82 E2 has been designed for locations with average wind
speeds of up to 8.5 m/s at hub height (wind class IIA acc. to
IEC 64100-1, depending on the tower type; see ch. 4.2.2, p.
58).
2.2 Design and operating principle
Pict. 1: General view

1 Rotor head 5 Machine house
2 Rotor 6 Tower
3 Rotor blade 7 Foundation
4 Nacelle
See glossary of terms for definitions of terms used in the legend
unless self-explanatory.
8/180 Product overview D0143420-2

The design of the E-82 E2 follows the same basic principle as

that of all other ENERCON wind energy converters.
Design A nacelle that comprises the machine house and the rotor head
and rotates around the vertical tower axis is located on top of a
slender tower tapering towards the top.
Three rotor blades are mounted on the rotor head. The blades
can be turned around their longitudinal axis for adjustment.
The stationary part of the generator belongs to the machine
house; the rotating part is connected directly to the rotor head
without any interposed gear. Because of its low rotational
speed, the generator needs to have a large number of poles
and thus a large diameter (annular generator).
The nacelle is enclosed by an aerodynamically shaped casing.
The E-82 E2 is an upwind rotor, meaning that when viewing the
WEC in the direction of the wind current, the rotor is in front of
the tower. The rotor turns clockwise.
Operation The WEC always aligns the nacelle with the wind and, to better
adapt to the prevailing wind conditions, operates at variable
speed. As a result, voltage and frequency of the generated pow‐
er vary. Rectifiers (in the nacelle), inverters and the transformer
(in the tower base) condition the electric current for the feed into
the grid of the local utility company.
Control and operation A sophisticated control system ensures that the WEC makes op‐
timal use of the energy contained in the wind at all times and pre‐
vents the WEC from running into critical situations or reduces
the power output or stops the WEC if critical situations occur.
A control cabinet with a control panel is located both in
 the tower base (referred to as control cabinet)
 the nacelle (referred to as nacelle control cabinet)
Safety Several partly redundant safety systems minimise the risk of the
WEC damaging itself or its surroundings, or causing injuries to
persons.
For more detailed information, see ch. 4, p. 39

through ch. 7, p. 121.
D0143420-2 Product overview 9/180

2.3 Type plate
Pict. 2: Type plate

1 Manufacturer’s name and 5 Serial no. of the WEC
address
2 Designation of wind turbine 6 Month and year of installa‐
type tion
3 Rated power of the genera‐ 7 Configuration of grid proper‐
tor [kW] ties
4 Position of the WEC within
the wind farm

The type plate is located on the tower control cabinet above the
WEC display screen (cf. ch. 8.2.1, p. 129):
Pict. 3: Position of type plate

2.4 Technical specifications

All values regarding power, rotational speeds and
wind speeds stated in this document are approxi‐
mate. Depending on turbulence in the air flow and
the measuring and calculation methods used, ac‐
tual measured values may vary.
2.4.1 Power specifications

Feature Value Unit
Rated power 2300 / 2000 kW
Rated wind speed 14 m/s
Cut-in wind speed 2.5 m/s
Cut-out wind speed (w/ storm con‐ approx. 36 m/s
trol; cf. ch. 5.2.2.1, p. 80)
Rotor speed during power output 6 to 18 rpm
Power consumption at standstill 10 / 43 kW
with / without blade heating acti‐
vated
During a standstill, the WEC control system, the yaw system,
the navigation lights system, etc. require electrical energy from
the utility’s grid. The above values are average values based on
15-minute measuring intervals.
The E-82 E2 has been designed for 2,300 kW rated power.
Upon request, it is also available with 2,000 kW rated power.
The two variants differ solely in their rated power. This docu‐
ment does therefore not contain any additional details about the
2,000 kW variant.

2.4.2 Rotor
Feature Type
Diameter 82 m
Swept area 5281 m²
Blade tip speed approx. 78 m/s at rated speed
Number of blades 3
Blade material GRP/epoxy resin/wood
Rotational direction Clockwise
Orientation Upwind rotor
Angle of hub axis 5° from horizontal
Conical angle 0°
Blade pitch control ENERCON single blade pitch system
Yaw system Active, 6 yaw drives
Service brake Aerodynamic action via blade pitch con‐
trol
Auxiliary brake Electromechanical action, brake shoes
on steel ring
Rotor lock 3 hydraulic-action locking bolts, latch‐
ing every 15°
Hub Rotating on fixed axle pin
Bearings Cylindrical roller bearing /
double-row tapered roller bearing

2.4.3 Generator
Feature Type
Type ENERCON annular generator (synchro‐
nous)
Number of pole shoes 72
Gear Gearless
Cooling system Air cooling
Current transforma‐ ENERCON full-scale converter
tion for grid feed
2.4.4 Dimensions and weights

Dimensions Feature Value Unit
Length of each rotor blade 38.8 m
Diameter of generator 4960 mm
Max. diameter of nacelle 4990 mm
Length of nacelle 11734 mm
of which machine house 5781 mm
(w/o generator)
Weights Feature Value Unit

Nacelle without generator and ro‐ approx. 19 t
tor
Single rotor blade approx. 8,3 t
Complete rotor incl. axle pin (w/o approx. 56 t
generator)
Generator approx. 61 t
Total for nacelle approx. 136 t
Tower height See ch. 4.2.2, p. 58.

2.4.5 Emissions during operation
Sound The guaranteed maximum sound power level of the E-82 E2

wind energy converter is 104.5 dB(A) without noise reduction by
the Noise optimisation option (see ch. 7.6, p. 125).
Shadow casting Irritating shadow casting caused by rotating rotor blades can be
prevented by using the Shadow shut-off option (see ch. 7.5, p.
124).
Other None

3 Basic safety instructions

In addition to the safety instructions below, all regulations con‐
cerning accident prevention, safety, and environmental protec‐
tion applicable at the installation site of the wind energy convert‐
er must be observed.
3.1 Intended use

The sole purpose of the E-82 E2 wind energy converter is to gen‐
erate electrical energy from wind power and to feed this energy
into a suitable power grid.
The term “intended use” also encompasses compliance with all
information and instructions provided in this operating manual.
Any claim whatsoever against ENERCON on the grounds of dam‐
age caused by use other than the intended use is excluded.
Any application beyond or other than the intended use of the
WEC constitutes misuse.
Misuse
WARNING!
Risks due to misuse!
Misuse of the wind energy converter can cause haz‐
ardous situations.
Therefore:
– Only use the wind energy converter in accord‐
ance with its intended purpose.
– Strictly observe the operating manual.
16/180 Basic safety instructions D0143420-2

3.2 Operator/owner responsibilities

The wind energy converter is typically used for com‐
mercial purposes. The operator/owner must there‐
fore comply with the legal requirements concerning
occupational health and safety.
Instructions for safe use  The operator/owner must familiarise himself with the health
and safety regulations applicable at the installation site of
the wind energy converter and carry out a risk assessment
to determine any additional risks that may arise from the par‐
ticular operating conditions prevailing at the installation site
of the wind energy converter. The operator/owner must incor‐
porate these findings into instructions for safe use of the WEC.
 The operator/owner must clearly determine and specify the
responsibilities for installation, operation, maintenance and
cleaning.
 The operator/owner must ensure that all personnel who op‐
erate the wind energy converter or perform any other work
on or around the wind energy converter have read and un‐
derstood this operating manual.
Staff training  In accordance with the statutory and accident prevent regu‐
lations applicable at the installation site of the WEC, the op‐
erator/owner must provide instruction on a regular basis to
anyone who will enter the wind energy converter and is not
an employee of ENERCON or another specialised company.
 Instruction must include handling of components that are de‐
scribed in separate documents, such as supplier documenta‐
tion.
 The operator/owner must provide staff with the required pro‐
tection equipment (see , p.ch. 3.6, p. 30) and train them in
its use.
 To prove that instruction was provided the operator/owner
must keep appropriate records. A form following the tem‐
plate below may be used for this purpose.
D0143420-2 Basic safety instructions 17/180

<Header with operator/owner’s name>

Training subject:
Place, date and duration of training:
Training provided by: <Instructor’s name>
Name of trainee Company ID Trainee’s signature
no.

Proper condition of wind  The operator/owner is furthermore responsible for keeping

energy converter the wind energy converter in proper working condition at all
times.
 The operator/owner must check (or have checked by ENER‐
CON Service) the functionality and completeness of all safe‐
ty equipment on a regular basis.
 The operator/owner must ensure that maintenance is per‐
formed at the specified intervals (ch. 11, p. 161).
 The operator/owner must regularly check and maintain
staff’s personal protection equipment and replace any dam‐
aged parts.
 The operator/owner should – also in his own interest – notify
ENERCON immediately of any damage or irregularities he
observes on the wind energy converter.
 The operator/owner must immediately replace any signs or
labels that have become illegible or are missing (cf. ch. 6.19,
p. 112 and ch. 11.4, p. 163).
 The operator/owner must keep all work areas and rescue
routes unobstructed and maintain them in proper condition.
ENERCON can support the operator/owner in the

fulfilment of the abovementioned duties (for con‐
tact details, see page ii).

3.3 Danger zone

The danger zone is the wind energy converter itself. During cer‐
tain operations (such as transporting objects by winch), a corre‐
sponding area around the WEC also constitutes a danger zone.
In certain situations, the areas both below and at least 200 m to
the side of the nacelle in the direction of the rotor plane are also
considered danger zones (cf. ch. 3.5.7, p. 28; Falling ice).
3.4 Staff qualifications
3.4.1 General requirements

 Only persons who can be expected to follow the safety in‐
structions and to reliably perform the tasks assigned to them
may enter the danger zone of the wind energy converter.
 Anyone whose capacities are impaired through the consump‐
tion of drugs, alcohol, medication or the like is excluded.
 Persons who suffer from height vertigo or who are generally
in poor health (e.g. cardiovascular problems) may not as‐
cend the tower of the wind energy converter.

3.4.2 Qualifications
Maintenance and repair ENERCON Service personnel meet the necessary personal
and professional requirements.
All other persons must undergo general training on operating
wind energy converters and must have been instructed by EN‐
ERCON regarding the particular features of the E-82 E2.
Working on electrical All of the requirements below apply in addition to those stated
components in general under Maintenance and repair.
Persons who carry out work on the live parts of the wind energy
converter must be skilled electricians or, for less hazardous
work, instructed persons (acc. to DIN VDE 1000-10 in Germa‐
ny; refer to applicable regulations for other countries!) and must
be familiar with the relevant safety rules. Because of their pro‐
fessional training, they are able to anticipate and recognise haz‐
ardous situations and to react appropriately.
The same applies to accessing the transformer room and the me‐
dium-voltage switchgear assembly.
Medium-voltage Any operations or switching operations on the medium-voltage

switchgear assembly switchgear assembly may only be carried out by skilled electri‐
cians who have received specialised training and have been giv‐
en switching authorisation.
Other Any other person who accesses the wind energy converter for
business purposes or out of professional interest but does not
carry out any work or operate the WEC (e.g. representatives of
public authorities, students, other visitors) must comply with the
requirements listed under ch. 3.4.1, p. 20. In addition, the opera‐
tor/owner must advise them of the risks and instruct them con‐
cerning proper conduct in the WEC prior to accessing the WEC.

3.4.3 Unauthorised persons

Any person who does not at least meet the requirements listed
under ch. 3.4.1, p. 20 and who does not have at least one addi‐
tional qualification as per ch. 3.4.2, p. 21 is considered unauthor‐
ised. Unauthorised persons must not enter the danger zone of
the wind energy converter, not even when accompanied by an
authorised person.
WARNING!
Operating a wind energy converter entails certain
risks.
Improper conduct can lead to serious personal in‐
jury or substantial property damage.
Therefore:
– Ensure that all work in and on the WEC includ‐
ing the operation of the WEC is carried out by
properly trained personnel only.
– Advise all persons about the risks before they en‐
ter the danger zone.
– Keep unauthorised persons away from the dan‐
ger zone.
– If necessary, discontinue work on the WEC as
long as unauthorised persons are present in the
danger zone.
– Always lock the entrance door when leaving the
WEC.

3.5 Risks to persons and property

ENERCON wind energy converters are designed in such a way
that they do not pose any hazard in commonly occurring situa‐
tions and that an escape from dangerous situations is always en‐
sured. Nevertheless, residual risks remain that can never be
completely avoided in any technical product.
Basic rules for safe Under certain circumstances, personal injury and/or property
conduct in a wind energy damage can occur.
converter  Smoking, naked lights, and the consumption of alcohol and
other drugs are forbidden inside the wind energy converter.
 Refrain from any action that is prohibited or whose effects
cannot be clearly anticipated.
 Whenever a person is near or inside a wind energy convert‐
er, at least one other person must be within shouting range
(inside or near the WEC) to initiate rescue procedures, if
necessary. These persons can keep in contact via radio, if
necessary.
 Always use the appropriate protection equipment.
 Stop the wind energy converter before ascending the tower
(see ch. 8.2.3, p. 133).

3.5.1 Mechanical hazards (rotating parts)

Spontaneous startup of If the rotor stands still (e.g. due to temporary lack of wind) but
rotor is not locked, it can start up again at any moment. This may
result in persons being crushed between the stationary part (sta‐
tor) and the rotating part (rotor) of the generator.
 Do not remove the covers from the access holes in the sta‐
tor, and never climb through the openings of the stator into
the rotor hub, lean into or reach through the openings un‐
less the rotor has been locked.
Flying debris In the event of certain technical defects the rotational speed of
the rotor can increase in such a way that the wind energy con‐
verter sustains severe damage from centrifugal forces. Flying
debris may cause serious injury or death.
 If the rotational speed of the rotor unit becomes unusually
high, leave the wind energy converter immediately, close
off a large area around the WEC to prevent access, and no‐
tify ENERCON Service.
Ventilation fans The rotating parts of the fans spin at high speeds and can
cause serious injury upon contact.
 Do not open any fan covers or hatches while fans are run‐
ning.
 Before opening any fan covers, switch off or disconnect the
fan.
 Do not open fan covers until all parts are standing still.

3.5.2 Mechanical hazards (various)

Falling from height Falls from more than negligible heights typically cause serious
injuries or death.
 Always use a personal fall protection system when ascend‐
ing and working in the tower, when using the service hoist,
and in any situation that involves the risk of a fall from
height (cf. ch. 3.6, p. 30).
 Only use the attachment points marked yellow to attach the
personal fall protection system.
 Always keep both hands on the safety ladder when ascend‐
ing or descending in the tower. Do not carry any objects in
your hands.
 Always close hatch covers after climbing through platform
hatches.
 Do not use the winch to transport persons.
Falling Materials and other objects can fall accidentally and cause se‐
objects rious injury or death.
 Always wear a hard hat in and around the wind energy con‐
verter.
 Always use tear-resistant, body-hugging sling bags to carry
tools, materials, keys, and other loose objects and secure
them against falling out.
 Always use the winch to transport larger tools and materials.
Suspended loads Suspended loads that drop can cause serious injury or death.
 Keep clear of suspended loads.
 Move loads under supervision only.
 Set down any suspended load before leaving the work area.
Edges and corners Constructional elements and fitted parts built into the wind en‐
ergy converter may have sharp edges and corners. Forceful
touching of and bumping into such spots can cause injuries.
 Be particularly careful when working near sharp edges and
corners, and avoid abrupt movements.
 Wear protective gloves when ascending the tower on the
safety ladder, and whenever necessary.

3.5.3 Electrical hazards

Electric current Touching live parts can cause serious or fatal injuries.
 Skilled electricians only may open electrical cabinets and
boxes.
 Before carrying out any maintenance, cleaning, or repair
work, disconnect from all sources of supply and secure iso‐
lation (see ch. 3.7.2, p. 34).
 Never bypass or disable any fuses. Defective fuses may on‐
ly be replaced with equivalent new fuses.
 If the insulation is damaged, immediately disconnect the
power supply and ensure that repairs are carried out quickly.
 Keep live parts dry.
Batteries and capacitors Batteries and capacitors contain harmful substances. They
may explode and typically remain energised for an extended
period even after they have been disconnected from the power
supply.
 Use a suitable wipe to remove any liquid that may have
leaked and dispose of it in accordance with environmental
regulations.
 In the event of skin contact, rinse skin with plenty of water.
In the event of eye contact, flush eye with water at once for
10 minutes and seek medical attention immediately.
 Dispose of batteries and capacitors according to environ‐
mental regulations; do not incinerate.
 Do not touch any connections until they have been proved
dead!
Electromagnetic fields When in operation, the generator and other components of the
wind energy converter generate electromagnetic alternating
fields that can interfere with artificial pacemakers.
 Persons with artificial pacemakers must not enter the wind
energy converter.
 Post appropriate warning signs in the WEC.

3.5.4 Thermal hazards

Fire and explosion hazard Certain components of the power electronics system and the
transformers may explode and/or ignite fires. Scattered waste,
oil and grease residue that has not been cleaned up, etc. can
promote the start and spread of a fire.
 Keep the work area clean and tidy at all times.
 Keep escape routes and access to fire extinguishers unob‐
structed at all times.
 Wear ear protection where there is an increased risk of ex‐
plosions.
3.5.5 Noise hazards

Operating noise The operation of the wind energy converter – in particular at
higher wind speeds – causes loud noise inside the WEC. Long-
term exposure entails the risk of permanent hearing damage.
 Use ear protection when spending an extended period of
time inside the wind energy converter while it is running.
3.5.6 Hazards from consumables and auxiliary materials

Lubricants Defects may cause leakage of oil or grease. This may impair
the function of the WEC and increases the fire hazard.
Oil and grease may contain toxic substances. They represent
an environmental hazard and may have adverse health effects
when in contact with skin.
Oil and grease make objects slippery and can cause slips and
falls.
 Avoid contact with leaked oil or grease. Keep oil and
grease away from food items.
 Wipe up and completely remove any oil or grease spillages
immediately, in particular from walking and working areas,
from ladder rungs and grab handles, using absorbent
wipes and a suitable solvent if necessary.
 Properly dispose of oil and grease as well as contaminated
cleaning aids / tools.
 Notify ENERCON Service if there is a risk of impaired func‐
tion of the wind energy converter.

3.5.7 Hazards from particular weather conditions

Strong winds Windstorms and strong gusts of wind can cause the wind ener‐
gy converter to oscillate heavily. This can cause persons in the
tower or the nacelle to fall or be struck by falling objects.
 At an average wind speed above 16 m/s, discontinue all
work in the nacelle, descend from the nacelle, and do not
ascend in the tower.
Thunderstorms A lightning strike may set the wind energy converter on fire
and directly or indirectly cause serious injury or death.
 If a thunderstorm approaches, descend from the nacelle im‐
mediately. It is safe to stay in the tower base, provided that
the wind energy converter has not caught fire.
 Do not touch any components that serve as lightning con‐
ductors or equipotential bonding between parts.
 Notify ENERCON Service if the WEC shows damage from
lightning strikes.
Falling ice In certain weather conditions, ice may form on the rotor
blades. The ice may drop in large chunks or be flung from the
spinning rotor and cause serious injury or death. This is partic‐
ularly true if the rotor blade heating system is active.
 When there is a risk of ice falling, avoid the danger zone
around the wind energy converter if possible.
 Use extreme caution when entering the danger zone and
wear a hard hat also outside the WEC.
High temperatures During the hot season, the temperature inside the wind energy
converter can rise to approx. 50°C. High fluid loss from perspi‐
ration can impair a person’s health and ability to concentrate
 When inside the wind energy converter for longer time peri‐
ods during the hot season, wear light clothing and carry plen‐
ty of drinking water.

3.5.8 Combined hazards

Malfunctions Malfunctions and defects of mechanical or electrical compo‐
nents of the wind energy converter can put the lives of persons
in danger.
 In the event of malfunctions, check the messages on the
WEC display and shut down the wind energy converter if
necessary.
 In the event of defects in components, in particular on safe‐
ty equipment, shut down the wind energy converter.
 Put up warning notices to advise others of the malfunction
and prevent them from performing potentially dangerous ac‐
tions.
 Notify ENERCON Service.
Cluttered work areas Objects scattered around (tools, containers, materials, etc.)
and dirt can cause tripping, slipping, and falling accidents.
Falls can lead to serious injuries (hitting edges, falling onto live
components, etc.).
 Keep work areas tidy at all times.
 Remove any dirt and waste materials immediately.
Hazard spots As a rule, do not access any location with an increased hazard
potential (e.g. the touchdown area of the service hoist).
 Mark any hazard spots with black-and-yellow tape, or close
them off.

3.6 Personal protection equipment (PPE)

Hazards such as falling objects, bumping into sharp edges, en‐
tanglement in protruding parts, etc., or falling from significant
heights can lead to serious injury or death.
 Always wear protective equipment as described below.
 Never enter a danger zone without protective equipment.
 Do not wear rings, necklaces or any other jewellery.
 Observe the signs posted in the wind energy converter con‐
cerning the use of personal protection equipment.
The personal protection equipment (PPE) is not

part of the wind energy converter. It is therefore
the operator/owner’s responsibility to ensure the
availability, inspection, and proper use of protec‐
tion equipment. The same applies to the rescue
equipment (ch. 3.6.2, p. 31).
3.6.1 Mandatory protection equipment in a danger zone

Hard hat with chin strap
Protection from falling objects and from hitting one’s head on
sharp edges when falling or in confined spaces.
Safety shoes
Protecting feet from heavy falling objects and from slipping; pro‐
viding protection when stepping on sharp-edged objects on the
ground.

3.6.2 Recommended or situation-specific protection equipment

Protective clothing
Form-fitting clothing with low tear resistance, with tight sleeves
and without any projecting parts. Primarily used to protect
against entanglement in rotating machine parts.
Protective gloves
Protection of hands against friction, abrasion, stabs, cuts and
contact with hot surfaces.
Ear protection
Protection against hearing damage caused by loud noise.
Personal fall protection system

To prevent falls from more than negligible heights.
Rescue equipment
When ascending the tower and when working in the nacelle, car‐
ry rescue equipment (abseiling and rescue device acc. to
DIN EN 341 or regulations applicable on site) so as to be able
to abseil an incapacitated person, if required.
CAUTION! Read manufacturer’s documentation!

3.6.3 Personal fall protection system

When ascending in the tower, climbing onto the nacelle roof, or
accessing any other area where there is a risk of falling from
height, the use of the personal fall protection system in addition
to the above protection equipment is mandatory.
The personal fall protection system consists of the following com‐
ponents:
Component Standard
Safety harness EN 361
2 shock-absorbing lanyards EN 355
Runner EN 353-1
Fasteners (rope, karabiners/snap hooks) EN 354
Regular inspections The personal fall protection system must be inspected by an au‐
thorised body at regular intervals. The next inspection date is in‐
dicated on a label on the personal fall protection system.
Notes on use A personal fall protection system that is defective or used im‐
properly does not provide any protection.
 All users must have been instructed in the proper use of the
personal fall protection system.
 Before each use, perform a visual and functional check of
the personal fall protection system.
 Never use defective personal fall protection equipment.
 Observe the manufacturer’s instructions concerning mainte‐
nance of the personal fall protection system and the techni‐
cal inspection intervals.
 Do not use any personal fall protection system that is past
the next inspection date – turn it in for inspection.
Depending on contractual agreements, ENERCON

may supply a personal fall protection system includ‐
ing documentation.
This does, however, not affect the operator/own‐
er’s responsibility for the undamaged condition and
proper use of the personal fall protection system.

3.7 General safety equipment

The safety of persons in the danger zone of the wind energy con‐
verter can only be ensured if the safety equipment is in proper
working order.
 After entering the wind energy converter, first check the safe‐
ty equipment for any signs of faults or defects.
 If any safety equipment is found to be faulty or defective,
leave the danger zone and notify ENERCON Service.
 Never disable any safety equipment.
For explanations of other safety equipment, see

ch. 6, p. 97.
3.7.1 EMERGENCY STOP button

Pressing an EMERGENCY STOP button will stop the rotor of
the wind energy converter as quickly as possible (i.e., by addi‐
tionally engaging the electromechanical rotor brake).
The EMERGENCY STOP buttons do not have an emergency
OFF function; i.e., pressing an EMERGENCY STOP button will
not de-energise the wind energy converter.
 Even after an emergency stop, do not touch any live parts.
Locations of EMERGENCY STOP buttons are located

EMERGENCY STOP  on the control panel of the control cabinet
buttons
 on the control panel of the tower lighting system next to the
entrance door
 on the control panel of the nacelle control cabinet
The effect of the EMERGENCY STOP buttons on the control
cabinet and the tower lighting control panel is identical.
Pressing the EMERGENCY STOP button on the nacelle control
cabinet deactivates some additional components and functions
that may be a hazard to the persons staying in the nacelle (e.g.
generator fans and yawing of the nacelle).

3.7.2 Main switch

The main switch turns the control system of the wind energy con‐
verter on and off.
Consequently, when the main switch is turned off the central
WEC components including power generation and power con‐
version on the WEC side of the transformer are disabled.
Switching off a main switch does not result in an emergency
stop since the electromechanical rotor brake is not activated.
The rotor is merely braked aerodynamically, i.e., it can continue
to rotate freely.
The main switches do not have an emergency OFF function;
i.e., turning off a main switch will de-energise only parts of the
wind energy converter.
 Do not touch any live parts even with the main switch turned
off.
Locations of main WEC main switches are located:

switches  on the control panel of the control cabinet
 on the control panel of the nacelle control cabinet
Securing main switch Use a padlock to secure the main switch against reconnection
against reconnection in the 0 (OFF) position.
As a rule, if the main switch has been secured with a padlock,
there are persons present in the danger zone. Turning on the
main switch can cause serious or fatal injury to them.
 Keep the padlock key safe.
 The padlock may only be removed by authorised persons.
 Before removing the padlock, ensure that the danger zone is
clear of people.

Securing the main switch with a padlock:

1. Secure the main switch in 0 (Off) position with a padlock.
2. In a prominent position on the switch, attach an information
sign containing at least the details shown in the illustration
alongside.
3. The person named on the sign must be the one who keeps
the key.
4. Once it is safe to turn the main switch back on, have an au‐
thorised person remove the lock and the sign.
Alternatively, if it is not possible to secure the main switch with a
padlock:
1. In a prominent position on the turned-off main switch, attach
an information sign containing at least the details shown in
the illustration alongside.
2. Once it is safe to turn the main switch back on, have an au‐
thorised person remove the sign.

3.8 Conduct in case of hazardous situations and accidents

Preventive measures  Always be prepared for accidents or fire!
 Never work in the wind energy converter on your own!
 Keep first aid equipment (first aid kit, blankets, etc.) and fire
extinguishers at hand and clearly mark the place where
these are stored.
 Periodically check if first aid kits are complete and usable
and have not passed their expiration date. Replace any ex‐
pired or missing materials immediately.
 Train personnel in the proper conduct in the event of acci‐
dents and hazardous situations, and ensure they are familiar
with the use of equipment for accident notification, first aid,
and rescue.
 When working in the nacelle, always carry a mobile phone
and have rescue equipment (abseiling device) ready.
 Keep access roads clear for emergency services.
In the event of an accident  Press EMERGENCY STOP button at once, if required.

 Remove persons from the danger zone.
 Start rendering first aid.
 Call emergency services.
 Notify person in charge on site.
 Clear access roads for emergency services.
In the event of fire  Stop the wind energy converter and turn off the main switch,
if still possible. Otherwise, push the EMERGENCY STOP but‐
ton.
 Call the fire brigade.
 Rescue any injured persons from the danger zone and en‐
sure first aid is provided.
 Use carbon dioxide fire extinguishers to fight the fire; follow
the operating instructions of the fire extinguishers. Only try
to fight the fire if you can do so without putting your own safe‐
ty at risk and if the escape route is clear.
 If the fire cannot be extinguished immediately, do not contin‐
ue fire fighting efforts. Evacuate the wind energy converter
and any ancillary buildings, and leave the WEC. Close off a
wide area around the WEC.
 If it is no longer possible to descend safely in the tower,
climb up into the nacelle and use rescue equipment (abseil‐
ing device) to leave the nacelle through the winch hatch.
 Notify the technical manager of the relevant utility company.
 Clear access roads for emergency services.

Windstorms  If the wind speed exceeds 16 m/s or there is the risk of a light‐
and thunderstorms ning strike, stop all work in or around the wind energy con‐
verter.
 If the rotor has been locked, have the skilled technician on
site release the rotor lock.
 Descend from the nacelle.
 Switch the wind energy converter to automatic mode (see
ch. 8.2.9, p. 139); start it up if necessary.
In the event of  If the rotor speed noticeably exceeds the permitted limit, and
rotor overspeed if both the speed governor and the overspeed switches that
kick in automatically at overspeed are obviously failing to
stop the rotor, press the EMERGENCY STOP button.
 If the rotor still does not slow down, leave the wind energy
converter as quickly as possible.
 Close off the danger zone around the WEC.

3.9 Hazard signs

Those areas of the wind energy converter that give rise to partic‐
ular hazards are marked by hazard signs. It is mandatory to ob‐
serve these signs as well as all other information signs on safe
conduct that are posted in various places (see also ch. 6.19, p.
112).
Access to areas that are closed off with black-and-yellow
chains, tape, or other markers is prohibited. Also, leaning
across these barriers or extending body parts through or across
them is not allowed.

4 Assemblies
4.1 Nacelle
4.1.1 Design overview
Pict. 4: Sectional drawing of nacelle (main components)

1 Slip ring unit 8 Nacelle platform
2 Rotor hub 9 Yaw bearing
3 Axle pin 10 Tower
4 Generator rotor 11 Hub bearing
5 Generator stator 12 Blade adapter
6 Main carrier 13 Rotor blade
7 Nacelle casing
D0143420-2 Assemblies 39/180

General information The structural components are made of cast iron (spheroidal
graphite cast iron) where possible. This material combines easy
and precise machinability with high stability and elasticity. The
remaining structural parts are mostly made of steel.
The sectional drawing of the nacelle clearly shows that the na‐
celle’s centre of gravity is not located on the tower axis. Howev‐
er, the resulting tilting moment is not a drawback since it coun‐
teracts the moment from the wind loads.
Slip ring unit See ch. 4.1.2.1, p. 42.

Blade adapter
Rotor blade
Rotor hub The rotor hub rotates around the axle pin on a cylindrical roller
Hub bearing bearing and a tapered roller bearing. The rotor blades and the
generator rotor are attached to the rotor hub. Openings in the
body of the hub allow technicians to access the hub for mainte‐
nance and repair work even when the rotor blades are installed.
Axle pin The stationary axle pin is mounted on the generator stator. It car‐
ries the entire rotor (see ch. 4.1.4, p. 53).
Towards the front (the tip of the nacelle), the axle pin is turned
upward by 5° so that the rotor is tilted. This increases the dis‐
tance between the tower and the rotor blades and thus reduces
aerodynamic interference of the tower with the rotor blades
sweeping past in front of it.
Generator rotor The generator rotor (the rotating part of the generator) is attach‐
ed to the rotor hub. For more details on the generator, see ch.
4.1.4, p. 53.
Generator stator The generator stator (the stationary part of the generator) is at‐
tached to the main carrier. For more details on the generator,
see ch. 4.1.4, p. 53.
Main carrier The main carrier is the central load-bearing element of the na‐
celle structure. It rests on the yaw bearing that allows it to rotate
on top of the tower. All other parts of the nacelle are directly or
indirectly attached to the main carrier. Thus, when the main car‐
rier rotates on the yaw bearing, the entire nacelle rotates with it.
Nacelle casing The nacelle casing consists of multiple sections of aluminium

sheet metal. It is attached to the generator stator, the nacelle
platform and the hub (in the rotor area) by means of steel pro‐
files. All joints including those between casing and rotor blades
are sealed to prevent the ingress of rain water.
The aerodynamic contour creates a particularly favourable air
flow in the immediate vicinity of the nacelle.
40/180 Assemblies D0143420-2

Nacelle platform The nacelle platform is bolted to the main carrier at the sides
and towards the rear. It serves both as a walking/work area for
personnel and as an installation area for control cabinets and
other components.
Yaw bearing The yaw bearing (slewing ring bearing) carries the entire na‐
celle and allows the rotation of the nacelle on top of the tower.
D0143420-2 Assemblies 41/180

4.1.2 Rotor head, nacelle roof and generator rotor
4.1.2.1 Components in the rotor head and on the nacelle roof
Pict. 5: Nacelle: Rotor head

1 Pitch drives 10 Stator ring of generator
2 Slip ring unit 11 Generator rotor
3 Hub sub-distribution system 12 Load control box
4 Blade heating control cabinet (optional) 13 Compact limit switch
5 Transformer for pitch drives 14 Blade flange bearing
6 Navigation lights system (optional) 15 Rotor hub
7 Wind measuring unit with lightning rods 16 Blade adapter
8 Roof hatch 17 Rotor blade extension
9 Attachment point for shock-absorbing 18 Rotor blade with trailing edge section
lanyard
42/180 Assemblies D0143420-2

The above illustration shows that for some compo‐

nents, one unit is assigned to each rotor blade, i.e.,
there are three units. The descriptions below do
not explicitly mention this fact.
Pitch drive The pitch drives turn the rotor blades in order to adjust the
blade angle. Each drive consists of a direct-current motor and a
flanged-on reduction gear.
Slip ring unit The slip ring unit is located at the tip of the axle pin. It transmits
electrical energy and data (e.g. the excitation current needed by
the generator rotor) between the stationary and the rotating
parts of the nacelle via sliding contacts.
Hub sub-distribution The hub sub-distribution system is a small subordinate distribu‐

system tion point. It provides for the power supply to the interior lighting
of the rotor head as well as the transmission of some sensor sig‐
nals (e.g. pitch monitoring).
Blade heating control Optional component; see ch. 7.3, p. 123.

cabinet
Transformer for pitch The pitch transformer transforms current for the pitch motors
motors (pitch transformer) from 400 V to 230 V. Afterwards, the pitch control boxes rectify
the current. (The motors run on direct current.)
Navigation lights system Optional component; see ch. 7.1, p. 121.
Wind measuring unit The anemometer (wind measuring unit) continuously measures
wind speed and wind direction. Both parameters are crucial for
controlling the wind energy converter. The E-82 E2 comes with
an ultrasonic anemometer (as shown).
Roof hatch The roof hatch provides access to the nacelle roof, e.g. for main‐
tenance work on the wind measuring unit or the navigation lights.
Falls from height
WARNING!
Risk of fatal accidents when falling from the na‐
celle roof!
Falls from more than negligible heights typically
cause serious injuries or death.
Therefore:
– Always wear a personal fall protection system
when climbing onto the nacelle roof.
– After opening the roof hatch and before stepping
on the roof, secure your shock-absorbing lan‐
yard to a yellow attachment point on the nacelle
roof.
D0143420-2 Assemblies 43/180

Blinding hazard
WARNING!
Blinding hazard from intense light!
A source of intense light (navigation lights system)
may be installed on the nacelle roof and may
cause damage to eyes.
Therefore:
– When exiting onto the nacelle roof, never look di‐
rectly into the light, particularly if white strobe
lights are used as daytime marking.
Attachment point Attachment point (marked yellow) for securing the shock-absorb‐
ing lanyard of the personal fall protection system when climbing
onto and working on the nacelle roof.
Stator ring / See ch. 4.1.1, p. 39 and ch. 4.1.4, p. 53.

Generator rotor
Load control box The load control box receives signals from the strain gauges on
the blade adapters and transmits them to the pitch control box‐
es (cf. ch. 6.10, p. 105).
Compact limit switch The compact limit switch contains the angle encoder for deter‐
mining the blade angle. In addition, it will switch off the pitch
drive if the blade angle exceeds or falls short of the predefined
limits due to a control system fault (see also ch. 5.6, p. 87).
Blade flange bearing The blade flange bearings (slewing ring bearings) connect the
blade adapters and the rotor hub and allow the blades to rotate.
Rotor hub See ch. 4.1.1, p. 39.
Blade adapter The cast iron blade adapters connect the blade flange bearings
and the rotor blades. They enhance the structural stability of the
blade connection.
Rotor blade extension The rotor blade extension is the continuation of the blade con‐
tour (or, to be more precise, that of the trailing edge section;
see chapter on rotor blades) and is fixed to the nacelle casing.
Due to the adjustability of the blade angle and the shape of the
nacelle, it is not possible to continue the contour of the rotor
blade itself all the way to the nacelle casing.
Rotor blades The rotor blades (or blades for short) are made of glass-fibre re‐
inforced plastic (GRP). Some sections have a wooden base.
The rotor blades are hollow and reinforced by an internal web‐
bing structure. A polyurethane-based surface coating protects
the rotor blades from dirt and environmental impacts. The coat‐
ing material is highly resistant to abrasion, visco-hard, and resist‐
ant to chemical influences and solar radiation.
44/180 Assemblies D0143420-2

The blade profile has been aerodynamically optimised and, in

conjunction with the aerodynamic shape of the nacelle casing,
also exploits air streams close to the rotor axis. This requires a
broader rotor blade profile in the vicinity of the rotor axis, which
is provided by the so-called trailing edge sections. To facilitate
transport, these are manufactured separately and bolted to the
blades at the installation site of the wind energy converter.
The rotor blade tips are fitted with so-called tip bows. These
form the ends of the rotor blades and are bent by roughly 90 de‐
grees. A similar design is used in airplane construction. They re‐
duce air turbulence and thus increase efficiency while reducing
noise emissions.
The rotor blades are elastic. When under load from the wind,
they bend backwards accordingly.
Central lubrication system The central lubrication system supplies lubricant from a central
(not shown) reservoir via tubes to all points on the rotor (blade flange bear‐
ings, pitch drives) that require lubrication. The reservoir is loca‐
ted in the rotor hub.
D0143420-2 Assemblies 45/180

4.1.2.2 Components on the generator rotor

The components for control of and power supply to the pitch
units are mounted on the generator rotor, on the side facing the
generator stator. They are therefore not visible in the illustra‐
tions in ch. 4.1.2.1, p. 42 and ch. 4.1.3, p. 48.
Each rotor blade has its own component group consisting of
pitch control box, blade relay box, and capacitor box.
Pict. 6: Generator rotor

1 Pole shoes 5 Capacitor box
2 Rotor sub-distribution sys‐ 6 Access opening
tem
3 Pitch control box 7 Rotor rim
4 Blade relay box
46/180 Assemblies D0143420-2

Pole shoes Poles of the generator. Electromagnets generating the magnet‐

ic field needed for current induction in the generator stator.
Rotor sub-distribution The rotor sub-distribution system acquires those measured val‐
system ues from the sensors in the rotor (not only the generator rotor)
that are relevant to pitch control and connects the pitch control
boxes to the nacelle control cabinet.
Pitch control box Contains the logic components for controlling the blade angle, a
small (internal) display and control unit for configuration and
maintenance purposes, the rectifier for power supply to the
pitch unit, and the power component for the relevant pitch motor.
Blade relay box Contains the contactors required for switching the pitch control
system to capacitor mode in the event of an emergency stop as
well as a device for automated testing of the capacitor box func‐
tion.
Capacitor box Contains the emergency power supply for the pitch unit. The
power is stored in high-capacity capacitors.
Electric current
WARNING!
Risk of fatal accidents due to electric current!
The capacitors remain live for an extended period
even after the main switch has been turned off.
Touching live parts can cause serious or fatal inju‐
ries.
Therefore:
– Do not touch any live parts in the pitch units
even after the main switch has been turned off.
Access openings These provide access to the rotor head from the machine
house. While the WEC is in operation, the openings are covered.
Rotor rim The rotor rim carries the pole shoes. On the side visible in this
illustration, it is broader and fitted with grooves. The broad part
serves as a braking rim for the rotor brake. The grooves are
part of the rotor lock; this is where the rotor locking bolts fit in
(cf. ch. 4.1.3, p. 48).
D0143420-2 Assemblies 47/180

4.1.3 Machine house (rear part of nacelle)
Pict. 7: Nacelle: Machine house

1 Nacelle basement 11 Rectifier 21 Yaw drives
2 Winch hatch 12 Viewing openings in stator 22 Nacelle platform
3 Yaw inverter 13 Ladder to nacelle roof 23 Nacelle control cabinet
hatch with control panel
4 Main carrier with access 14 Residual current monitor‐ 24 Fan converter
opening and ladder to tow‐ ing of generator
er
5 Location of fire extinguisher 15 Stator sub-distribution sys‐ 25 Navigation lights control
tem and hydraulic pump cabinet
for rotor lock
6 Winch 16 Fans 26 Nacelle neck
7 Excitation controller 17 Generator stator 27 Tower gap
8 Hatch to nacelle basement 18 Locking bolt of rotor lock 28 Tower
9 Location of first aid equip‐ 19 Opening for access to the
ment rotor head
10 Generator filters 20 Cable pass-through hole
48/180 Assemblies D0143420-2

Nacelle basement Space below the nacelle platform. Some components can only
be accessed from here, such as the cable twist limit switch (cf.
ch. 5.4, p. 85). The nacelle basement is a crawl space.
Winch hatch See explanation of winch in this chapter.
Yaw inverter The yaw inverter conditions current from the 400 V grid for the
yaw drives (voltage, frequency).
Main carrier Carries all nacelle assemblies, either directly or indirectly (see
ch. 4.1.1, p. 39)
Fire extinguisher Location of the CO2 hand fire extinguisher (on the main carrier
below the generator filter) for fighting incipient fires in the nacelle.
Winch The winch (lifting capacity: 250 kg) serves to transport tools and
materials from the ground into the nacelle and vice versa. For
this purpose, the winch hatch in the rear part of the nacelle
must be opened. The hoist cable runs outside the tower.
WARNING! Transporting persons with the winch is prohibited!
Falls from height
WARNING!
Risk of fatal accidents by falls from height!
While the winch hatch is open, there is a risk of fa‐
tal falls from height.
Therefore:
– While the winch hatch is open, always wear a per‐
sonal fall protection system and secure yourself
to a yellow attachment point with a shock-absorb‐
ing lanyard.
Excitation controller Supplies the power required to build up a magnetic field in the
generator rotor (see ch. 4.1.4, p. 53).
Hatch to nacelle basement This hatch provides access from the nacelle platform to the na‐
celle basement.
First aid equipment First aid equipment consists of a kit containing dressing materi‐
al, adhesive plaster, etc. If material has been removed, the con‐
tents of the kit must be replenished at once. In addition, it needs
to be checked for completeness and “use by” dates at regular
intervals (cf. ch. 11, p. 161).
Generator filters The generator filters compensate the effect of the magnetic field
that is generated by the current induced in the generator stator
on the generator rotor. In this way they improve power genera‐
tion in the generator and reduce the mechanical load on the gen‐
erator.
D0143420-2 Assemblies 49/180

Rectifiers The rectifiers convert the alternate current generated by the gen‐
erator into direct current which is then transmitted to the inver‐
ters in the E-module in the tower base.
Viewing opening The viewing openings in the stator allow technicians to look into
the space between stator and rotor.
Roof hatch ladder This ladder provides access to the roof hatch in the nacelle roof
(cf. ch. 4.1.2.1, p. 42).
Generator residual Residual current monitoring detects short circuits and acciden‐
current monitoring tal earth faults in the generator. The wind energy converter will
be stopped upon occurrence of any such fault.
Stator sub-distribution The purpose of the stator sub-distribution system is to acquire

system sensor signals from the generator stator area and to exchange
data with the nacelle control cabinet.
In addition, the stator sub-distribution system features a switch
for briefly releasing the rotor brake. This can be used to adjust
the position of the stopped rotor so as to be able to insert the
bolts of the rotor lock into the appropriate cut-outs (cf. ch.
4.1.2.2, p. 46 and ch. 6.7, p. 102).
Fans The openings of the generator stator are fitted with fans that pri‐
marily serve to cool the generator. The fans create a slight neg‐
ative pressure in the machine house. This causes cool outside
air to be drawn through the tower gap into the nacelle basement
and from there into the machine house. As a side effect, this al‐
so provides for cooling of the machine house.
Generator stator The carrier disc of the stator forms a partition between the ma‐
chine house (rear, stationary part of the nacelle) and the rotor
head (front, rotating part). The carrier disc has openings at the
level above the nacelle platform, each of which is covered with
a metal plate.
In order to access the rotor head, the cover plates can be re‐
moved from the openings without the use of tools.
For more information, see ch. 4.1.1, p. 39 and ch. 4.1.4, p. 53.
Start-up of rotor
DANGER!
Risk of fatal accidents due to start-up of rotor!
Stopping the rotor does not lock it. Gusts of wind
can set it in motion again at any time. Shearing ac‐
tion of the stationary generator stator and the rotat‐
ing generator rotor can sever body parts of anyone
climbing through the generator into the rotor head.
Therefore:
– Never climb through the openings of the genera‐
tor stator into the rotor head, lean into or reach
through the openings unless the rotor has been
locked!
50/180 Assemblies D0143420-2

Rotor brake The rotor brake is an electromechanical shoe-type brake (no hy‐
draulics).
It primarily serves to immobilise the rotor temporarily when it is
already at a standstill, so as to be able to set the rotor lock.
When the brake is activated, two opposing brake shoes are
pressed against the rotor rim of the generator rotor that runs be‐
tween them and widens to form the braking rim.
The rotor brake is installed on the rotor head side of the genera‐
tor stator.
Rotor lock When maintenance work is carried out, the rotor lock must be
used to fully immobilise the rotor after it has been stopped.
The rotor lock consists of the following components:
 Manually operated hydraulic pump
 Indicator lights installed on the stator sub-distribution system
to indicate the locking status (cf. ch. 6.7, p. 102)
 Three locking bolts distributed along the circumference of
the generator stator; the bolts extend and retract hydraulical‐
ly and slide into the corresponding cut-outs in the rotor rim
 Hydraulic lines connecting pump and locking bolts to form a
hydraulic circuit
Access opening Opening in the generator stator that provides access to the ro‐
tor head.
Opening for cables The power and data cables running between tower and nacelle
pass through these openings in the main carrier.
Yaw drives Six yaw drives are mounted directly on the sides of the main car‐
rier (three on each side). Each drive consists of a motor and a
reduction gear. On the tower outside the gearwheel at the bot‐
tom of the downward-pointing output shaft interlocks with the
fixed gear rim located at the top edge of the tower.
When the yaw drives are activated, they move along the gear
rim and, in doing so, take along the main carrier and thus turn
the entire nacelle.
The yaw drives have built-in spring-loaded brakes that prevent
unwanted movements of the nacelle while it is standing still.
Nacelle platform The nacelle platform is the walkway and component carrier in‐
side the nacelle (see ch. 4.1.1, p. 39).
Nacelle control cabinet The features of the nacelle control cabinet include the following:
 Control panel for controlling the wind energy converter from
the nacelle, and the electronic components required for this
purpose
 Acquisition of measured values from nacelle sensors
 Power distribution in the nacelle
 Communication with the control cabinet
D0143420-2 Assemblies 51/180

Fan converter The fan converter conditions current from the 400 V grid for op‐
erating the generator fans (voltage, frequency).
Navigation lights The navigation lights control cabinet is only present if the wind
control cabinet energy converter is equipped with (optional) navigation lights.
Nacelle neck The nacelle neck casing encircles and overlaps the top of the
tower and thus prevents rain water ingress even during high
winds.
Tower gap The tower gap is the space between the nacelle neck and the
tower wall. The cooling air needed for the generator is drawn in‐
to the nacelle through the tower gap.
For the tower of the wind energy converter, see ch. 4.2, p. 54.
52/180 Assemblies D0143420-2

4.1.4 Generator
Design principle Due to its gearless design, the synchronous generator always
operates at the same low rotational speed as the rotor of the
wind energy converter. The generator therefore requires a great
number of poles which, for design reasons, necessitates a very
large generator diameter (annular generator).
The generator does not form a structural unit. The generator sta‐
tor is installed on the main carrier whereas the generator rotor is
mounted on the hub, which in turn rests on the axle pin. This
means that only after the axle pin has been bolted to the stator
during rotor head installation is the rotor positioned in such a
way that stator and rotor can act together as generator.
The rotor spins inside the stator.
Generator stator The component carrying the generator stator (also referred to
simply as stator if the context is clear) is a cast iron carrier disc
in the shape of a shallow dome (stator carrier disk) that has sev‐
eral openings. Mounted on its edge is the stator ring that is fit‐
ted with the copper windings in which the current is induced.
Generator rotor The generator rotor (also referred to as disc rotor or simply rotor
when the context is clear) consists of a steel support star, the
rotor rim, and the pole shoes fitted to the rim that build up the
magnetic field needed for power generation (cf. ch. 4.1.2.2, p.
46).
Excitation controller The excitation controller provides the generator rotor with the cur‐
rent needed to build up the magnetic field (excitation field). It is
housed in an electrical cabinet in the machine house of the na‐
celle (ch. 4.1.3, p. 48).
Generator cooling system See also ch. 4.1.3, p. 48.

The fans draw air from the machine house and blow it into the
space between generator stator and rotor. From there, the air
flows through the generator air gap into the rotor head, drawing
heat from the stator and rotor windings and in turn heating up
itself. Finally, it escapes to the outside through the designated
gap in the casing between rotor head and machine house.
D0143420-2 Assemblies 53/180

4.2 Tower
4.2.1 Design
The tower of the E-82 E2 wind energy converter is either a steel
tower or a concrete tower made of precast segments. Towers
with different heights are available.
Refer to ch. 4.2.2, p. 58 for an overview of all tower variants.
All towers are painted and equipped with weather and corrosion
protection at the factory. This means that after assembly, no
work is required in this regard except for repairing any defects
or transport damage. By default, the bottom of the tower comes
with paintwork in multiple shades (typically green; can be omit‐
ted if desired).
Pict. 8: Base of steel tower / concrete tower
54/180 Assemblies D0143420-2

4.2.1.1 Steel tower

Steel towers are tubes made of 22 to 45 mm thick steel plate
that taper linearly towards the top. They are prefabricated and
consist of a small number of large sections. Flanges with drill
holes for bolting are welded to the ends of the sections.
Assembly The bottom section is already placed during the construction of

the foundation; it is aligned precisely and concreted into the foun‐
dation. It serves as a basis for the other sections and, depend‐
ing on the tower variant, merely protrudes by up to 0.75 m
above the top edge of the foundation.
The remaining sections are simply stacked on top of each other
and bolted together at the installation site.
With certain tower variants, the short base section is omitted,
i.e., the tower is connected directly to the foundation by means
of concreted threaded rods.
The steel tower is relatively light-weight and easy to erect at the
installation site.
D0143420-2 Assemblies 55/180

4.2.1.2 Concrete tower

At its base the concrete tower is wider than the steel tower and
its lower part tapers towards the top to a greater degree. It is sig‐
nificantly heavier than the steel tower, and its construction takes
longer. With taller towers and thus larger tower diameters it
does, however, have cost advantages.
Precast elements The precast concrete segments (elements) are series-manufac‐

tured at the factory. The size of the elements is determined by
the transport options; the maximum height of any one element
is 3.83 m. Elements joined together horizontally at the same lev‐
el form a ring (segment). Depending on the tower diameter, a dif‐
ferent number of elements is required per segment. With small
tower diameters a segment may consist of a single element.
Installation The concrete tower is assembled from the precast concrete ele‐
ments at the installation site. There are different methods for join‐
ing the elements. They can be glued together with thin-layer ma‐
sonry mortar (horizontal joints) or grouted with standard grout
(vertical joints) using concreted horizontal connecting rods; how‐
ever, dry stacking and subsequent bolting is also possible.
All towers are pre-tensioned vertically by means of prestressing
steel tendons. The prestressing tendons run vertically inside
ducts in the precast elements. They are anchored to the founda‐
tion. Some of them lead up to the top concrete segment while
others terminate somewhat further down (depending on the tow‐
er type).
Steel sections as top end In all concrete towers for the E-82 E2 the top slender part is
made of steel (one long section and one short terminal section).
This is for technical and cost-related reasons. For instance, the
yaw bearing cannot be installed directly onto the concrete ele‐
ments and the thinner walls of the steel segments create more
space in the tower interior.
Tensioning basement The concrete tower has a circular cavity inside the foundation.
This room is used for anchoring and tensioning the prestressing
steel tendons. In addition, this is where cables run from the pow‐
er grid to the medium-voltage switchgear assembly (cf. ch.
4.2.5, p. 63).
A hatch in the tower floor leads to the tensioning basement. How‐
ever, as there is no maintenance work to be performed in the
tensioning basement, personnel usually do not enter it anymore
once the tower has been completely installed. It is not consid‐
ered an accessible area.
56/180 Assemblies D0143420-2

Danger of asphyxiation
WARNING!
Hazard from carbon dioxide in the tensioning base‐
ment!
Carbon dioxide may accumulate in the tensioning
basement. Danger of asphyxiation when entering!
Therefore:
– Do not enter the tensioning basement except
when absolutely necessary.
– Thoroughly ventilate the tensioning basement by
blowing in fresh air before entering.
– While one person is working in the tensioning
basement, another person must stay close out‐
side the basement in order to provide support
quickly if needed.
Water may accumulate in the tensioning base‐

ment. This does not pose any risk for the WEC and
does not constitute a construction defect.
D0143420-2 Assemblies 57/180

4.2.2 Tower variants
Pict. 9: Definition of tower heights

1 Total height 4 Tower height
2 Height of nacelle top 5 Diameter at tower base
3 Hub height (*)
(*) Height of the hub axis at the intersection with the rotor blade
plane
58/180 Assemblies D0143420-2

Name E-82 E2/S/ E-82 E2/BF/ E-82 E2/BF/ E-82 E2/BF/ E-82 E2/BF/
77/4F/01 83/17/01 97/20/01 107/23/01 137/24/02
Wind class IEC IIA IEC IIA IEC IIA IEC IIA IEC IIA
Design Steel tower Precast Precast Precast Precast
concrete concrete concrete concrete
tower tower tower tower
(1) Total height above 119.33 125.58 139.38 149.38 179.38
ground level [m]
(2) Height of nacelle 80.71 86.96 100.76 110.76 140.76
top above ground [m]
(3) Hub height above 78.33 84.58 98.38 108.38 138.38
ground level [m]
(4) Tower height above 76.78 82.98 96.78 106.78 136.78
found. top edge [m]
(5) Outer diameter at 4.30 6.37 7.50 8.83 13.22
tower base [m]
Approx. tower weight [t] 216 604 779 988 1,687
Wind classes All towers have been designed for wind class IIA and extreme
gusts with a wind speed of 59.5 m/s in accordance with IEC
64100‑1, 3rd edition.
Alternatively, towers for sites in Germany may be designed
based on the DIBt guidelines. This may result in minimal varian‐
ces of admissible wind speeds.
Selection criteria Selection of a suitable tower variant with respect to design and
hub height is site-specific and mainly depends on local wind con‐
ditions, access roads, and statutory regulations. Close to the
ground, obstacles such as trees and buildings create turbulence
and slow down the wind. It is therefore important that the selec‐
ted tower be tall enough to raise the rotor above this affected area.
D0143420-2 Assemblies 59/180

4.2.3 Foundation
The foundation design depends on the type and height of the
tower as well as on the site-specific conditions.
For all intended wind energy converter sites, individual soil in‐
vestigations are carried out and structural calculations for the
foundations are performed that take the investigation results in‐
to account.
Standard design If the ground at the construction site does not pose any particu‐
lar problems, the type of foundation built is a very thick, circular
reinforced concrete slab whose surface slopes slightly towards
the edge. The symmetrical shape ensures uniform bearing prop‐
erties and uniform stability for all wind directions.
Special design In locations where the bearing capacity of the subsoil is low,
pile foundations are typically used. Piles are driven into the sub‐
soil until they reach the stratum with sufficient bearing capacity.
A reinforced concrete slab is concreted on the tops of the piles
with the piles ensuring the required bearing capacity.
60/180 Assemblies D0143420-2

4.2.4 Overview of tower base

Access to the wind energy converter is by the tower entrance
door (lockable steel door) only. With concrete towers it is just
above ground level. With steel towers it is approx. 3 m above
the ground, at the same height as the first upper E-module lev‐
el, and is accessed via outside stairs (cf. ch. 4.2.1, p. 54).
Pict. 10: Concrete tower with components in the tower base

1 Service hoist 6 E-module level 1 (lower
level)
2 Hoistway opening 7 Control panel on control
cabinet
3 Cable trough 8 Entrance door
4 Direct-current distribution 9 Foundation
system
5 E-module level 2 (upper
level)
Service hoist For explanations see ch. 4.2.7, p. 69.
Hoistway opening Opening in the platform at the height of the upper E-module lev‐
el through which the service hoist travels. The opening is se‐
cured with a handrail.
Cable trough The cable trough passes the power and control cables from the
tower wall to the E-module.
DC distribution system The direct current distribution system (DC distribution system)
combines the two DC systems coming from the nacelle and dis‐
tributes the direct current to the power cabinets in the E-module.
E-module For explanations see ch. 4.2.5, p. 63.
D0143420-2 Assemblies 61/180

Control panel The wind energy converter can be operated using this control
panel. For more information, see ch. 8, p. 127.
Entrance door Steel door, with ventilation openings (slats) or solid depending
on configuration; only access to the wind energy converter. For
more information, see ch. 6.3, p. 99.
Foundation For explanations, see ch. 4.2.3, p. 60.
62/180 Assemblies D0143420-2

4.2.5 E-module
The description below refers to the two-storied E-module for con‐
crete towers. The design of the E-module for steel towers is sim‐
ilar. Due to the smaller tower diameter it is somewhat slimmer
and three-storied, and the component layout is slightly different.
Their function, however, is the same.
Unless housed in other areas of the wind energy converter (es‐
pecially in the nacelle), the E-module contains all electrical com‐
ponents that are required to condition the generated electricity
and to control the wind energy converter.
The supporting structure of the E-module consists of a two or
three-storied steel frame. The individual E-module levels includ‐
ing all fitted parts are fully pre-fabricated at the factory. During
the installation of the wind energy converter, they are stacked
on top of each other on the foundation and bolted together.
Then the tower is installed around and above.
Level 2 (upper level) of the E-module houses the power cabi‐
nets and the low-voltage distribution system (LV distribution sys‐
tem); all other components are located on level 1 (lower level).
In order to show the lower level, the illustration below hides the
upper level.
D0143420-2 Assemblies 63/180

Pict. 11: E-module in concrete tower (1st level)

1 Control cabinet with control panel 5 Roller shutter in front of MV switchgear
assembly (open)
2 Remote control panel for MV switch‐ 6 Medium-voltage switchgear assembly
gear assembly
3 UPS 7 Power feed to transformer
4 Transformer
Control cabinet with The control cabinet contains the superordinate electronic com‐
control panel ponents as well as the operating and display controls for moni‐
toring and controlling the E-82 E2 (cf. ch. 8.2, p. 129).
The control cabinet is located at the tower entrance level, i.e.,
on the bottom E-module level (1st level) in a concrete tower or
the first upper E-module level (2nd level) in a steel tower.
Remote control panel The remote control panel is located next to the control panel of
for MV switchgear the control cabinet. The operating controls are located behind a
assembly door that is secured by padlock.
64/180 Assemblies D0143420-2

See also explanation of medium-voltage switchgear assembly

in this chapter.
UPS Uninterruptible power supply (optional). It is required in conjunc‐

tion with the Transmission feature (see ch. 7.7, p. 125) and en‐
sures power supply to the wind energy converter’s control sys‐
tem in the event of a grid fault.
Transformer The transformer transforms the voltage of the wind energy con‐
verter grid at the output of the inverters (400 V) to match the lev‐
el of the power grid into which the power will be injected (e.g.
20 kV) and vice versa.
Medium-voltage The medium-voltage switchgear assembly (MV switchgear as‐

switchgear assembly sembly) serves to connect the wind energy converter (or, to be
more precise, the transformer) to the utility’s grid in order to
feed in the generated electricity or to withdraw electricity for its
own needs. The access to the MV switchgear assembly is loca‐
ted at the rear of the E-module and is secured by a lockable roll‐
er shutter.
Switching operations are carried out directly on the MV switch‐
gear assembly or on the remote control panel. Both require the
appropriate switching authorisation and a separate key for ac‐
cess.
Electric current
DANGER!
Risk of fatal accidents due to high-voltage electric
current!
Live parts on the transformer output and in the en‐
tire medium-voltage switchgear assembly have the
same voltage as the receiving power grid (e.g.
20 kV).
Therefore:
– Only personnel with the appropriate switching au‐
thorisation may operate the medium-voltage
switchgear assembly.
– Access to the medium-voltage switchgear assem‐
bly is prohibited to persons who are not skilled
electricians.
D0143420-2 Assemblies 65/180

Power cabinets The power cabinets (inverters) of the wind energy converter are
(not shown) located on E-module level 2. They convert the direct current com‐
ing from the nacelle into alternating current. The alternating cur‐
rent thus produced is a three-phase alternating current whose
voltage curve and phase position conform to the power grid.
In addition, the power cabinets may contain further components
such as chopper units (cf. ch. 7.7, p. 125).
The low-voltage distribution system (also referred to as LV distri‐
bution system) is also located on E-module level 2. It combines
the outputs of the power cabinets and passes the current to the
transformer via the busbars.
An LV distribution system can combine up to 8 power cabinets.
Additional power cabinets require a second LV distribution sys‐
tem and extended busbars.
In addition, the LV distribution system includes circuit breakers
that make it possible to completely disconnect the wind energy
converter (except the transformer) from the utility’s grid.
66/180 Assemblies D0143420-2

4.2.6 Further components in the tower base
Pict. 12: Concrete tower with further components in the tower base
1 Wind energy converter entrance 4 Safety ladder
2 Service hoist 5 Connecting pipe for ventilation hose
3 Cable loom to/from nacelle 6 Fan box
Entrance See also ch. 4.2.4, p. 61.
Service hoist For a description, see ch. 4.2.7, p. 69.
Cable loom Contains the power cables for transmitting the power generated
in the nacelle to the E-module for further processing, as well as
the data and control cables for monitoring and control of the
wind energy converter. The cables pass to the E-module inside
a cable trough (see ch. 4.2.4, p. 61).
Safety ladder The safety ladder is mounted on the interior wall of the tower
and leads from the tower base to the topmost platform directly
below the access to the nacelle. It allows persons to ascend
and descend in the tower if the WEC is not equipped with a serv‐
ice hoist (cf. ch. 4.2.7, p. 69) or if the service hoist is out of order.
The centre stile of the safety ladder is specially designed for
use with a fall prevention device that travels inside the stile and
protects persons from falling as they climb.
D0143420-2 Assemblies 67/180

Falls from height

DANGER!
Risk of fatal falls from the safety ladder!
Improper use of the safety ladder can cause per‐
sons to slip from the ladder and fall.
Therefore:
– Use the safety ladder only if wearing a properly
fitted personal fall protection system.
– The safety ladder may only be used by persons
who have been properly trained in its use.
– Always keep both hands on the safety ladder
when ascending or descending.
– Observe the separate documentation issued by
the ladder manufacturer.
Platforms (not shown) Small rest platforms are located along the safety ladder inside
the tower at maximum intervals of 20 m. These can be used to
rest (both standing and seated) and to allow other persons to
pass.
The topmost platform, the service hoist exit platform (cf. ch.
4.2.7, p. 69), and possibly also other platforms cover the en‐
tire cross section of the tower and therefore have access hatch‐
es for the safety ladder. Always close hatch covers after climb‐
ing through platform hatches.
Wherever possible, large openings in platforms (e.g. for the serv‐
ice hoist) are secured by handrails. Close gates in handrails af‐
ter passing through and check that gates are locked.
Falls from height
DANGER!
Risk of fatal falls from platforms!
Any platform with openings not secured by hand‐
rails poses an immediate risk of falling from height.
Therefore:
– Never take off personal fall protection system
while staying on unsecured platforms and al‐
ways attach to a yellow attachment point.
Tower cooling For explanations, see ch. 4.2.8, p. 72.

components The ventilation hoses of the tower cooling system are connec‐
ted to the connecting pipes. The fan box contains the fans that
circulate the cooling air.
To allow for optional intake/exhaust air operation, an air duct
(not shown) passes from the back of the fan box through the tow‐
er wall to the outside.
68/180 Assemblies D0143420-2

4.2.7 Service hoist
General information By default, ENERCON E-82 E2 wind energy converters are

equipped with service hoists (a simple hoist for servicing the
WEC; cf. ch. 4.2.4, p. 61 and ch. 4.2.6, p. 67). The service hoist
is located on one side of the tower, close to the safety ladder.
Depending on the tower variant, the touchdown pad (bottom end-
of-travel position and access to the service hoist cage) is on the
tower floor or, if there is not enough space, on a platform at a
height of up to 9 m. The (upper) exit platform is located approx.
7.5 m below the topmost platform from which the nacelle can be
accessed. Access to the topmost platform is by climbing the safe‐
ty ladder from the exit platform.
If other sufficiently large intermediate platforms have been instal‐
led in the tower, users may also exit the service hoist at these
platforms.
The hoist cage is equipped with two control panels, one on the
inside and one on the outside. The outside control panel can be
used to transport loads without an accompanying person (auto‐
matic operation). The hoist cage is also equipped with lights in‐
cluding emergency power supply and an electric socket, as well
as limit switches that turn off the drive when the top or bottom end-
of-travel position has been reached.
Separate instructions by the manufacturer for operating the serv‐
ice hoist are available. These are located in the document
pouch in the service hoist.
Intended use The service hoist is only intended to transport personnel and ma‐
terials for service work in the WEC, and may only be operated
by instructed personnel.
Operation
WARNING!
Risk of fatal accidents due to improper operation!
Incorrect operation of and improper conduct in the
service hoist may result in damage to property and
persons falling from height.
Therefore:
– Always follow the manufacturer’s operating in‐
structions, in particular the instructions regarding
maximum load and maximum occupancy.
– Any person travelling in the service hoist must
wear their personal fall protection system and se‐
cure themselves to a yellow attachment point in
the hoist cage.
– Avoid unnecessary movements and do not open
the hoist cage door while the hoist is in motion.
D0143420-2 Assemblies 69/180

Carry a mobile phone If, while travelling in the service hoist, the presence of another
person within shouting range of the service hoist cannot be en‐
sured, be sure to carry a functional mobile phone. Verify proper
functioning of the mobile phone before travelling in the service
hoist.
If no functional mobile phone is available, take rescue equip‐
ment (abseiling device) with you.
Automatic stop in The service hoist cannot be set in motion unless the hoist cage
hazardous situations door has been closed. If the door is unlocked while the hoist is
travelling, the hoist cage stops immediately.
A mechanical safety catch will stop the hoist cage if it travels
too fast (e.g. if the hoist cable has broken).
EMERGENCY STOP There is an EMERGENCY STOP button each on the control pan‐
button el inside the service hoist cage and on the control console on
the outside of the service hoist. These act only on the service
hoist. Pressing an EMERGENCY STOP button will stop the serv‐
ice hoist at once and lock the control system as well as the func‐
tions of the control buttons.
Emergency control unit An emergency control unit with priority switching is located in
the tower base and can be used to lower the hoist cage in the
event of a malfunction. In the event of a power failure, anyone
inside the hoist cage can manually lower the hoist (for details,
refer to the operating instructions inside the service hoist).
Conduct inside the range In the tower base, the touchdown pad of the hoist cage is
of movement of the hoist closed off on all sides with black-and-yellow chains. The chain
cage can be unhooked on the entrance side of the hoist cage.
If persons remain in the tower base while the hoist cage is as‐
cending, the chain on the entrance side must be reattached be‐
fore the hoist cage travels up.
On the platforms in the tower the hoistway opening for the hoist
cage is secured by handrails. On the entrance side the handrail
is secured by a gate that must be unlocked to open it (for more
details on platforms, see ch. 4.2.9, p. 73).
The gate in the handrail may only be opened to enter or exit the
hoist cage. Once you let go of the open gate, it will close and
latch automatically.
70/180 Assemblies D0143420-2

WARNING!
Risk of injury from moving hoist cage!
Persons inside the hoist cage’s range of move‐
ment may be injured when colliding with the mov‐
ing hoist cage.
Therefore:
– Keep clear of the hoist cage touchdown pad
marked by black-and-yellow chains.
– Never lean over or reach across the black-and-
yellow chains around the touchdown pad or the
platform rails into the touchdown area or the
hoist cage’s range of movement.
D0143420-2 Assemblies 71/180

4.2.8 Cooling and ventilation equipment

During operation, the components in the E-module generate a
lot of heat that needs to be dissipated.
For this purpose, ventilation hoses with large diameters lead
from the tower base (cf. ch. 4.2.6, p. 67) approximately halfway
up the tower. Fans in the tower base extract hot air from the low‐
er E-module level and push it into the hoses. At the top, the air
exits and sinks back down in the tower, cooling down as it pass‐
es along the tower wall. The cooled-down air enters the power
cabinets at the top of the E-module, is drawn downward and
pushed into the ventilation hoses again (recirculating air method).
This principle is used in the tower cooling systems in all ENER‐
CON wind energy converters. Optionally, the cooling system
can be equipped with an additional exhaust air system. If re‐
quired (particularly strong heat generation or high outside tem‐
peratures), the cooling system can be switched from recirculat‐
ing air to intake/exhaust air operation. The fans at the tower
base blow hot air directly to the outside through wall openings
while cool fresh air is drawn in through openings in the tower
wall below the top ends of the hoses.
The tower and the nacelle have separate air flows; the nacelle
has its own cooling system (see ch. 4.1.3, p. 48).
72/180 Assemblies D0143420-2

4.2.9 Platforms
Small rest platforms that merely consist of two fold-out plat‐
forms for the feet are installed on the safety ladder at maximum
intervals of 9 m. They are folded down into the horizontal posi‐
tion using one’s foot and must be folded back up when leaving.
While resting, persons remain standing on these platforms and
remain attached to the ladder by means of the fall prevention de‐
vice.
Large rest platforms are located along the safety ladder at maxi‐
mum intervals of 20 m. These can be used by a single person
to rest (both standing and seated) and to allow other persons to
pass.
WARNING!
Risk of falling from rest platforms!
To cross over to a large rest platform, the fall pre‐
vention device must be detached from the safety
ladder. This involves a direct risk of falling from
height.
Therefore:
– Secure your shock-absorbing lanyard to the yel‐
low attachment point on the rest platform before
detaching the fall prevention device from the safe‐
ty ladder. Do not detach the shock-absorbing lan‐
yard from the attachment point while on the rest
platform.
– When leaving the rest platform, insert the fall pre‐
vention device into the safety ladder first and
then detach the shock-absorbing lanyard from
the attachment point.
Full-size platforms The topmost platform, the service hoist exit platform, and possi‐
bly also other platforms cover the entire cross section of the tow‐
er and therefore have access hatches for the safety ladder.
With the exception of the topmost platform, all platforms have ad‐
ditional hoistway openings for the service hoist.
Always close hatch covers after climbing through platform hatch‐
es.
The platform hoistway opening is secured with a handrail. The
handrail has a gate on the service hoist entrance side.
D0143420-2 Assemblies 73/180

Pict. 13: Tower platform

1 Hatch for covering the 4 Cover for ladder hatch
hoistway opening
2 Hoist and guide cables of 5 Handrail gate with latch
service hoist
3 Cut-out for safety ladder
and cables
WARNING!
Risk of fatal falls from height!
With the handrail gate open and the service hoist
not at the platform level there is a risk of falling
from height.
Therefore:
– Always keep the handrail gate closed and locked.
– Never lock the handrail gate open.
– Before opening the handrail gate, put on your per‐
sonal fall protection system and secure yourself
to a yellow attachment point.
Cover on hoistway As long as the hoist cage is not at the platform level or if the serv‐
opening ice hoist is not installed, the hoistway opening for the service
hoist can be closed with a fitted hatch that is normally bolted in
an upright position. The hoist and guide cables of the service
hoist can remain in place. The hatch does not open automatical‐
ly; it must be opened and locked open before putting the serv‐
ice hoist into operation.
Access hatch in topmost The cover of the access hatch in the topmost platform consists
platform of two parts that fold; to open, push it upward at the centre joint.
The cover must fold on itself; otherwise it could not be opened
while the nacelle ladder is positioned above it.
74/180 Assemblies D0143420-2

Pict. 14: Hatch in topmost platform

1 Nacelle ladder 3 Open hatch cover
2 Safety ladder
CAUTION!
Risk of crushing when handling platform hatches!
Fingers may be caught and crushed when closing
a platform hatch. Due to its two-part design, this ap‐
plies in particular to the cover of the hatch in the top‐
most platform.
Therefore:
– Always use the finger grip holes to open or close
the hatch cover.
– Keep fingers away from the seam between the
halves of the cover.
DANGER!
Risk of fatal falls from platforms!
If in exceptional cases a platform opening has not
been secured by a handrail or cover due to lack of
space, there is an immediate risk of falling from
height.
Therefore:
– Never take off personal fall protection system
while on unsecured platforms and always attach
to a yellow attachment point.
D0143420-2 Assemblies 75/180

4.2.10 Lighting
In tower The tower is equipped with LED interior tower lighting through‐
out its entire height. The control unit for the lights is located in‐
side the tower next to the entrance door (see ch. 8.3, p. 153).
The tower lighting system has its own emergency power supply
that can bridge at least 30 minutes. The control unit and the
emergency power supply are located in the tower control cabinet.
The lights are located at maximum intervals of 9 m and are alter‐
nately connected to one of two supply strings. Failure of one
string will thus cause only every other light to fail so that de‐
scent in the tower is still possible even with the brightness dimin‐
ished.
In tower base, E-module Fluorescent lamps are used in tower base, E-module, and na‐
and nacelle celle. Each individual lamp is equipped with a battery to bridge
grid failures.
76/180 Assemblies D0143420-2

4.2.11 Cable layout
Pict. 15: Cable layout in cable twisting area

1 Last platform below main 4 Crossbeam supporting the
carrier service hoist
2 Safety ladder 5 Service hoist exit platform
3 Bunched cables
Cable connections between the rotatable nacelle and the WEC
components in the tower base are needed to
 transmit the generated power from the rectifier in the nacelle
to the direct-current distribution system in the E-module
 supply the nacelle with power from the grid
 transmit measuring, control and other data between tower
and nacelle
In order for the bunched cables to be able to follow the yawing
motions of the nacelle, their layout provides for a lot of slack in‐
side the tower directly below the nacelle (see also ch. 5.4, p.
85).
Below the cable twisting area, cable clamps guide the bunched
cables along the tower wall until they join the E-module in the
tower base (cf. ch. 4.2.4, p. 61 and ch. 4.2.6, p. 67).
D0143420-2 Assemblies 77/180

4.2.12 Nacelle access

The topmost platform in the tower is a full-size platform and is
located 2.5 to 3 m below the nacelle access point. The safety
ladder terminates above this platform. To continue the ascent to
the access opening in the main carrier, there is a free-hanging
nacelle ladder attached to the main carrier that extends down to‐
ward the platform. The illustration below shows the access point
(upward view from the topmost platform).
Pict. 16: Nacelle access

1 Safety ladder 4 Main carrier
2 Power and control cables 5 Attachment point
3 Tower light 6 Nacelle ladder
Crushing hazard
DANGER!
Hazard from moving ladder!
Since the access ladder is fixed to the nacelle, it
moves when the nacelle performs yawing motions.
This can move objects around and present a crush‐
ing hazard to persons.
Therefore:
– Keep the platform area that is within the range of
the access ladder movements unobstructed at
all times.
– Keep the platform hatch closed at all times.
78/180 Assemblies D0143420-2

5 Features and functions

5.1 Sensors
There is a large number of sensors continuously monitoring the
current status of the wind energy converter and the relevant am‐
bient parameters. The control system analyses the signals and
regulates the wind energy converter in such a way that the cur‐
rently available wind energy is always optimally exploited and op‐
erating safety is ensured at the same time.
5.2 Operating modes
5.2.1 Overview
Operating mode Function
Automatic mode All processes are fully automated; man‐
ual intervention is not required.
There are three kinds of automatic
mode:
Full load opera‐ If the actual wind speed is equal to or
tion higher than the rated wind speed, the
wind energy converter always achieves
rated power output.
Partial load op‐ If the actual wind speed is between cut-
eration in wind speed and rated wind speed,
the currently available wind energy is
optimally exploited.
Idle mode In the event of lack of wind, the wind en‐
ergy converter enters idle mode.
Manual mode This operating mode is for mainte‐
nance and troubleshooting purposes.
D0143420-2 Features and functions 79/180

5.2.2 Automatic mode

The wind energy converter runs completely automatically (nor‐
mal operation).
In automatic mode, the WEC continuously monitors wind condi‐
tions, optimises rotor speed, rotor blade adjustment and genera‐
tor power output, aligns the nacelle position with the wind direc‐
tion, and acquires sensor statuses.
In order to optimise power generation under highly diverse wind
conditions, in automatic mode the WEC changes between three
operating modes, depending on the wind speed.
In addition, the utility company (into whose grid the generated
power is fed) has the option to directly intervene in the opera‐
tion of the wind energy converter via remote control, e.g. in or‐
der to temporarily reduce the power feed.
5.2.2.1 Full load operation
Wind speed With winds at and above the rated wind speed, the wind energy
v ≥ 14 m/s converter employs rotor blade pitching to maintain rotor speed
at rated (approx. 18 rpm) and thus limits the power extracted
from the wind to 2,300 kW.
If the wind speed exceeds 25 m/s (10-minute average), the
WEC will be shut down for safety reasons if storm control is not
activated.
Storm control Storm control enables the wind energy converter to operate at
wind speeds above 25 m/s; however, power output is slightly or
considerably reduced.
The rotor speed is gradually adjusted from 18 rpm to approx.
3.5 rpm at 36 m/s by gradually pitching the rotor blades out of
the wind. Power output gradually drops from rated power to
0 kW. The more turbulence there is in the air flow, the sooner
the storm control system is activated.
At wind speeds above 36 m/s the rotor blades are almost in
feathered position (cf. ch. 5.6, p. 87). The WEC continues to
run at a low rotor speed and without any power output; it does,
however, remain connected to the power grid. Once the wind
speed falls below 36 m/s, the WEC restarts power generation
and injection.
With this method, many yield-reducing shutdown and start-up op‐
erations can be avoided and the energy contained in the wind
can still be exploited even at very high wind speeds.
80/180 Features and functions D0143420-2

Pict. 17: Power curve (qualitative)

Power curve Power curve
with storm control without storm control
P Power Pn Rated power
V Wind speed
Ve Cut-in wind speed Vn Rated wind speed
5.2.2.2 Partial load operation
Wind speed During partial load operation (i.e., at wind speeds between the
2.5 m/s ≤ v < 14 m/s cut-in and the rated wind speed), the energy contained in the
wind is fully exploited (to the extent possible under technical as‐
pects). Rotor speed and power output are determined by the cur‐
rent wind speed. Blade pitching already starts as the WEC ap‐
proaches full load operation so as to achieve a smooth transition.
A gradient can be predefined for the maximum permissible pow‐
er increase during operation. The configuration range is 1 kW/s
to 500 kW/s. Since regulating the power gradient reduces the
average power produced by the wind energy converter, this fea‐
ture is deactivated by default.

5.2.2.3 Idle mode
Wind speed Due to lack of wind, no power can be fed into the grid. The wind
v < 2.5m/s energy converter runs in idle mode, i.e., the rotor blades are
turned almost completely out of the wind (60° blade angle) and
the rotor turns slowly or stops completely if there is no wind at all.
Slow movement (idling) puts less strain on the hub bearings
than longer periods of complete standstill; in addition, the WEC
can resume power generation and power feed more quickly as
soon as the wind picks up.
5.2.2.4 Automatic stopping

In automatic mode, the wind energy converter decelerates the
rotor, if necessary, solely through aerodynamics by pitching the
rotor blades. The pitch units turn the rotor blades out of the
wind within seconds and put them into feathered position (a po‐
sition in which the blades do not generate any lift). This method
does not lock or otherwise immobilise the rotor.
The wind energy converter stops automatically (and shuts
down, if necessary) in the following situations:
 Fault conditions that make continued operation impossible
(e.g. grid failure) or where continued operation of the WEC
would create safety risks.
 Too strong winds (cf. ch. 5.2.2.1, p. 80, section Storm con‐
trol).

5.2.3 Manual mode

In manual mode, automatic yaw control (ch. 5.3, p. 66) and au‐
tomatic pitch control (ch. 5.6, p. 87) are inactive. This operat‐
ing mode is for testing, maintenance, analysis and troubleshoot‐
ing purposes.
Even when stopping the wind energy converter manually, the
running rotor is braked solely by aerodynamics unless the rotor
brake has been explicitly activated or an EMERGENCY STOP
button has been pressed.
In manual mode, no power is normally generated or fed into the
grid. This only happens if the WEC is actively feeding power in‐
to the grid at the time that it is switched to manual mode (cf. ch.
8.2.8, p. 138).
All safety equipment remains active even in man‐

ual mode.

5.3 Yaw system

If the difference between the wind direction and the rotor axis di‐
rection exceeds the maximum permissible value, the yaw drives
are activated and adjust the nacelle position according to the
wind direction. The yaw motor control system ensures smooth
starting and stopping of the yawing motion.
The WEC control system monitors the yaw system. If it detects
any irregularities with regard to yawing, it deactivates yaw con‐
trol and stops the wind energy converter.
As a rule, yaw control is active in automatic mode at all wind
speeds greater than approx. 2 m/s (so even below cut-in wind
speed), even when the wind energy converter is idling.

5.4 Cable untwisting

The strain-relieved cables that run inside the tower from nacelle
to tower base are first guided over a deflection pad and then
clamped to the tower wall (cf. ch. 4.2.11, p. 77). This provides
the cables with enough slack to permit the nacelle to rotate
about its axis up to three times in each direction from its neutral
position and twist the cables accordingly.
Once the nacelle has rotated more than twice but less than
three times in one direction from its neutral position, the wind en‐
ergy converter’s control system uses the next opportunity to un‐
twist the cables. As soon as the WEC stops due to lack of wind,
the nacelle turns back by three full rotations. If a lack of wind
does not occur and the nacelle exceeds three rotations, the
wind energy converter stops regardless of the wind speed and
turns the nacelle back by four full rotations.
Untwisting the cables takes about 12 minutes per nacelle rota‐
tion. Once the cables are untwisted, the wind energy converter
automatically resumes operation.
The cable twist sensors are located on the cable twist limit
switch which is installed on the gear rim of the yaw bearing (on‐
ly visible and accessible from the nacelle basement). In addi‐
tion, a right limit switch and a left limit switch are installed that
signal whether the permissible limit has been exceeded in ei‐
ther direction. If any of these limit switches is triggered, the wind
energy converter stops and does not start back up automatical‐
ly because this condition indicates a fault in the WEC control sys‐
tem.

5.5 Rotor brake

CAUTION! The rotor brake is not a service brake. It is only used:
 during maintenance and repair work, in order to temporarily
immobilise the rotor (after it has been stopped by the pitch
system alone, and before the rotor lock is set), and
 in situations requiring an emergency stop (see ch. 6.6.2, p.
101).
The rotor brake can be manually activated by means of a switch
on the nacelle control cabinet.
In normal (automatic) mode the rotor is braked solely by aerody‐
namics, using pitch control.
Rotor unit
DANGER!
starting up
Risk of fatal accidents due to automatic start-up of
rotor unit!
Under certain circumstances, the rotor can begin
to spin even though the rotor brake has been acti‐
vated. This may result in persons being crushed be‐
tween the stationary part (stator) and the rotating
part (rotor) of the generator.
Therefore:
– Even with the rotor brake activated, never climb
through the openings of the stator into the rotor
hub, lean into or reach through the openings un‐
less the rotor has been locked.

5.6 Pitch system

Functional principle The active pitch control system (pitch control) modifies the an‐
gle of attack, i.e., the angle at which the air flow meets the
blade profile. Changes to the blade angle change the lift at the
rotor blade and thus the force with which the blade turns the rotor.
During normal operation, the blade angle is adjusted in a way
that ensures optimal exploitation of the energy contained in the
wind while avoiding overload of the wind energy converter. In ad‐
dition, blade angle adjustment is used to decelerate the rotor aer‐
odynamically.
If the wind energy converter achieves rated power output and
the wind speed continues to increase, the pitch system turns
the rotor blades just far enough out of the wind to keep rotor
speed and the level of energy extracted from the wind, i.e., the
energy to be converted by the generator, within the rated limits.
Blade angle Special rotor blade positions (blade angles) of the E-82 E2:
2.5° Regular position during partial load operation: Maximum
exploitation of available wind energy.
92° Feathered position (rotor has been stopped manually or
in automatic mode): The blades do not generate any lift
even in the presence of wind; the rotor stands still or
moves very slightly.
60° Idling (wind energy converter does not feed any power
into the grid due to lack of wind): Rotor spins at low
speed or stands still (if there is no wind at all).
Angle monitoring The blade angles are monitored via an angle encoder. If differ‐
ences occur between the angles of the three blades or if meas‐
urement results change erratically, the wind energy converter
stops as this may indicate malfunctioning of the angle encoder.
If the pitch system malfunctions, the permissible adjustment
range may be exceeded and the compact limit switches (ch.
4.1.2.1, p. 42) are triggered. If the 95° blade angle is exceeded,
they mechanically interrupt the power supply to the pitch mo‐
tors; if the angle falls below the -2° blade angle, emergency pitch‐
ing (see ch. 6.6.1, p. 101) is activated and pitches the rotor
blade until the system shuts down at 95°. In both cases the
WEC stops. The automatic pitch control system cannot retrieve
the blades from this position. ENERCON Service must inspect
the pitch system, carry out any necessary repairs, and restart
the system manually.
Pitch units For maintenance and testing purposes or in an emergency,

each rotor blade can be adjusted individually, independent of
the other blades. For this purpose, each rotor blade is equipped
with its own pitch unit.

Each pitch unit contains all components necessary for adjusting

the blade angle (cf. ch. 4.1.2.1, p. 42 and ch. 4.1.2.2, p. 46).
 Blade flange bearing
 Pitch drive
 Pitch control box
 Blade relay box
 Capacitor box
During normal operation, the blade angles are always synchro‐
nous. To ensure synchronicity, the three pitch control boxes com‐
municate with each other via fibre-optic cables.

5.7 Temperature monitoring

Sensors and switches Certain wind energy converter components must be protected
from excessively high temperatures. Temperature sensors con‐
tinuously measure the temperature in the relevant places and, if
temperatures are too high, shut down the wind energy convert‐
er or reduce the power output. In general, the wind energy con‐
verter restarts automatically as soon as the temperature drops
below a predefined temperature threshold.
The temperature sensors themselves are also monitored. If a de‐
fect is found, the control system generates a status message;
typically, the WEC does not need to shut down immediately be‐
cause many temperature sensors are redundant. However, with‐
in a certain time period ENERCON Service must eliminate the
cause of the defect.
Some measuring points on the generator are additionally equip‐
ped with overtemperature switches. These initiate a shutdown
of the wind energy converter once the temperature exceeds a
specific limit.
Cooling and heating All components as well as the enclosed interior spaces (nacelle,
tower) are equipped with air cooling systems. The cooling fans
are switched on when needed and regulated according to the
temperature (cf ch. 4.1.3, p. 48 and ch. 4.2.8, p. 72).
At low temperatures, some components such as the emergency
pitch units (capacitor boxes) and the generator are heated in or‐
der to keep them operational.

5.8 Generator drying system

While the wind energy converter is running, the generator is al‐
ways warm enough to prevent any moisture from depositing on
it. During longer periods of standstill, however, the generator
cools down and condensation can form on it in particular during
the early hours of the day; as the wind energy converter re‐
starts, this moisture can cause leakage currents and short cir‐
cuits.
This issue is avoided or minimised by two functions implemen‐
ted in all ENERCON wind energy converters:
Keeping the rotor dry While the WEC is standing still, the excitation current is used to
heat the generator rotor. This keeps the rotor temperature 3°C
above the ambient temperature, at a minimum of 5°C and a max‐
imum of 15°C (if there is no specific reason for keeping a differ‐
ent temperature range). The power required for rotor heating is
taken from the utility’s power grid (see ch. 2.4.1, p. 12).
Drying the stator The stator is checked for moisture by means of resistance meas‐
urement during start-up of the WEC (even before the rotor
blades are pitched into the wind). If moisture is detected, the start-
up procedure is aborted.
After that, the wind energy converter restarts in generator dry‐
ing operating mode. In this mode, the stator winding is short-
circuited; the current thus generated directly heats the stator,
causing the moisture to evaporate. The process usually takes
about four hours, though longer durations are possible when
winds are light. During this time there is no power feed to the grid.
Once generator heating is complete, the wind energy converter
restarts in normal operating mode and performs another check
of the stator; if necessary, the heating process is repeated. If
the stator goes through multiple successive heating cycles or
the heating period exceeds a certain time limit without any suc‐
cess, the wind energy converter eventually remains stopped
and ENERCON Service has to carry out an inspection.

5.9 Detecting and removing ice build-up

In certain weather conditions, ice, hoarfrost, or snow can build
up on the rotor blades of wind energy converters. This usually
happens when there is high air humidity, rain, or snow while tem‐
peratures are just below freezing. Thick ice and hoar frost depos‐
its can detach from the rotor blades and become a hazard to per‐
sons or property when falling down (falling ice or ice throw).
Principle of detection All types of build-up reduce the lift at the rotor blades, which in
turn reduces the efficiency of the wind energy converter; the build-
up may also impair proper function of the wind measuring unit.
The ice detection system makes use of these facts.
In preparation, the WEC-specific and site-specific interrelations
between wind speed, rotational speed, blade angle, and power
output at temperatures above +2.0 °C are recorded and stored
as long-term average values. When temperatures are below
+2.0 °C, the current operating data are compared to these aver‐
age values. In the event of significant deviations lasting longer
than 0.5 h it is assumed that ice, hoarfrost or snow is building up.
5.9.1 De-icing without blade heating

Once icing has been detected, the wind energy converter stops
and waits for the outside temperature to rise above +2.0°C. The
time required for de-icing is calculated based on the outside tem‐
perature. The WEC will not restart automatically until this period
of time has elapsed. If the ice has not completely melted, the
control system will detect ice formation once more and the de-
icing process is repeated.
Manual restart Following a visual inspection, the wind energy converter can be
restarted early manually by pressing the Error reset button
(see ch. 8.2.12, p. 142). In this event, however, the operator/
owner is solely liable for any hazards that might arise from the
wind energy converter.
The ice detection system remains active and stops the WEC
again if it detects ice build-up once more.

5.9.2 De-icing by blade heating (optional)

A blade heating system (see ch. 7.3, p. 123) heats the rotor
blades, speeds up the de-icing process, and reduces wind ener‐
gy converter downtimes.
Falling ice
WARNING!
Risk of fatal accidents caused by falling ice and ice
throw!
Expect an increased incidence of falling ice and ice
throw when the blade heating system is active.
Chunks of ice dropping from or being flung away
by the rotor blades may cause fatal injuries.
Therefore:
– Use the blade heating system only if it is ensur‐
ed that falling ice cannot injure any persons or
cause damage to objects.
– While the wind energy converter is running, use
the blade heating system only if the expected ice
throw cannot reach any locations even at a dis‐
tance from the WEC where persons may be
present or where objects are located.
Automatic / manual The blade heating system can be switched on and off automati‐
cally (by the WEC’s control system) or manually.
Manual (de)activation requires the presence of a Service techni‐
cian in the wind energy converter and should therefore be limi‐
ted to instances where there is a particular risk of injury or prop‐
erty damage by falling ice.
During standstill / The wind energy converter typically stops upon detection of
operation icing and does not restart until the ice has melted.
In those locations where injury and property damage due to ice
throw are rather improbable, the blade heating system may be
switched on even while the wind energy converter is running.
This can be done automatically or manually.

5.10 Nacelle position during ice build-up

There is a risk of falling ice or ice throw while ice is melting. If
the wind energy converter is located in the immediate vicinity of
traffic areas and buildings, there will be a substantially in‐
creased risk of injury to persons.
With the Position nacelle during ice-foundation function, a spe‐
cific nacelle position can be predefined that will be used for the
duration of the ice build-up and the de-icing phase. The danger
from falling ice is thus limited to a small area along the rotor plane.
Yawing
NOTICE!
Property damage due to misaligned wind energy
converter!
If not aligned with the wind, the wind energy con‐
verter may be damaged.
This function disables yawing (i.e., the alignment of the nacelle

with the wind) in the event of ice build-up. This can subject the
rotor and the nacelle to air flows coming from the sides or from
behind. In unfavourable weather conditions, this can cause dam‐
age to the wind energy converter. For example, rain water may
seep in and damage the generator. To avoid major damage,
this function is automatically deactivated at wind speeds above
10 m/s and reactivated at 7 m/s once the wind abates.
The use of the Position nacelle during ice-founda‐

tion function is at the operator/owner’s own risk. EN‐
ERCON does not accept any liability for damage
caused by the use of this function.

5.11 Power generation and conditioning

The wind energy converter operates at variable speeds so as to
optimally utilise the available wind energy. The generator there‐
fore produces alternating current with varying voltage, frequen‐
cy, and amperage. For this reason, the generator is not connec‐
ted directly to the utility’s grid.
The windings of the generator stator form two current systems
that produce three-phase alternating current independently of
each other. Both three-phase currents are rectified independent‐
ly of each other (in the nacelle); combined by the direct-current
distribution system; and then reconverted into three-phase cur‐
rent (by the inverters in the tower base) whose voltage, frequen‐
cy, and phase position conforms to the grid.
Before feeding the power into the utility’s grid, the transformer
in the wind energy converter transforms it to the required volt‐
age, for example 20 kV.
Depending on the requirements defined by the grid operator,
the wind energy converter may be optionally equipped with spe‐
cific power plant properties (see ch. 7.7, p. 125).
Synchronous 2 rectifiers DC 8 inverters (*) LV Trans- MV switchgear Utility‘s
generator distribution distribution former assembly grid
530 V 3-phase c. 690 V direct current 400 V 3-phase current 20 kV (f.ex.) 3-phase current
2 power systems 1 power system
Nacelle Tower base (*) Number depends on WEC configuration
Pict. 18: Current flow in the wind energy converter

5.12 Response to grid faults

The WEC control system continuously monitors the voltage and
frequency of the power grid and compares these values with
the utility’s setpoints. If the permissible difference between the
setpoint and the actual value is exceeded, the wind energy con‐
verter is disconnected from the utility’s grid and shut down (be‐
haviour may vary; see ch. 7.7, p. 125). Once the grid has stabi‐
lised again and no more faults occur for several minutes, the
wind energy converter automatically restarts.
If a certain, configurable number of grid faults is exceeded with‐
in a 24-hour period, the wind energy converter will no longer re‐
start automatically. ENERCON Service must first determine the
cause of the frequent fault messages, as this behaviour may in‐
dicate a malfunction of the wind energy converter’s grid monitor‐
ing system.
5.13 Power supply for own consumption

The power required by the wind energy converter for its own con‐
sumption – lighting, excitation current, fans, control cabinets,
etc. – is taken from the low-voltage distribution system and con‐
ditioned further, if necessary.
This applies regardless of whether the wind energy converter is
generating and feeding power to the grid, or whether it is not gen‐
erating any power. In the latter case, the connection to the utili‐
ty’s grid will be maintained and the power for the WEC’s own
needs will be supplied by the utility.

5.14 Remote monitoring

By default, all ENERCON wind energy converters are equipped
with the ENERCON SCADA (Supervisory Control And Data Ac‐
quisition) system that connects them to the ENERCON Service
Center. The Service Center can retrieve each WEC’s operating
data at any time and instantly respond to any irregularities or mal‐
functions.
The SCADA system also transmits all status messages to the
ENERCON Service Center where they are permanently stored.
This ensures that the practical experience gained through the
long-term operation of ENERCON wind energy converters is in‐
corporated into their continued development.
At the operator/owner’s request, monitoring of the wind energy
converters can be performed by a third party. Nevertheless, ac‐
cess by ENERCON Service should still be ensured (e.g. for soft‐
ware updates).
Connection of the individual wind energy converters is through
a dedicated personal computer, which is typically located in one
of the wind farm’s WECs. This means that there is one SCADA
PC in every wind farm.
The ENERCON SCADA system, its properties and its operation
are described in separate documentation.

6 Safety equipment and safety functions

Safety equipment
DANGER!
Risk of fatal accidents due to malfunctioning safety
equipment!
Safety can only be ensured if all safety equipment
is fully functional.
Therefore:
– Before starting work, check if safety equipment
is properly installed and functional.
– Never disable any safety equipment.
6.1 EMERGENCY STOP button

Pressing an EMERGENCY STOP button initiates an emergency
braking procedure of the rotor (see ch. 6.6.2, p. 101).
Electric current
DANGER!
An emergency stop does not interrupt the power
supply to the wind energy converter. Contact with
live parts can cause fatal injuries.
Therefore:
– Even after an emergency stop, do not touch any
live parts.
For more details, see ch. 3.7.1, p. 33 and ch. 8.2.2, p. 132.
D0143420-2 Safety equipment and safety functions 97/180

6.2 Main switch

The main switch turns the control system of the wind energy con‐
verter on and off.
Consequently, when the main switch is turned off the central
WEC components including power generation and power con‐
version on the WEC side of the transformer are disabled. How‐
ever, the rotor can continue to rotate freely while the rotor lock
is not engaged.
Electric current
DANGER!
Line contactors in the power cabinets and the con‐
trol cabinet, the low-voltage distribution system, tow‐
er and nacelle lights, electrical cabinet lights, sock‐
ets, service hoist, obstruction lights, as well as com‐
ponents with an emergency power supply such as
the pitch system capacitor boxes remain live even
after the main switch has been turned off.
Therefore:
– Do not touch any live parts.
– Keep away moisture.
– Do not disable any fuses.
– Ensure that skilled electricians only carry out
work on the electrical system.
For more details, see ch. 3.7.2, p. 34.
98/180 Safety equipment and safety functions D0143420-2

6.3 Security door lock

The lock cylinder of the door lock is fitted with a turning door
knob on the inside (knob cylinder). The door can always be
opened from the inside without a key, even if it was locked from
the outside.
This ensures that escape from the WEC is possible at all times.
6.4 Sensor system

A comprehensive sensor system continuously supplies the
WEC control system with all operating parameters (e.g. rotor
speed, temperatures, blade loads, etc.). The control system re‐
sponds accordingly, e.g. by adjusting the blade angle (pitching),
and thus ensures optimised and safe operation of the wind ener‐
gy converter at all times.
Redundant sensors Some sensors are present multiple times, or there are more sen‐
sors installed than strictly necessary for monitoring certain oper‐
ating parameters (e.g. measuring the generator temperature).
This allows for plausibility checks through comparison of the re‐
ported values. If any sensors have become defective, they are
thus always detected and even after a sensor has failed, the
wind energy converter can safely continue its operation until EN‐
ERCON Service replaces the sensor.
Sensor checks Proper functioning of all sensors is either regularly checked by

the WEC control system itself during normal WEC operation or,
where this is not possible, in the course of WEC maintenance
work.

6.5 Mechanical safety devices

All immediately safety-related features such as speed monitor‐
ing, cable untwisting, and rotor blade pitch systems are addition‐
ally monitored by higher-priority electromechanical sensors
(switches). If any of theses switches is triggered, this indicates a
severe fault condition that the WEC control system has not
been able to prevent and/or detect; in this case, the wind ener‐
gy converter stops.

6.6 Safe stopping of the wind energy converter in hazardous situations
6.6.1 Automatic stopping by means of blade emergency pitch system

The emergency pitch unit of each rotor blade consists of the
blade relay box, the capacitor box, and the pitch motor.
If a safety-relevant sensor reports a fault or a safety switch is trig‐
gered, the wind energy converter stops immediately. The pitch
control boxes (see ch. 4.1.2.2, p. 46) disconnect the pitch mo‐
tors from the control system and switch the contactors in the
blade relay boxes to power supply by the capacitor boxes. The
rotor blades automatically move into feathered position independ‐
ently of each other until switched off by limit switches on the
blade bearings. The rotor can continue to move slightly; no me‐
chanical brake is applied (aerodynamic braking of the rotor).
The charge of the pitch unit capacitors is maintained at all times
during operation of the WEC and their functionality is continual‐
ly checked. Their capacity is sufficient to move the rotor blades
into feathered position in any conceivable situation.
The wind energy converter cannot restart until the cause of the
fault has been eliminated and the error message has been reset.
6.6.2 Emergency braking of the rotor

When
 an EMERGENCY STOP button is pressed or
 the rotor lock is actuated (while the rotor is turning),
the rotor of the wind energy converter must come to a standstill
as quickly as possible; the rotor must decelerate faster (and
must come to a standstill) than is possible by applying the regu‐
lar aerodynamic service braking process.
In these cases, the electromechanical rotor brake (ch. 5.5, p.
86) is additionally applied. This combined procedure deceler‐
ates the rotor from rated speed to a stop within 10 to 15 seconds.

6.7 Rotor lock

When maintenance work is carried out, the rotor lock must be
used to fully immobilise the rotor after it has been stopped.
When the rotor lock is activated, three interlocking bolts block
the rotor of wind energy converter; in addition, the rotor brake is
activated.
On the stator sub-distribution system (cf. ch. 4.1.3, p. 48) sever‐
al indicator lights (three green lights for the three bolts, one red
light) display the status of the rotor lock:
Green Red Status of

indicator lights indicator light rotor lock
All off on not locked
All on off fully locked
None, one or two on off not fully locked
Improper locking
CAUTION!
of rotor
Risk of injury and damage due to improper locking
of the rotor!
The safe use of the rotor lock system requires tech‐
nical expertise. Actuating the rotor lock with the ro‐
tor still running triggers an immediate emergency
stop (including activation of the rotor brake).
Therefore:
– Trained, qualified personnel only may operate
the rotor lock!
– Do not actuate the rotor lock while the rotor is
turning.
Rotor not fully

WARNING!
locked
Risk of fatal accidents due to incomplete locking of
rotor!
Under certain circumstances, the rotor can begin
to spin if the rotor lock has not been fully engaged.
This may result in persons being crushed between
the stationary part (stator) and the rotating part (ro‐
tor) of the generator.
Therefore:
– Make sure the rotor lock is fully engaged before
carrying out any activities that require the rotor
to be at a standstill. This applies particularly
when climbing through from the machine house
into the rotor head.

Rotor lock
NOTICE!
engaged
Damage due to high wind speed while the rotor
lock is engaged!
Damage to the wind energy converter can occur if
the average wind speed exceeds 16 m/s while the
rotor is locked.
Therefore:
– If the wind speed is above 16 m/s, have the rotor
lock released by a skilled technician or do not ac‐
tivate the rotor lock.
– Before releasing the rotor lock, ensure that there
are no persons present in the rotor head.

6.8 Acoustic sensor

The rotor head contains a sensor that responds to loud impact
noises as may be produced by solid objects rolling, slipping and
skipping around inside the spinning rotor head. Nuts that have
become detached, tools that have been left behind and similar
items are thus detected with certainty.
If the sensor detects any noise and there is nothing to indicate a
different cause, the wind energy converter stops.
In order to rule out exterior causes for the noise (mainly the im‐
pact of hail during a thunderstorm), the messages from all wind
energy converters within one wind farm are compared with
each other. If the sensors in multiple WECs are detecting noise
at the same time, an exterior cause is assumed and the acous‐
tic sensors will be briefly deactivated so that none of the WECs
in the wind farm has to stop. WECs that may already have stop‐
ped due to noises will be restarted.
WECs that are part of a wind farm are equipped with a secon‐
dary acoustic sensor in the machine house. The signals from
this sensor are used as a reference.

6.9 Speed monitoring

Monitoring by the In order to protect the wind energy converter and its surround‐
control system ings from damage, the control system regulates the rotor speed
(by adjusting the blade angle) in such a way that it does not sig‐
nificantly exceed rated speed even during very high winds.
However, the blade pitch system may not be able to react quick‐
ly enough to sudden events such as strong gusts of wind or a
sudden drop of the generator load. If the actual rotor speed ex‐
ceeds the rated rotor speed by more than 15 %, the control sys‐
tem stops the rotor. After three minutes, the wind energy con‐
verter automatically attempts to restart. If this fault occurs more
than five times within 24 hours, the control system assumes a
defect and does not attempt any further restarts.
Mechanical monitoring In addition to the electronic monitoring system, each of the

three pitch control boxes is fitted with an electromechanical over‐
speed switch. Each of these switches can stop the wind energy
converter via an emergency shutdown. The switches are trig‐
gered if the actual rotor speed exceeds the rated rotor speed by
more than 30%, which means that the control system for some
reason failed to stop the WEC when the threshold of 15%
above rated speed was reached.
To enable the wind energy converter to restart, the overspeed
switches must be reset manually (by ENERCON Service) after
the cause for the overspeed event has been identified and fixed.
6.10 Monitoring of blade loads

Due to the wind load, the rotor blades are elastically deformed,
i.e., they bend towards the leeward side. Excessive load may
cause rotor blades to buckle or break. The resulting imbalance
may cause further damage to the wind energy converter.
To prevent such damage, all rotor blades are fitted with two
strain gauges located opposite each other on the blade adapter.
In addition, each blade has its own load control box that moni‐
tors these two sensors. If the strain exceeds the permissible lim‐
it, an appropriate signal is sent to the pitch control boxes and
the strain on the blades is reduced using pitch control (cf. ch.
5.6, p. 87).

6.11 Vibration monitoring

The vibration sensor serves to detect excessively strong vibra‐
tions and shocks such as might be caused by a malfunction in
the rectifier.
It is mounted on the bottom of the main carrier of the wind ener‐
gy converter. It consists of a limit switch with a spring rod that
has a ball attached to one end by a chain. The ball sits on top of
a short vertical pipe. In the event of strong vibrations, the ball
falls from its seat on the pipe, activates the switch by pulling the
chain, and causes emergency pitching of the rotor blades that
stops the rotor.
6.12 Oscillation monitoring

The oscillation monitoring system detects excessive oscillations
or excursions of the top of the wind energy converter tower.
Two acceleration sensors detect the acceleration of the nacelle
along the direction of the hub axis (longitudinal oscillation) and
perpendicular to this axis (transverse oscillation). The WEC con‐
trol system uses this input to calculate the tower excursion com‐
pared to its resting position. If the excursion exceeds the permis‐
sible limit, the wind energy converter stops and automatically re‐
starts after a short delay.
Depending on the tower height and tower design, there are dif‐
ferent limits for the maximum permissible excursion. If multiple
non-permissible tower oscillations are recorded within a 24-hour
period, the wind energy converter does not attempt any further
restarts. The status display on the control panel flashes the sta‐
tus message Tower oscillation and the relevant substatus indi‐
cates the direction (longitudinal/transverse oscillation).
The acceleration sensors are mounted on the same support as
the vibration sensor.

6.13 Air gap monitoring

Due to non-uniform heating of generator components, the width
of the air gap between the rotor and the stator of the annular gen‐
erator may vary slightly during operation. However, it must not
fall below a specified minimum distance. The distance is moni‐
tored by six microswitches that are distributed around the rotor
circumference. If one of the switches is triggered because the
distance has dropped below the minimum distance, the wind en‐
ergy converter stops and restarts automatically after a brief delay.
If the fault recurs within 24 hours, the wind energy converter re‐
mains stopped until the cause has been investigated.
6.14 Electric overload protection

All electrical components of the wind energy converter are pro‐
tected against electric overload. In the event of overcurrent or
overvoltage, the power output is reduced or the WEC is shut
down, depending on the type and cause of the overload.
The fault must be cleared (and repaired by ENERCON Service
beforehand, where necessary) before the WEC can be restarted.
Acoustic sensor in power Overload can cause certain components in the power cabinets
cabinets (inverters) to explode and ignite fires.
In addition to the electric protection and permanent load monitor‐
ing, each power cabinet is therefore fitted with a sensor that rec‐
ognises the bang of an explosion and sends a corresponding sig‐
nal to the WEC control system which then stops the wind ener‐
gy converter.

6.15 Torque monitoring system

A short circuit in one of the generator rectifiers is initially interpre‐
ted as an electric current fault and causes the wind energy con‐
verter to shut down. Since an electric current fault can have cau‐
ses other than a short circuit, the WEC attempts a restart after a
brief delay. If, however, the cause of the fault is in fact a short
circuit, strong variable forces now act upon the generator stator
that may cause it to experience heavy torsional vibration.
Under unfavourable conditions this torsional vibration can heavi‐
ly damage the wind energy converter. For this reason, an accel‐
eration sensor is installed on the stator support ring. This sen‐
sor responds to this type of stator vibration and sends a signal
to the WEC control system, which then gradually reduces the
power, changes the rotational speed and stops the wind energy
converter, if necessary.

6.16 Lightning protection

The E-82 E2 wind energy converter is equipped with an ENER‐
CON lightning protection system that, with a very high probabili‐
ty, prevents damage to the wind energy converter from possible
lightning strikes. In almost all cases, the wind energy converter
continues its operation unimpaired after a lightning strike.
Nacelle Lightning rods protect the anemometer and the nacelle against
lightning strikes (cf. ch. 4.1.2.1, p. 42). In addition, the alumini‐
um nacelle casing acts like a Faraday cage that lightning can‐
not penetrate.
Rotor blades A lightning strike to the nacelle is not as likely as a lightning

strike to the rotor blade that is in the topmost position at that mo‐
ment. The rotor blade tips are therefore made of aluminium,
and the leading and trailing edges of the rotor blades are fitted
with aluminium profiles. The profiles connect to the blade tip at
one end and an aluminium ring around the blade root at the oth‐
er end. Lightning strikes are absorbed by these aluminium com‐
ponents and conducted from the rotor head to the generator sta‐
tor and thus to the main carrier via narrow spark gaps. The con‐
nection between main carrier and tower is made via a slip ring.
The illustration shows the example of a lightning conductor
whose tip faces the aluminium ring at the blade root. From this
ring, it conducts the lightning current to the blade neck on the
rotor head casing. Rotor blade and generator stator are hidden
in this illustration; the blade adapter flange is visible in the fore‐
ground and the pole shoes of the generator rotor in the back‐
ground.
Tower The lightning current is then discharged through the tower wall
itself (steel tower) or through lightning conductors concreted in‐
to precast segments (concrete tower) and large-sized earthing
profiles into the ground.
All conductive mechanical components, the steel tower and the
reinforcing steel of the concrete tower and/or the foundation are
included in the equipotential bonding.
Protection of electronic All electronic systems of the wind energy converter are galvani‐
equipment cally isolated and located in metal housings. All relevant places
are equipped with overvoltage protection systems.
A special protection module for data interfaces protects the SCA‐
DA remote monitoring system if copper cables have been instal‐
led (not necessary if fibre-optic cables are used).

6.17 Fire protection

Prevention All mechanical and electrical components of the wind energy con‐
verter in which overheating or short circuits could potentially ig‐
nite a fire are permanently monitored by sensors – primarily to
ensure their proper functioning – while the WEC is running. If
the control system detects irregularities, the wind energy con‐
verter stops or continues with limited power. This function repre‐
sents the most effective component of the fire protection system.
Components Special fire protection components of the E-82 E2 include:

 one smoke detector on the stator support ring (rotor head side)
 one smoke detector on the stator support ring (machine
house side)
 one smoke detector on the bottom of the main carrier (i.e.,
at the tower top)
 one CO2 hand fire extinguisher in the nacelle
 fire retardant or hardly inflammable or incombustible materi‐
als for specific components. This applies particularly to the
nacelle casing (aluminium) and the insulation of the tower ca‐
bles, making it highly unlikely that a fire in the tower base
could spread to the nacelle.
To fight incipient fires in the tower base, ENER‐

CON personnel carry additional fire extinguishers
in their Service vehicles. It is recommended that
the operator/owner carry a fire extinguisher himself
when visiting the wind energy converter or keep a
fire extinguisher in the tower base at all times.
If a fire has started, two different scenarios are possible:
Fire during WEC operation There are no persons present in the wind energy converter.
The smoke detectors and/or temperature sensors generate sig‐
nals that are immediately forwarded by the SCADA remote mon‐
itoring system (see ch. 5.14, p. 96) to ENERCON Service, who
in turn will alert the local fire brigade and the utility operating the
grid. They decide on site which measures are required.
Fire while persons are In this scenario, follow the instructions and rules described in
present ch. 3.8, p. 36.
If the Maintenance status has been activated dur‐

ing service work on the wind energy converter
(Maintenance switch, see ch. 8.2.1, p. 129), any
signals generated by smoke detectors and other
sensors are not transmitted to ENERCON Service.

6.18 Transformer and medium-voltage switchgear assembly

Lockable access Due to the particular risks, the transformer and the medium-volt‐
age switchgear assembly as well as its operating controls are lo‐
cated behind lockable doors.
Electric current
DANGER!
The voltage at the output of a transformer is typical‐
ly at least 10 kV. Touching live parts or merely mov‐
ing body parts or conductive objects held in one’s
hand close to any live parts generally causes seri‐
ous injury or death.
Therefore:
– Skilled electricians only may access the trans‐
former and the medium-voltage switchgear as‐
sembly.
– Keep the door to the transformer room and the
medium-voltage switchgear assembly locked at
all times, and keep the key safe.
– The same applies to the cover on the remote con‐
trol panel of the medium-voltage switchgear as‐
sembly.
Disconnecting device for In the event of certain grid faults, the disconnector of the medium-
transformer voltage switchgear assembly automatically disconnects the
transformer from the grid. This function reliably prevents over‐
load and overheating which could start a fire.
Explosion protection of The switching elements of the medium-voltage switchgear as‐

switchgear assembly sembly are installed inside a gastight container filled with a high‐
ly effective insulating gas.
During switching operations, electric arcs may occur in the switch‐
ing elements in very rare cases. If this happens, the filler gas
heats up abruptly which causes a corresponding increase of pres‐
sure in the container. For this event the container is provided
with a predetermined breaking point through which the gas is
channelled into an overflow channel in a controlled manner.
Here it cools down and can then escape safely.
An explosion of the medium-voltage switchgear assembly and
the resulting hazards to the surroundings (destruction, fire, in‐
jury) is therefore extremely unlikely.

6.19 Hazard signs and labels

Any location or equipment in the wind energy converter that is a
potential hazard must be identified by appropriate signs.
The list below shows the minimum required signing (the num‐
bers refer to ENERCON’s list of signs for wind energy convert‐
ers). The operator/owner is free to add additional signs if he con‐
siders them necessary. However, the locations and the con‐
tents of these signs must reflect the actual hazards. Signs must
not be randomly distributed.
The Live Parts sign (No. 12) is generally required on the doors
of all electrical cabinets, even though it may not be specifically
mentioned in the explanations below.
6.19.1 Tower area
Pict. 19: Signs on tower outside
No. Sign Name Location / Comment

1 Authorised personnel only! On tower outside, to the right of
the entrance door; for concrete
tower
1a Ditto Ditto; for steel tower

Pict. 20: Signs on safety ladder

3 Different tread depth Any location where the depth
of a tread is less than prescri‐
bed by instructions for safety
ladder, e.g. at tower flange; for
concrete tower
4 Wear hard hat At ladder access point and at
every platform
5 Use safety harness Ditto
10 Caution when ascending At ladder access point
15 Max. platform load 250 kg In visible area above every plat‐

form, next to ladder; for con‐
crete tower

Pict. 21: Signs at entrance (inside)

2 Emergency plan On interior tower wall, next to
tower lighting control unit

Pict. 22: Signs on service hoist

5 Use safety harness Inside service hoist, at eye level
11 Hoist out of order! Keep available in document

pouch on service hoist; attach
to chain barrier in front of serv‐
ice hoist door, if required
For more information, see service hoist operating manual.

6.19.2 E-module area
Pict. 23: Signs on control cabinet

7 5 safety rules Below operating controls on
control cabinet
12 Live parts! On door of UPS cabinet
13 Light and socket circuits Below main switch on control

cabinet
14 UPS supply! Below sign no. 13 on control

cabinet

Pict. 24: Signs on transformer room

7 5 safety rules On access to transformer, in
visible area on medium-voltage
switchgear assembly cabinet
8 High voltage a) On access to transformer, in

visible area on medium-voltage
switchgear assembly cabinet,
and
b) On closed roller shutter in
front of MV switchgear assem‐
bly; affix sign and cut along the
joints
9 Enter and work in transformer Each as an addition below no. 8

room …

6.19.3 Nacelle area
Pict. 25: Signs in the nacelle

2a Make an emergency call On top of nacelle control cabinet
6 Risk of falling Stencilled on winch hatch
7 5 safety rules Above operating controls on na‐

celle control cabinet
17 For gap measurement: Switch Above operating controls on na‐

off auxiliary rotor heating celle control cabinet
18 Safety instructions for winch In visible area on winch carrier
19 Set rotor lock In visible area above hydraulic

unit of rotor lock


20 Rotating parts In visible area above rotor
head access openings
21 First aid equipment On left filter cabinet; top front

area
21a Direction to first aid equipment Below no. 21
22 Direction to fire extinguisher Below no. 23
23 Fire extinguisher Front of left filter cabinet
41 External voltage On navigation lights control cab‐

inet (optional; not shown)

6.19.4 Rotor head area; not shown

26 Use respiratory protection In visible area on slip ring unit
(cf. ch. 4.1.2.1, p. 42)
40 Live capacitors On capacitor boxes of pitch

units
(cf. ch. 4.1.2.2, p. 46)

7 Options
7.1 Navigation lights system
General information Local statutory regulations may require the wind energy convert‐
er to be fitted with obstruction or hazard lights (signal lights); sev‐
eral options are available in this respect.
These navigation lights are located on the roof of the nacelle
(see ch. 4.1.2.1, p. 42). They always come as dual lights. The
spacing of the two lights ensures that the rotor blades never ob‐
scure both lights at the same time, regardless of the direction
from which the wind energy converter is viewed.
With very high towers, statutory requirements may call for up to
2 additional navigation lights tiers in the tower wall below the na‐
celle.
The type of lights used depends on the respective site.
Within a wind farm, the flashing of all WEC lights can be synchron‐
ised.
Luminous intensity control The navigation lights system can be equipped with a control sys‐
system (optional) tem for the luminous intensity. If the air is clear, the luminous in‐
tensity is reduced in order to mitigate the impact of the night‐
time lights on the surroundings, and to save energy.
D0143420-2 Options 121/180

7.1.1 Obstruction lights with emergency power supply and monitoring

The electronic components of the navigation lights system are
housed in a control cabinet in the nacelle (see ch. 4.1.3, p. 48).
Activation/deactivation of the lights is controlled by twilight
switches and depends on ambient brightness.
Rechargeable batteries in the obstruction lights control cabinet
take over power supply in the event of a grid failure and provide
a back-up for at least 1 hour.
The lights system also has a fault message function which
sends a signal to the wind energy converter control system in
the event of a fault. The following items are monitored:
 Failure of supply voltages (phases)
 Failure of lamps
 Malfunctioning of twilight switch
 Battery charger fault
 Battery failure
Faults are also reported to the SCADA remote monitoring and
control system.
7.1.2 Obstruction lights without emergency power supply, with monitoring

Aside from the absence of an emergency power supply system,
all functions are identical to those of the obstruction lights with
emergency power supply and monitoring.
7.1.3 Obstruction lights without emergency power supply, without monitoring

This variant does not include any monitoring features regarding
ambient brightness, light failures, or phase faults. The lights are
permanently on, also during the daytime.
Faults are not reported via SCADA.
7.1.4 Hazard lights with emergency power supply and monitoring

In locations where wind energy converters represent a particu‐
lar hazard to air traffic, the installation of hazard lights is re‐
quired. The exact specifications depend on the respective site.
In general, all functions are identical to those of the obstruction
lights with emergency power supply and monitoring.
122/180 Options D0143420-2

7.2 Daytime marking

Local statutory regulations may require the wind energy convert‐
er to be fitted with daytime marking.
The required daytime marking may differ, depending on the in‐
stallation site. In Germany, for instance, it is implemented as al‐
ternating red-and-white colouring of rotor blades (RAL 3020) or
white strobe lights that are switched off after dark (when the ob‐
struction or hazard lights are on).
In addition, a 3 to 4 m wide painted red ring around the tower at
a height of about 40 m may be required.
7.3 Blade heating system

To minimise both yield-reducing downtimes of the wind energy
converter (see ch. 5.9, p. 91) due to ice formation and hazards
to the surroundings caused by falling ice and ice throw, the
wind energy converter can be equipped with a blade heating sys‐
tem. The blade heating system comprises an electric heating el‐
ement with a fan in each rotor blade and a control cabinet
(see ch. 4.1.2.1, p. 42).
The blade heating system circulates heated air inside the rotor
blade to melt any ice build-up. Once the pre-defined heating
time has elapsed, the WEC is restarted.
For more details on this feature, see ch. 5.9.2, p. 92.
D0143420-2 Options 123/180

7.4 Ice detector

By design, the standard ice detection system that monitors the
current power curve can only be effective while the wind energy
converter is running.
In certain environments, however, it is imperative to prevent any
hazard caused by ice that has formed while the WEC was at a
standstill (example: roads in close proximity of the WEC).
For these cases, an ice detector can be installed on the nacelle
roof. The sensor has an oscillating wire whose frequency
changes when there is ice build-up. This enables the control sys‐
tem to conclude that there is ice build-up even while the WEC is
standing still. The wind energy converter does not start until the
ice detector reports no more ice build-up.
7.5 Shadow shut-off

The shadow shut-off function stops the wind energy converter
in sunny conditions once nearby residences might be affected
by shadow flickering (shadow casting) from rotating rotor
blades. The building permit for a new wind energy converter
may already require the WEC to be equipped with the shadow
shut-off system.
The shadow-induced shutting down of the wind energy convert‐
er is based on predefined time periods during which local resi‐
dents may be affected by the shadow, depending on the posi‐
tion of the sun, provided that the sun is actually shining and the
rotor blades are therefore casting a shadow.
During these time periods, three light sensors measure the light
intensity. These sensors are mounted on the outside of the tow‐
er, spaced at 120° and about 5 m above the ground. If the sen‐
sors register different brightness values (i.e., the sun shines on
at least one sensor while at least one sensor is in the shade),
the wind energy converter shuts down. If, however, all three
brightness values are almost identical, the sun is not shining;
hence, the rotor blades cannot be casting any shadow and the
wind energy converter does not shut down.
124/180 Options D0143420-2

7.6 Noise optimisation

The noise optimisation feature is used at sites where the sound
emissions of the wind energy converter must be reduced at cer‐
tain times (mostly at night) and/or when certain wind directions
prevail.
By changing the rotational speed power curve, the WEC oper‐
ates at lower rotational speed and with significantly reduced
sound emissions during these times and/or while these wind di‐
rections prevail. A small power output loss must be accepted in
return.
7.7 Transmission
Transmission is a feature that renders a wind energy converter
UVRT-capable (UVRT = Under Voltage Ride Through).
In the event of a voltage drop or loss of voltage in the power
grid, the wind energy converter can continue to run for up to
5 seconds without disconnecting from the grid or shutting down.
Once the fault condition has passed, the WEC can immediately
resume its power feed to the grid. This behaviour provides sup‐
port for the grid and prevents yield losses for the operator/owner.
The energy that is produced during the grid fault and that can‐
not be fed into the grid is converted into heat in the chopper re‐
sistors of the power cabinets. The capacity of the chopper resis‐
tors is exhausted after about 5 seconds; if the fault condition
lasts longer, the wind energy converter shuts down. The large
majority of grid faults, however, last less than 1 second.
Transmission requires a UPS because power supply to the
wind energy converter must be ensured even in the event of a
grid fault.
D0143420-2 Options 125/180

7.8 FACTS properties

FACTS (Flexible AC Transmission System) refers to perform‐
ance features that characterise the grid connection of wind ener‐
gy converters. In most cases, the features required for a certain
wind energy converter or wind farm are predefined by the oper‐
ator of the relevant power grid.
FACTS includes Transmission (see ch. 7.7, p. 125).
Q+ This feature allows the wind energy converter to provide more

reactive power to the grid. This requires an additional power cab‐
inet.
STATCOM Static Compensator:

This feature enables a wind energy converter to actively output
and consume reactive power even while it is not injecting ener‐
gy into the grid. It is thus able to support the power grid, similar
to a power station.
This option includes a small electrical cabinet installed close to
the transformer.
The use of the STATCOM feature results in a sig‐

nificantly increased demand for electrical energy
for the wind energy converter’s own consumption,
particularly during a standstill.
126/180 Options D0143420-2

8 Operation
General information During regular operation, the E-82 E2 wind energy converter
runs completely automatically. Operator intervention may be re‐
quired to restart the WEC after an automatic shutdown, e.g. due
to grid faults, as well as in relation to maintenance, repair, and
testing activities.
Control panels The wind energy converter is equipped with two control panels:
one on the control cabinet (in the tower base) and one on the
nacelle control cabinet. In general, the WEC can be operated
from either control panel.
There are some differences between the operating controls on
the two control panels. In addition, the control panel on the con‐
trol cabinet includes the large WEC display screen (see ch.
8.2.1, p. 129) with additional display and input options, where‐
as the panel on the nacelle control cabinet only has a small dis‐
play screen.
In general, it is possible to operate the controls on both control
panels at the same time; this cannot result in any unsafe situa‐
tions.
Aside from that, the control panel on the nacelle control cabinet
is only used for maintenance, repair, and testing activities that
are not the subject of this document. The descriptions below
therefore always refer to the control panel on the control cabinet
except where otherwise stated.
The operator/owner is permitted to operate only those controls
of the nacelle control cabinet control panel that are also present
on the control cabinet control panel and are explained in this
document.
User interface languages The main display user interface (cf. ch. 8.2.14, p. 144) is availa‐
ble in German and English only.
The WEC display (ch. 8.2.14, p. 144) is labelled in English only.
The other operating controls are labelled in English (for English-
speaking countries), German (for German-speaking countries),
or English plus local language (for all other countries).
D0143420-2 Operation 127/180

8.1 Safety instructions

Be sure to also follow the general safety instructions; see ch. 3,
p. 16.
Any person entering the wind energy converter must wear:
 Hard hat with chin strap
 Non-skid safety shoes
In addition, the following items must be worn when required:
 Protective clothing
 Work gloves
 Ear protection
 Personal fall protection system (while ascending/descending
in the tower as well as on tower platforms and in the nacelle
area if there is a risk of falling).
 In addition, any person ascending in the tower must carry res‐
cue equipment (abseiling device).
Operation
DANGER!
Risk of injury and property damage due to improp‐
er operation!
Improper operation of the wind energy converter
can cause serious personal injury or considerable
damage to property.
Therefore:
– The WEC may only be operated by ENERCON
Service personnel or other persons who have re‐
ceived equivalent training.
– The operator/owner may only operate the WEC
in accordance with the restrictions described in
this operating manual. In particular, he is not al‐
lowed to operate the control panel on the nacelle
control cabinet.
– Never disable any safety devices during opera‐
tion.
– Any person wishing to ascend the tower must be
sufficiently trained in using the safety ladder and
the service hoist and must have read and under‐
stood the relevant operating manuals.
– Before ascending the tower, switch off the wind
energy converter and secure it against reconnec‐
tion.
128/180 Operation D0143420-2

8.2 Control panel on control cabinet
8.2.1 Operating controls
Pict. 26: Control panel on control cabinet

1 WEC display 9 Horn
2 EMERGENCY STOP button 10 Telephone
3 Blade out button 11 Main switch
4 Blade in button 12 Maintenance switch
5 Manual on indicator light 13 Start/stop switch
6 Manual/automatic switch 14 Maintenance on indicator light
7 Yaw control button 15 Error Reset button
8 Horn button 16 Quick start button
D0143420-2 Operation 129/180

In the table below, some operating controls are

marked with this symbol. These operating controls
may only be actuated by skilled personnel. Actua‐
tion by unskilled personnel may result in malfunc‐
tioning and damage and is therefore prohibited,
even though their function is explained in this docu‐
ment.
Detailed descriptions of the operating controls that
may be actuated start in ch. 8.2.2, p. 132.
WEC display The WEC display provides information about the current operat‐
ing status of the wind energy converter and is used to enter or
modify operating parameters.
EMERGENCY STOP Emergency braking of the rotor.

button
Blade out button Pushing the Blade out button in manual mode turns the rotor
blades out of the wind.
Blade in button Pushing the Blade in button in manual mode turns the rotor
blades into the wind.
Manual on indicator light The Manual on indicator light is on while the wind energy con‐
verter is in manual mode.
Manual/automatic switch The Manual/automatic switch toggles between manual and

automatic mode of the wind energy converter.
Yaw control switch In manual mode, the Yaw control switch turns the nacelle anti-
clockwise or clockwise (Left, Right) or holds it in its current posi‐
tion (Stop).
Horn button; Pressing the Horn button sounds an acoustic signal in the na‐
horn celle (if the button in the nacelle is pressed, a signal sounds in
the tower base) and indicates that someone wishes to speak to
the person in the nacelle (or the tower base) via telephone.
Telephone For telephone calls between nacelle and tower base (see al‐
so ch. 8.2.13, p. 143).
Main switch The main switch turns the control system of the wind energy con‐
verter and thus the power generation function on and off (see al‐
so ch. 3.7.2, p. 34).
Maintenance switch The Maintenance switch indicates to the remote monitoring

system that maintenance work is in progress.
Start/stop switch The Start/stop switch starts and stops the wind energy converter.
Maintenance on The red Maintenance on indicator light is on while the Mainte‐

indicator light nance switch is turned on.
130/180 Operation D0143420-2

Error Reset button The Error reset button is used to clear fault messages so that
the wind energy converter can continue its operation (see ch.
8.2.12, p. 142 and ch. 9, p. 157).
Quick start button The Quick start button accelerates the start-up procedure by skip‐
ping the wind measurement.
D0143420-2 Operation 131/180

8.2.2 EMERGENCY STOP

In a hazardous situation, the wind energy converter (or rather,
its rotor) can be stopped as quickly as possible by pressing one
of the EMERGENCY STOP buttons. The EMERGENCY STOP
button latches when pressed.
In addition to the aerodynamic service brake, the electromechan‐
ical rotor brake is also activated in this case.
The WEC can be restarted after an emergency stop, provided
that the cause for the emergency stop has been eliminated.
See also ch. 3.7.1, p. 33 and ch. 6.6.2, p. 101.
EMERGENCY STOP is
DANGER!
not EMERGENCY OFF
The EMERGENCY STOP button does not trigger
an EMERGENCY OFF; i.e., the control system and
the power supply to the wind energy converter are
not turned off. All systems continue to be live.
Therefore:
– Even after an emergency stop, do not touch any
live parts!
Restarting the WEC after  Pull latched EMERGENCY STOP button to unlock it.
an emergency stop
The unlocking releases the rotor brake. After that, the regular
start-up process will commence (see Starting up the WEC, ch.
8.2.4, p. 133 and ch. 8.2.5, p. 134) if the Start / Stop switch is
set to “Start”.
132/180 Operation D0143420-2

8.2.3 Stopping the wind energy converter

 Set the Start / stop switch to Stop.
With the switch set to Stop, the wind energy converter turns the
rotor blades out of the wind into feathered position so that the
rotor brakes aerodynamically.
The yaw system remains active.
Start-up of rotor
DANGER!
Risk of fatal accidents due to start-up of rotor!
Stopping the rotor does not lock it. Gusts of wind
can set it in motion again at any time. Shearing ac‐
tion of the stationary generator stator and the rotat‐
ing generator rotor can sever body parts of anyone
climbing through the generator into the rotor head.
Therefore:
– Never climb through the openings of the genera‐
tor stator into the rotor head, lean into or reach
through the openings unless the rotor has been
locked!
8.2.4 Starting the wind energy converter (regular)

 Set the Start / stop switch to Start.
The start-up procedure continues automatically. The wind ener‐
gy converter aligns the nacelle with the wind, if it is not aligned
yet, and at the same time measures the wind speed. If, for a pe‐
riod of 3 minutes, the wind speed reaches at least the cut-in
wind speed, the rotor blades are turned into the wind and the ro‐
tor starts to turn.
If the wind speed is lower, the WEC goes into idle mode (cf. ch.
5.2.2.3, p. 82).
Prerequisites:
 The main switch is on (ch. 8.2.7, p. 137).
 The WEC is in automatic mode (ch. 8.2.9, p. 139).
For a WEC start-up checklist, see ch. 8.2.10, p. 140.
D0143420-2 Operation 133/180

8.2.5 Quick-starting the wind energy converter

The quick start function accelerates the start-up procedure by
skipping the wind measurement that takes at least 3 minutes.
1. First, start the rotor using the Start / stop switch as descri‐
bed in ch. 8.2.4, p. 133.
2. If (after a few seconds) the WEC display shows Turbine op‐
erational or Lack of wind, press the Quick start button.
The rotor blades turn into the wind immediately. At the same
time, the nacelle starts its alignment procedure, and the rotor be‐
gins to spin if the wind is strong enough and the orientation of
the nacelle does not deviate too much from the correct position.
If necessary – depending on the nacelle orientation – the WEC
initially runs at reduced power.
 During a quick start, observe the WEC display and the wind
energy converter until it has resumed normal operation.
If the Quick start button is pressed on the nacelle

control cabinet control panel without previously
starting the wind energy converter with the Start /
Stop switch, the WEC will stop again after about
15 minutes if the Start / Stop switch has not been
set to Start within this period.
The Quick start button on the control cabinet con‐
trol panel (in the tower base) has no effect if the
Start / Stop switch is set to Stop.
134/180 Operation D0143420-2

8.2.6 Shutting down the wind energy converter

 Set the main switch to OFF.
The main switch shuts down the control system of the wind en‐
ergy converter. Starting from the line contactors in the power cab‐
inets and the control cabinet, this deactivates all components
that are used for controlling the WEC and generating power
(the DC link between rectifiers and inverters needs several mi‐
nutes to discharge!)
Emergency shutdown
NOTICE!
Risk of undesired WEC status after emergency shut‐
down!
Turning off the main switch without previously stop‐
ping the rotor will cause stopping by emergency
pitching of the rotor blades (see ch. 6.6.1, p. 101).
Therefore:
– Except in an emergency, always stop the rotor
before turning off the main switch
(see ch. 8.2.3, p. 133).
Electric current
DANGER!
Line contactors in the power cabinets and the con‐
trol cabinet, the low-voltage distribution system, tow‐
er and nacelle lights, electrical cabinet lights, sock‐
ets, service hoist, obstruction lights, as well as com‐
ponents with an emergency power supply such as
the pitch system capacitor boxes remain live even
after the main switch has been turned off.
Therefore:
– Do not touch any live parts.
– Keep away moisture.
– Do not disable any fuses.
– Ensure that skilled electricians only carry out
work on the electrical system.
D0143420-2 Operation 135/180

Unexpected
DANGER!
rotor movement
Risk of fatal accidents due to unexpected rotor
movements!
Even with the main switch turned off, the rotor may
continue to spin slowly in an uncontrolled manner;
and even when standing still, the rotor can be set
in motion by gusts of wind at any time.
Therefore:
– Even with the main switch turned off, never
climb through the openings of the generator sta‐
tor into the rotor head, lean into or reach through
the openings unless the rotor has been locked.
Uncontrolled reconnection
DANGER!
Risk of fatal accidents due to uncontrolled recon‐
nection!
Uncontrolled reconnection can cause serious injury
or death.
Therefore:
– After the main switch has been turned off, se‐
cure it against uncontrolled reconnection.
136/180 Operation D0143420-2

8.2.7 Starting up the wind energy converter

 Set the main switch to ON.
Turning on the main switch turns on the control system of the
wind energy converter. The WEC is ready for operation within a
few seconds but will not be started automatically.
Prerequisite:
 The Start / Stop switch must have been set to Stop before‐
hand to prevent the WEC from starting up in an uncontrolled
fashion.
Electric current
DANGER!
If the main switch is turned on, all components of
the wind energy converter may be live.
Therefore:
– Close all control cabinets before turning on the
switch.
– Do not touch any live parts after turning on the
switch.
For a WEC start-up checklist, see ch. 8.2.10, p. 140.
D0143420-2 Operation 137/180

8.2.8 Switching from automatic to manual mode

Improper operation
CAUTION!
Risk of personal injury and property damage due
to improper operation!
Safe manual operation of the wind energy convert‐
er requires technical expertise and experience in or‐
der to prevent hazardous situations.
Therefore:
– Only skilled personnel may switch the WEC to
manual mode and operate it in manual mode.
– Do not switch the WEC to manual mode if the
Start / Stop switch has already been set to Stop
but the rotor blades have not been pitched out of
the wind yet and the rotor is still turning.
– With any wind speed other than low, do not
leave the WEC unaligned with the wind for an ex‐
tended period of time.
1. Stop the wind energy converter (see ch. 8.2.3, p. 133) and
wait until the rotor comes to a standstill.
2. Turn the Manual/automatic switch.
The Manual on indicator light comes on.
The Manual on indicator light alone shows the cur‐

rent operating mode of the WEC.
The position of the Manual/automatic switch is irrel‐
evant in this respect.
If the Manual on indicator light does not light up

(i.e., if actuating the Manual/automatic switch does
not cause the light to come on), notify ENERCON
Service.
138/180 Operation D0143420-2

8.2.9 Switching from manual to automatic mode

Moving parts
DANGER!
Risk of fatal injuries due to moving parts!
Certain components of the wind energy converter
may move unexpectedly. Becoming entangled in
moving components can cause fatal injuries!
Therefore:
– Before switching the wind energy converter on,
make sure that nacelle and tower are clear of peo‐
ple.
– After start-up, do not ascend the tower or enter
the nacelle.
Also, the WEC should not be switched to automatic mode while

the rotor is turning. Therefore, before switching ensure that:
 the rotor blades are in feathered position, and
 the Start / Stop switch is in the Stop position.
Switching
 Turn the Manual/automatic switch.
The Manual on indicator light goes out.
If the WEC cannot be switched to automatic mode

(so that the Manual on indicator light is off), notify
ENERCON Service.
D0143420-2 Operation 139/180

8.2.10 WEC start-up checklist
Check prerequisites; The answer to all of the following questions must be Yes before
rectify if necessary starting up the wind energy converter by performing the steps
under 13 and 14. Before you begin, check if the Start / Stop
switch has been set to Stop and the main switch on the control
cabinet has been turned on.
In the nacelle:
1. Are all safety covers etc. properly installed?
2. Have the housings of all electrical components (control cabi‐
nets, etc.) been closed?
3. Have all nacelle hatches been closed?
4. Have all tools and materials been safely stowed or removed
from the nacelle?
5. Has the EMERGENCY STOP button been unlocked?
6. Turn on main switch if off.
7. Has the rotor lock been released (i.e., the three green indica‐
tor lights on the stator sub-distribution system are off; the
red light is on; cf. ch. 6.7, p. 102)?
In the tower:
8. Have all persons descended from nacelle and tower?
9. Have all access hatches in the tower been closed?
In the tower base:

10. Has the WEC been set to automatic mode (Manual/automat‐
ic switch; observe indicator light)?
11. Have the EMERGENCY STOP buttons been unlocked?
12. Does the WEC display show status message Turbine stop‐
ped or status 1:1?
If the answer to any of the above questions is No, do not con‐
tinue – notify ENERCON Service.
Starting the WEC:

13. Set the Start / Stop switch to Start and check status messag‐
es:
Turbine operational (0:2)
Turbine starting (0:1) (after 3 minutes at the earliest)
Calibration of load control (0:5) (Load Control)
Turbine in operation (0:0) (after the start-up procedure is
complete)
14. If required, press the Quick start button a few seconds after
status message Turbine operational appears (see ch. 8.2.5,
p. 134).
15. Set Maintenance switch to Off.
140/180 Operation D0143420-2

8.2.11 Suppressing remote monitoring

Use the Maintenance switch to suppress the forwarding of any
status messages to the SCADA remote monitoring system dur‐
ing maintenance activities (see ch. 5.14, p. 96). The remote mon‐
itoring system only receives the message that maintenance
work is being carried out.
 Set the Maintenance switch to On immediately before start‐
ing maintenance work.
The Maintenance on indicator light comes on.
 After maintenance work has been completed and the WEC
has resumed normal operation, set the Maintenance switch
to Off.
The Maintenance on indicator light goes out.
The function of the Maintenance switch will be au‐

tomatically deactivated if the wind energy convert‐
er has been running in automatic mode without in‐
terruption for more than one hour. However, the
Maintenance on indicator light will remain on.
D0143420-2 Operation 141/180

8.2.12 Resetting errors

Prerequisite: The cause of a fault must have been eliminated;
otherwise, the wind energy converter will be unable to resume
operation and/or the same fault message will be generated again.
 Press the Error Reset button.
This deletes the fault message from the WEC control system’s
message system, and the wind energy converter can continue
its operation.
Where applicable, fault messages can also be re‐

set via the remote monitoring system (cf. ch. 5.14,
p. 96).
142/180 Operation D0143420-2

8.2.13 Using the telephone

The telephone in the WEC can only be used for
communication between nacelle and tower base.
The telephone cannot be used for calls to any loca‐
tion outside the wind energy converter (including
emergency calls).
 Pick up receiver.
 Press the Horn button.
An acoustic signal sounds on the other end.
 The other party picks up the receiver.
The parties can talk to each other.
 To finish the call, both parties simply hang up the receivers.
The telephone functions only when the main switch

on the control cabinet is switched on. The main
switch on the nacelle control cabinet, however, has
no effect on the telephone.
D0143420-2 Operation 143/180

8.2.14 Working on the WEC display
Pict. 27: WEC display on the control panel of the control cabinet
1 Display of current operating values 4 Function keys
2 Main display screen 5 Numeric keypad
3 Display of current operating states
The labelling of the WEC display is only available

in English for all ENERCON wind energy converters.
144/180 Operation D0143420-2

8.2.14.1 Display of current operating values

The small fields on the WEC display (ch. 8.2.14, p. 144) show
the current operating values.
Name Meaning
Wind speed [m/s] Shows the current wind speed in metres per second (m/s) meas‐
ured by the wind measuring unit on the nacelle roof.
Rotational speed [rpm] Shows the current rotor speed (revolutions per minute).
Power [kW] Shows the power output currently being fed into the grid (kilo‐
watts).
Operating hours [h] Shows the operating hours of the wind energy converter since
commissioning during which it has fed power into the grid.
If the power supply is interrupted (e.g. wind energy converter
shutdown), the meter reading remains stored.
Electrical energy [MWh] Shows the total electrical energy fed into the power grid by the
wind energy converter since commissioning (work done in
megawatt-hours).
If the power supply is interrupted (e.g. wind energy converter
shutdown), the meter reading remains stored.
D0143420-2 Operation 145/180

8.2.14.2 Display of current operating states

Certain operating states are represented by red or green LEDs
on the WEC display (cf. ch. 8.2.14, p. 144).
Green LEDs Represent states or processes during normal operation

Blade pitching in LED is on while the rotor blades are be‐
ing turned into the wind.
Blade pitching out LED is on while the rotor blades are be‐
ing turned out of the wind.
Yaw control right LED is on while the nacelle is being
turned clockwise for alignment with the
wind.
Yaw control left LED is on while the nacelle is being
turned anti-clockwise for alignment
with the wind.
Grid connected LED is on while the wind energy con‐
verter is connected to the receiving util‐
ity’s grid, irrespective of whether the
WEC is feeding power into the grid or
consuming power from the grid.
LED flashes while the excitation control‐
ler is supplied with power from the grid
(during start-up and, if necessary, dur‐
ing the heating phase of the generator
rotor).
146/180 Operation D0143420-2

Red LEDs Represent fault conditions or states while the rotor is stopped
Emergency stop LED lights up when an emergency stop
has been initiated by pressing an
EMERGENCY STOP button. The LED
goes out once all EMERGENCY STOP
buttons have been released.
Rotor brake locked LED is on while the rotor brake is active.
Rotor locked LED is on while the rotor lock is engag‐
ed.
Overspeed LED is on if one of the overspeed
switches (cf. ch. 6.9, p. 105) has been
triggered due to excessive rotor speed.
Vibration sensor LED is on if the vibration sensor (cf. ch.
6.11, p. 106) has been triggered due to
excessive vibrations.
Yaw control error LED is on in the event of a serious fault
condition in the yaw system.
Pitch control error LED is on in the event of a serious fault
condition in the rotor blade pitch system.
Generator error LED is on in the event of a serious fault
condition in the generator.
Feeding error LED is on in the event of a serious fault
condition in the power feed to the grid.
Grid error LED is on in the event of a fault condi‐
tion in the receiving power grid.
D0143420-2 Operation 147/180

8.2.14.3 Main display screen and operating controls
Main display screen The main display screen

 displays status and fault messages, and
 provides menus for the display and configuration of operat‐
ing parameters and for enabling/disabling certain optional fea‐
tures (cf. ch. 8.2.14.4, p. 149).
The user interface on the main display screen is

available in German and English only.
The illustration below shows the content of the main display

screen after the wind energy converter has started (WEC con‐
trol system type displayed in upper left-hand corner):
Pict. 28: View of main display after WEC start-up
Function keys Keys F1 through F5 are programmed function keys; i.e., their
function may change depending on the context.
The bottom area of the display always shows the current func‐
tion assignment (cf. ch. 8.2.14.5, p. 151).
Press F5 to enter the main menu (see ch. 8.2.14.4, p. 149);
press key combination F4 + F5 to return to the initial screen
(shown above) from any point in the menu structure.
Numeric keypad These keys are used to enter numeric values. Use the C key to
correct an entry or the E key to confirm an entry.
Miscellaneous The display turns itself off automatically after several minutes of
user inactivity. Pressing any key turns the display back on.
148/180 Operation D0143420-2

8.2.14.4 Structure and description of menus in the main display
Menu Mains Mains data
Parameter Start delay
Mains parameter
Limitation frequency
Settings Operational adjustment Noise optimization
Blade heating system Blade heating syst. settings
Shadow shut off Light intensity
Immissions point
Shadow shut off settings
Position nacelle during ice foundation
Display Display settings
Language
Clock
Service Display Info Can Info
Display configuration
Service 2 Status list
Pitch data
Version numbers
Special menu Service code

Accessible without restriction
Remote display Accessible by service code
Pict. 29: Menus in main display of control cabinet control panel
D0143420-2 Operation 149/180

The table below provides brief descriptions of those menus that

are accessible without a Service code (menus that only serve to
select submenus are omitted).
Menu name Meaning

Mains data Shows details of the power grid into which the generated elec‐
tricity is fed
Noise optimisation Noise optimisation settings (cf. ch. 7.6, p. 125)
Position nacelle Defines a position to which the nacelle will be rotated once the
during ice foundation control system has detected icing of the rotor blades and has
therefore stopped the wind energy converter (cf. ch. 5.10, p.
93).
Display settings Main display screen settings such as brightness, contrast, etc.
Language User interface language (German or English only)
Display info Shows the main display software version
Can info Shows details about the data bus within the wind energy con‐
verter to which the control cabinet is connected
Display configuration Shows the display configuration (operating mode, display hard‐
ware, etc.)
Status list Shows the most recent status messages. The list is limited to
about 100 entries. For an example, see ch. 8.2.14.5, p. 151.
Version numbers Shows the software versions of the WEC control system com‐
ponents (e.g. pitch control, navigation lights system, etc.)
Service code Entry of the Service code to access the menus shaded in grey
Menu navigation The function keys (for an example, see ch. 8.2.14.5, p. 151)
serve to access the menu structure (see ch. 8.2.14.3, p. 148),
to navigate the menu tree, to select menu items or other func‐
tions, and to navigate individual screens.
In some screens, the numeric keys must be used to enter val‐
ues (cf. ch. 8.2.14.3, p. 148).
Menu access Those menu items that require technical expertise to be under‐
stood and used correctly only become accessible after a Serv‐
ice code has been entered (cf. ch. 8.2.14.4, p. 149). This is to
protect the operator/owner, since improper use can result in dam‐
age to and/or loss of yield from the wind energy converter.
Those menus that require a Service code for access are there‐
fore not explained in this operating manual.
Optional menus Menus that refer to optional features of the wind energy convert‐
er are only available if the respective feature is actually installed.
150/180 Operation D0143420-2

8.2.14.5 Status messages

Status messages constantly track the current operating state
(status) of the wind energy converter and, where applicable, the
reason that has caused the current status (e.g. failure of a sen‐
sor).
The control system stores at least the 100 most recent status
messages. To view the list, go to menu item Menu>Service>Serv‐
ice2>Status list.
The example below shows status messages as they may ap‐
pear after a WEC start-up (the most recent message always ap‐
pears at the top below the Status list title).
Pict. 30: Status list in the main display
Meaning of details The details in the first line of a status message have the follow‐
ing meanings, from left to right:
No. of message / date / time / status code
A clear text message and the identification of the system control
component that generated the status is optionally displayed be‐
low.
The status codes are typically composed of two numbers. The
number before the colon indicates the main status. The number
indicating the substatus (providing more details on the status) is
displayed after the colon. Examples:
Status 0:0 (as shown in ch. 8.2.14.5, p. 151) means Turbine in
operation (fault-free).
Status 10:2 means EMERGENCY STOP actuated on nacelle
control cabinet.
D0143420-2 Operation 151/180

The complete, up-to-date list of all possible status

messages is available to operators/owners from
the ENERCON SIP Internet portal (see ch. 1.6, p.
7).
The bottom of the main display screen shows the current assign‐
ments of the function keys that are located below the screen, ex‐
actly opposite of their assignment labels. In the Status list exam‐
ple (ch. 8.2.14.5, p. 151), these are:
Key mapping up and down F1 and F2 keys: Scrolling between individual menu en‐
tries.
by the day F3 key: Shows status message grouped by date.
hide text F4 key: Shows only the first line of each status mes‐
sage (hides text).
back F5 key: Return to next-higher menu.
152/180 Operation D0143420-2

8.3 Tower lighting
8.3.1 Operating unit

The operating controls for the tower lighting system are not loca‐
ted on the tower control cabinet but on a separate operating
unit to the left of the entrance door (viewed from inside the tower).
Pict. 31: Tower lighting operating unit

1 Horn 5 UPS check button
2 Buffering indicator light 6 Ready indicator light
3 Replace battery indicator 7 EMERGENCY STOP but‐
light ton
4 ON / OFF switch 8 Socket
D0143420-2 Operation 153/180

Horn Sounds an acoustic signal if the system runs on emergency pow‐

er. A second horn is located on the uppermost lamp in the tower.
Buffering (Red) Is on while the system runs on emergency power.

indicator light
Replace battery (Yellow) Is on when the rechargeable battery of the emergency

indicator light power supply must be replaced due to diminishing capacity or a
defect (ENERCON Service).
On / off switch Switches the lights on and off.
UPS check button Tests the emergency power supply.
Ready indicator light (Green) Is on when the emergency power supply is operational
and the battery has been sufficiently charged.
EMERGENCY STOP For initiating an emergency stop of the wind energy converter
button (cf. ch. 3.7.1, p. 33 and ch. 8.2.2, p. 132).
Socket 5-pin, 400 V, 3-phase alternating current
154/180 Operation D0143420-2

8.3.2 Operation
Switching  Turn the On /off switch to On and visually check if the lights
lights on are functioning.
Prerequisite:
 The Ready indicator light (green) must be on before as well
as after the lights have been switched on.
 The two other indicator lights must be off.
Testing emergency Before each ascent in the tower, check the proper functioning of
power supply the emergency power supply:
1. Switch on the lights as described above.
2. Press and hold the UPS check button.
The Ready indicator light (green) goes out.
The Buffering indicator light (red) is on.
The horns on the operating unit and on the uppermost
lamp (top of tower) sound a signal.
All lights remain on.
3. Release the UPS check button.
The Buffering indicator light goes out.
The Ready indicator light comes on again.
The horns do not sound anymore.
All lights remain on.
If the lighting system does not respond as described above, no‐
tify ENERCON Service and do not ascend the tower.
Emergency power mode If the lighting system automatically switches from regular power
to emergency power (e.g. due to a grid failure),
 the horns in the tower base and on the uppermost tower
lamp both sound an acoustic signal to indicate emergency
power mode, and
 the Ready indicator light goes out as the Buffering indicator
light comes on.
The emergency power supply can back up the entire tower light‐
ing system for at least 30 minutes.
 If the emergency power signal sounds, stop all work in the
nacelle and the tower and descend to the tower base within
30 minutes.
D0143420-2 Operation 155/180

End of emergency If after a certain time in emergency power mode the regular pow‐
power mode er supply from the grid has been restored, the emergency pow‐
er supply battery is more or less exhausted and the Ready indi‐
cator light is not on.
Do not ascend the tower until the battery has recharged suffi‐
ciently and the Ready indicator light comes on again. This may
take several hours.
Switching  Turn the On / off switch to Off.
lights off
156/180 Operation D0143420-2

9 Malfunctions and troubleshooting

Malfunction means that the wind energy converter cannot oper‐
ate at all anymore, or that it can no longer operate in an optimal
and/or safe manner.
Depending on the type of malfunction, the WEC stops or contin‐
ues to run or attempts to restart after a stop.
The cause for a malfunction may lie with the WEC itself (e.g. a
defective component). It may also be external (e.g. grid faults).

Conduct in the event of Since a wind energy converter runs fully automatically during nor‐
malfunctions mal operation and does not require any personnel in attend‐
ance, it happens only rarely that persons are present in the
WEC while a malfunction occurs.
If, however, persons are present, observe the following instruc‐
tions (this also applies to cases where a malfunction is already
evident upon arrival at the WEC):
 If the malfunction results in a situation that is or appears to
be imminently hazardous, turn off the main switch at once, if
possible, or press an EMERGENCY STOP button. For more
information, see also ch. 3.8, p. 36.
 If no imminent danger can be discerned, read the fault mes‐
sage on the WEC display first and if necessary perform a reg‐
ular WEC stop using the Start / Stop switch.
 In any event, notify the person in charge of the site and/or
ENERCON Service and wait for instructions on how to pro‐
ceed.
Unauthorised
WARNING!
troubleshooting
Danger due to unauthorised troubleshooting at‐
tempts!
Attempting to rectify faults without proper authorisa‐
tion and qualification can cause serious injury or
considerable damage to property.
Therefore:
– Always have authorised skilled personnel carry
out troubleshooting.
D0143420-2 Malfunctions and troubleshooting 157/180

9.2 Fault messages

Indication Virtually all conceivable fault conditions of the wind energy con‐
verter are indicated by fault messages on the main display.
Fault messages belong to the status messages; all possible
fault messages are therefore listed together with the status mes‐
sages in the status list (cf. ch. 8.2.14.5, p. 151) (all statuses
with a main status > 0 are faults).
Fault messages are transmitted to the ENERCON Service Cen‐
ter via the SCADA system.
The red LEDs to the right of the main display screen also indi‐
cate the most frequent fault conditions (see ch. 8.2.14.2, p. 146).
Priority Faults cause the WEC to stop. It cannot restart automatically,

which may result in substantial yield losses in the event of exten‐
ded downtimes.
For this reason, fault messages flash in the main display, under‐
lining the urgency of troubleshooting measures.
Resuming operation after To be able to resume operation after a malfunction and/or to de‐
a malfunction lete the fault message from the WEC control system’s message
system, the fault message must be cleared (see ch. 8.2.12, p.
142).
By clearing (resetting) the fault message, the user indicates to
the control system that he has acknowledged the fault message
and eliminated the cause of the malfunction.
Malfunction without In the highly unlikely event that the wind energy converter is ob‐
message viously not working properly or that there is damage (e.g. a de‐
fective rotor blade), and the WEC fails to stop or display a fault
message, shut down the WEC immediately and notify ENER‐
CON Service.
158/180 Malfunctions and troubleshooting D0143420-2

9.3 Other messages

Warning messages Certain faults are not immediately relevant to the operation of
the wind energy converter and do not result in a standstill of the
WEC (example: defect in one of the redundant temperature sen‐
sors in the generator). In these cases, the control system sends
a warning message to ENERCON Service. Warning messages
are not output on the main display of the wind energy converter.
The defect must be eliminated within a specific period of time;
otherwise, the control system will generate a subsequent fault
message and will stop the wind energy converter.
Information Information-only messages to the remote monitoring system are

irrelevant under operational and safety aspects. They are there‐
fore merely stored in the SCADA system and can be retrieved
as needed. They are not displayed automatically at any point.
D0143420-2 Malfunctions and troubleshooting 159/180

10 Installation and initial commissioning

Installation and
DANGER!
initial commissioning
Hazard from improper installation or initial commis‐
sioning!
The installation and initial commissioning of a wind
energy converter must always be carried out by spe‐
cially trained, skilled personnel with adequate expe‐
rience. Mistakes during installation can put lives in
danger or cause considerable damage to property.
Therefore:
– Only ENERCON personnel or persons author‐
ised by ENERCON may carry out installation
and initial commissioning.
The wind energy converter is not handed over to the operator/

owner until ENERCON has installed and fully assembled the
wind energy converter and has carried out initial commissioning
and documented test runs.
After that, the operator/owner may operate the WEC in accord‐
ance with its intended purpose and under strict adherence to all
instructions in this operating manual.
160/180 Installation and initial commissioning D0143420-2

11 Maintenance and repair

In order to ensure the long-term safe and optimal operation of
the wind energy converter, maintenance checks are required at
regular intervals.
Improper maintenance
WARNING!
Danger due to improper maintenance!
Improper maintenance can reduce the efficiency of
the wind energy converter and cause personal in‐
jury or damage to property.
Therefore:
– Ensure that only ENERCON Service or person‐
nel with equivalent qualifications carry out any
maintenance work.
– Strictly follow all maintenance instructions and
carry out the steps completely.
11.2 Maintenance by ENERCON

ENERCON recommends that its customers conclude an EPK
agreement (ENERCON PartnerKonzept). For the term of this
agreement, ENERCON guarantees a very high technical availa‐
bility of the wind energy converter, provides for safe, optimal op‐
eration, and assumes the associated costs (i.e., all mainte‐
nance work and such repairs as may be required, including
spare parts if necessary). Please enquire with ENERCON for
more details.
Furthermore, this ensures complete documentation of all main‐
tenance work, repairs, etc. in one single place.
D0143420-2 Maintenance and repair 161/180

11.3 Maintenance performed by operator/owner

The operator/owner may carry out the maintenance work him‐
self, or contract a third party for this purpose. In this case, it is
absolutely necessary to fulfil the prerequisites mentioned in ch.
11.1, p. 161.
In addition, the statutory rules and other regulations governing
maintenance work that are applicable at the installation site of
the wind energy converter (e.g. by professional associations, in‐
surance companies, technical regulatory bodies, etc.) must be
observed.
Regular maintenance The following types of maintenance are required once per year:
 Visual maintenance
 Grease maintenance
 Electrical maintenance
 Mechanical maintenance
The different maintenance types should not be bundled into one
visit but spread over the entire year at intervals of three months.
This ensures that each wind energy converter is visited every
three months and that any irregularities are quickly noticed.
Rotor blades The maintenance types listed above cover the entire wind ener‐
gy converter with the exception of the rotor blades. There is no
maintenance schedule with fixed intervals for these since wear
and tear chiefly depends on the conditions at the site.
Rotor blades should be checked (spot-checked only where ap‐
plicable) thoroughly after about 1 year of operation. Depending
on the findings, a maintenance interval is specified, usually 6 to
7 years.
With the exception of this maintenance, rotor blades will only be
inspected and repaired or replaced (if required) if there is rea‐
son to assume that damage has occurred or if damage has
been detected.
Status messages Any maintenance is performed with the WEC stopped. While
during maintenance maintenance work is being carried out, the Maintenance switch
should be turned to On so that the Maintenance on indicator
light is on. In this mode, the status messages generated during
execution of maintenance work are not transmitted to the ENER‐
CON Service Center. Once the wind energy converter has been
restarted after maintenance, set the Maintenance switch to Off
again (cf. ch. 8.2.11, p. 141).
Maintenance instructions The individual activities and checks to be carried out during
each type of maintenance are described in separate documents
that ENERCON makes available to the operator/owner if rele‐
vant contractual agreements have been made.
162/180 Maintenance and repair D0143420-2

Maintenance reports All maintenance work must be recorded using the appropriate
forms. If ENERCON carries out the maintenance work, the main‐
tenance reports are completed and signed by the responsible
employee and filed in the WEC folder of the respective wind en‐
ergy converter. If maintenance work is carried out by third par‐
ties, the same process should be used to ensure that the main‐
tenance status of the WEC can be verified at all times.
Components not Some WEC components are supplied by ENERCON but were
manufactured by not manufactured by ENERCON, e.g. winch, fire extinguisher,
ENERCON first aid equipment, etc. The maintenance instructions of the re‐
spective supplier (part of the supplier documentation in the
WEC folder) and, if applicable, statutory regulations apply to
these components.
ENERCON will carry out maintenance on these

components only during the warranty period (in the
case of EPK maintenance contracts also beyond
this period).
Personal protection The operator/owner has sole responsibility for maintenance of

equipment the personal protection equipment used by the operator/owner’s
personnel.
11.4 Repair; retrofitting; replacement of parts

The abovementioned information regarding maintenance ap‐
plies analogously to these activities.
Only original spare parts and replacements provided by ENER‐
CON may be used. Replacements for lost or damaged safety
and hazard signs (signs and labels) are available from ENER‐
CON Service.
Any modification of the wind energy converter that

has not been expressly authorised by ENERCON
or has not been carried out in accordance with the
instructions issued by ENERCON will void the man‐
ufacturer’s warranty.
Irrespective of the above, there is the risk of the op‐
erating permit for the WEC becoming invalid.
D0143420-2 Maintenance and repair 163/180

12 Final decommissioning of the wind energy converter

ENERCON wind energy converters are designed for a calculato‐
ry service life of 20 years. Their potential service life and useful
life may extend well beyond this period.
In general, the operation of a wind energy converter remains ac‐
ceptable and reasonable from a technical viewpoint as long as
it is safe and profitable.
12.1 Decommissioning
No specific measures are required for the decommissioning of
an ENERCON wind energy converter. The WEC can simply be
shut down using the normal process, and be disconnected from
the power grid by skilled electricians.
NOTICE!
A shut-down wind energy converter is not inherent‐
ly safe in the long term.
If the WEC has been shut down it may be subjec‐
ted to adverse air flows since the yaw system is in‐
active and does not adjust the WEC to the wind di‐
rection. Stability is not ensured at high wind speeds.
Therefore:
– Do not completely put the wind energy converter
out of operation until shortly before dismantling.
164/180 Final decommissioning of the wind energy converter D0143420-2

12.2 Dismantlement
Both the installation and dismantlement of a wind energy con‐
verter require technical expertise.
Dismantlement and
WARNING!
disposal
Danger due to improper dismantlement and dispos‐
al!
Improper dismantlement and disposal can cause
personal injury and damage to property.
Therefore:
– Have only ENERCON Service or skilled person‐
nel with equivalent qualifications carry out dis‐
mantlement and disposal.
Reinstallation In exceptional cases, it may be desirable and reasonable to re‐

install a dismantled wind energy converter at a different site and
continue its operation.
In such cases, dismantlement, transport, reinstallation, and re‐
commissioning should only be carried out by ENERCON as the
comprehensive expertise required for this process is not availa‐
ble anywhere else.
D0143420-2 Final decommissioning of the wind energy converter 165/180

12.3 Disposal
Environmental hazards
NOTICE!
Environmental hazards from improper disposal!
Improper handling of environmentally hazardous
substances can endanger persons and cause dam‐
age to the environment.
Therefore:
– Always handle environmentally hazardous sub‐
stances in accordance with applicable rules.
– Ensure that only trained personnel or specialist
companies carry out the disposal.
Lubricants and hydraulic All moving parts of the wind energy converter are lubricated us‐
oil ing grease or oil. These substances as well as the hydraulic oil
(from the rotor lock system) contain toxic elements that must
not be released into the environment.
Collect these substances in sealable containers; collect sullied
wash water; do not mix soiled wipes or cloths with regular waste.
Electric and electronic Electric components (PCBs, cables, switches, lamps, recharge‐
scrap able batteries, capacitors, etc.) may contain valuable recyclable
raw materials as well as toxic substances. They must be separa‐
ted from other waste materials and be taken to authorised recy‐
cling centres.
GRP Glass-fibre reinforced plastics are the main material rotor

blades are made of; they are classified as hazardous waste
even though they do not create any immediate environmental
hazard and are not toxic. Rotor blades and other components,
where applicable, must be handled accordingly.
Other materials Other materials such as iron (machine parts, nacelle structure,
tower), other metals (nacelle casing, generator), and concrete
(tower, foundation) are valuable raw materials that can potential‐
ly be recycled for other purposes (e.g. crushed concrete as ag‐
gregate for road construction).
166/180 Final decommissioning of the wind energy converter D0143420-2

Glossary of terms
Abseiling and rescue de‐ Rescue device for rescuing persons from great heights
vice
AC Alternate Current
Anemometer See ultrasonic anemometer
Angle encoder Sensor to determine the current blade angle
Annular generator A generator with a great number of poles, which necessitates a
large diameter. ENERCON WECs are equipped with annular
generators.
Attachment point Eye or other element on a structure to which a person can at‐
tach (i.e., fasten) themselves with a shock-absorbing lanyard as
a protection against falls from height. This eye, etc. must be sta‐
ble enough to absorb the fall arrest force in the event of a fall.
Attachment points are marked yellow.
Automatic mode Operation monitored solely by the wind energy converter’s con‐
trol system
Axle pin Rotationally symmetric cast component mounted on the main
carrier around which the rotor hub and the generator rotor ro‐
tate (on tapered roller bearings).
Blade adapter Component that connects the rotor blade to the hub and the
blade bearing
Blade angle Angle between the rotor plane and the longest chord in a specif‐
ic rotor blade cross section near the rotor blade tip. During parti‐
al load operation the rotor blade is approximately at 0° (angle
may deviate slightly, depending on the blade type).
Blade relay box Contains contactors that switch the power supply of the pitch mo‐
tor to the capacitor box in the event of an emergency shutdown
of the WEC
Capacitor In electrical engineering, a component that can store and dis‐
charge electric charges very quickly without the need for a chem‐
ical reaction
Capacitor box Part of the pitch system. In the event of an emergency shut‐
down of the WEC the capacitor box supplies the pitch motor
with power.
Chopper unit Component that absorbs the power generated during a grid fail‐
ure and converts it into (waste) heat
Conical angle Angle between the longitudinal axis of a rotor blade (at no load)
and the rotor plane
Contactor Electromagnetically actuated switch for very strong currents
D0143420-2 Glossary of terms 167/180

Control cabinet Electrical cabinet that houses the central components of the
WEC control system and has a control panel with switches, dis‐
play instruments, etc. Apart from the central control cabinet
there are subordinate control cabinets for individual assemblies
that are identified separately (e.g. blade heating control cabinet).
Cut-in wind speed Minimum wind speed at which the wind energy converter
switches to operational (approx. 2.5 m/s). Provided that the
wind speed continues to increase, the wind energy converter pro‐
duces power.
Daytime marking Identification of a WEC by means of conspicuous colouring with
signal paint or intense strobe lights so as to be more visible to
aircraft pilots in daylight
DC Direct current
DC distribution system Electric circuit that combines the two direct current cables from
the nacelle and distributes the direct current to multiple current
flows to the inverters
DC link The DC link passes to the inverters the energy that has been pro‐
duced by the generator and converted into direct current by the
rectifiers.
DIBt Deutsches Institut für Bautechnik (≈ German institute for civil en‐
gineering)
Direct current distribution See DC distribution system
system
Electrical cabinet Generic name of cabinet-like housings with built-in electric circui‐
try. This term does not say anything about the size of the hous‐
ings.
E-module Assembly in the tower base that houses the majority of the com‐
ponents needed for conditioning the electric current and control‐
ling the WEC. The E-module is fully pre-assembled at the EN‐
ERCON factory.
ENERCON SCADA wind The ENERCON SCADA wind farm server is responsible for a
farm server number of wind farm communication, open-loop control and
closed-loop control functions. It is the central interface via which
the wind farm operator/owner, the grid operator and ENERCON
Service receive up-to-date and archived operating data.
EPK ENERCON PartnerKonzept. The EPK is an optional contract be‐
tween the WEC operator and ENERCON under which ENER‐
CON guarantees a specified degree of technical availability for
a certain time period, starting at commissioning, and in return re‐
ceives a share of the profit generated by the WEC.
Equipotential bonding Balancing of different electric charges of multiple components
by creating a conductive connection. In the absence of equipo‐
tential bonding there may be undesired, damaging current flows
and electric shocks.
Excitation current (excita‐ Produces a magnetic field in the generator rotor that induces cur‐
tion) rents in the generator stator when the rotor unit is turning
168/180 Glossary of terms D0143420-2

FACTS Flexible AC Transmission System. A system composed of elec‐

tronic components and software that provides a WEC with spe‐
cific grid properties
Fall prevention device Safety component (part of the personal fall protection system)
(runner) that is fastened to the safety harness. During ascent the fall pre‐
vention device runs inside the guide rail on the safety ladder. If
the person ascending slips on the ladder, the runner will en‐
gage on the ladder and catch the falling person by means of the
safety harness.
Falling ice Ice that has formed on the rotor blade and is dropping down.
The ice comes off in chunks that have considerable weight and
may be fatal when hitting persons.
Faraday cage Space enclosed from all sides by a conducting material (such
as a wire-mesh cage). The cage-like conductor shields this
space from external electromagnetic fields. Also, it dissipates
electric current via the outer face of the cage so that persons
and objects inside the cage are largely protected
Feathered position Position of the rotor blades relative to the wind in which they pro‐
duce practically no lift
Filter Also referred to as filter cabinet. A cabinet that changes the prop‐
erties of the electric current (amplitude, frequency) in order to
prevent backcoupling or other detrimental side effects (e.g. on
the generator).
Full load operation Operation of the WEC at rated power. For this, the wind speed
must be equal to or higher than the rated wind speed.
Galvanic isolation Electrically conductive components with no direct electric con‐
nection between them are galvanically isolated, i.e., no electric
current can flow between them.
Generator rotor Rotating part of the generator where the magnetic field required
for generating electricity is built up
Generator stator Stationary part of the generator where electric current is in‐
duced through the magnetic field of the rotating generator rotor
Grid connection Electrical connection of the WEC to the local power grid into
which the WEC feeds the electricity it has produced. The grid op‐
erator specifies certain features (grid properties) the WEC must
have with regard to its behaviour in the power grid.
GRP Glass-fibre reinforced plastic is a composite fibre material.
Glass fibre weave is layered into a mould and saturated with syn‐
thetic resin. Once the resin has cured, the result is a resilient,
durable, and light-weight material. Glass-fibre reinforced plas‐
tics are suitable for the manufacture of rotor blades, casings, or
fitted parts. Glass-fibre reinforced plastics can be machined and
are largely resistant to chemicals.
Hub Cast-iron component that pivots on the axle pin and on which
the blade flange bearings and (in ENERCON WECs) the gener‐
ator rotor are mounted

Ice throw Same as falling ice, however, with the rotor turning. Centrifugal
forces give detached ice much more energy so that it may not
just drop down but also be flung away from the WEC in the di‐
rection of the rotor plane. This significantly increases the dan‐
ger zone and the hazard potential when compared to those of
falling ice.
Idle mode Operation of the WEC without power generation (e.g. if the wind
speed is below the cut-in wind speed). The blade angle is ap‐
prox. 60° so that the rotor can turn slowly as long as there is
any air movement at all.
IEC International Electrotechnical Commission – a body that defines
international electrotechnical and electronics standards, also re‐
lating to WECs
Inverter Converts direct current into alternating current
LED Light-emitting diode. Frequently used to visually indicate specif‐
ic operating states (e.g. in the WEC display)
Load Control Monitors strain on the rotor blades
Low voltage Electrical voltage inside a range of up to 1 kV
Low-voltage distribution Electric circuit that distributes low-voltage current to or com‐
system bines it from multiple current flows
LV distribution system See low-voltage distribution system
Machine house Rear, stationary part of the nacelle containing those nacelle com‐
ponents that do not necessarily belong to the rotor, e.g. rectifi‐
ers, control cabinet, winch, etc. In WECs with gearing these al‐
so include gearing and generator (ENERCON WECs are gear‐
less).
Main carrier Central component of the nacelle; connected to the top of the
tower by the yaw bearing that enables it to slew. All nacelle com‐
ponents are directly or indirectly mounted on the main carrier.
Manual mode Operating mode of the wind energy converter for maintenance
work. In this operating mode the functions of the WEC control
system are restricted.
Nacelle Encased assembly that is mounted on top of the tower. It in‐
cludes the machine house and the rotor head (but not the rotor
blades).
Nacelle control cabinet Control cabinet with a control panel inside the nacelle, primarily
for testing and maintenance purposes
Navigation lights system Obstruction lights; hazard lights. Beacons installed on a WEC
that indicate the presence of the WEC to aircraft pilots after
dark. If required, additional special beacons may be installed as
daytime markers.
Operator / owner As a rule, the operator/owner is defined as the person or entity
that is responsible for the operation of the WEC after its delivery
by the manufacturer.

Overspeed switches Mechanical switches that are activated by the excessive centri‐
fugal forces caused by overspeed of the rotor unit; they trigger
an emergency shutdown of the wind energy converter. Note:
These switches are additional safety devices that are only acti‐
vated in the event that the pitch control system that regulates
the rotational speed has failed.
Partial load operation Operation of the WEC at less than its rated power (e.g. if the
wind speed is below the rated wind speed)
Phase The term phase or, to be more precise, phase angle denotes
the argument of a sinusoidal function if depending linearly on
time. In electrical engineering, a synonym for outer cable. Any
electric conductor that is live during normal operation and is not
a neutral wire is colloquially and not quite correctly referred to
as a phase.
Pitch Blade angle adjustment
Pitch control box Contains the control system that regulates the blade angle
(pitch system)
Pitch system The pitch system adjusts the rotor blade angles. It comprises
the following: pitch control box, blade relay box, capacitor bank,
pitch motors, gearing, and blade flange bearing.
Pole shoes Electromagnets on the generator rotor that use the excitation cur‐
rent to create the magnetic fields needed to generate electricity
Power cabinet Term commonly used by ENERCON for an inverter
PPE Personal protection equipment; see Protection equipment
Protection equipment Special clothing and other equipment (e.g. hard hat) that is suit‐
ed to prevent or reduce the number of accidents during stays in
a WEC or other locations that have an increased hazard potential
Rated power Maximum power in permanent operation for which the wind en‐
ergy converter is designed
Rated wind speed Wind speed at which the rated power output of the wind energy
converter is just achieved
Rectifier Converts alternating current into direct current
Reinforcement Steel rods or grid mats welded together from thin steel rods that
are cast in so that the concrete part can absorb tensile forces
(reinforced concrete)
Rescue equipment See abseiling and rescue device.
Rotor Rotating part of the wind energy converter (rotor of annular gen‐
erator; hub; rotor blades). Frequently used as a clipped form of
generator rotor
Rotor head Rotor without the rotor blades and the generator rotor
Rotor hub See hub.

Rotor lock The rotor is immobilised by the rotor lock to prevent it from be‐
ginning to move under any circumstances until the rotor lock is
released.
Rotor sub-distribution sys‐ Distributes the electricity supplied by the slip ring unit and distrib‐
tem utes or acquires sensor and control signals in the rotor
Safety ladder Permanently installed ladder on the interior WEC tower wall that
leads from the tower base up to below the nacelle and has a
guide rail for a fall prevention device (runner)
SCADA Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition. A system for remote
monitoring and control of WECs
Service Code Code that is known only to trained Service personnel and must
be keyed in on the control cabinet to access specific functions
of the WEC control system
Shadow casting Periodic shadow casting by the rotating rotor blades of a WEC,
which is frequently perceived to be stressful by affected persons.
Shock-absorbing lanyard Part of a personal fall protection system. Catches a falling per‐
son; elongates plastically under force and thus lessens the im‐
pact.
Slewing ring bearing Bearing consisting of two concentric rings that can be rotated
against each other with the aid of spheres or rollers. A slewing
ring bearing does not permit any other kind of movement.
Slip ring unit Sliding contacts allow transmission of electric current between
the stationary and the rotating part of a structure
Spark gap Air gap between two conductors (i.e., lightning conductor ele‐
ments) that is bridged by an electric arc caused by very high volt‐
age (i.e., lightning strike) and can thus dissipate electric current
Stator Short for generator stator
Stator ring Annular component of an annular generator, with stator wind‐
ings made of copper wire in which electric current is induced
Stator shield A round constructional element shaped like a shallow dome that
is mounted on the main carrier and whose edge carries the sta‐
tor support ring
Status Operating state of a WEC or event occurring during the opera‐
tional process. Each status is assigned a unique status code,
which is part of the status message shown on the main display
of the WEC.
Strain gauge A sensor shaped like a thin strip that is attached to the surface
of the component to be monitored and undergoes the same de‐
formation. The strain gauge contains an embedded conductor
whose resistance changes under strain. From this, the deforma‐
tion and the load on the component can be derived.
Tip bows Angled ends of aircraft wings or rotor blades. The angled ends
improve the air flow, reduce noise and thus increase perform‐
ance.

Tower gap (Air) gap between the tower wall and the nacelle casing extend‐
ing over the tower flange from above
Transformer A transformer connects two (alternating current) electric circuits
with different voltages.
Ultrasonic anemometer Wind measuring unit without any moving parts that measures
the wind speed and direction by comparing emitted and re‐
ceived ultrasonic signals
UPS Uninterruptible power supply. A system which, in the event of a
power grid failure, takes over the power supply to consumer
units virtually without delay
Upwind rotor The rotor is in front of the tower when facing the wind. Virtually
all large, modern WECs have upwind rotors.
Utility Company that supplies electrical energy. The electrical energy
produced by the WEC is fed into the grid operated by the rele‐
vant utility.
UVRT Under Voltage Ride Through. The WEC rides through a (brief)
grid fault during which grid voltage falls below the minimum. It
continues feeding power into the grid immediately once the grid
voltage has become stable again.
Vibration sensor Monitors tower vibrations and, on activation, triggers an emer‐
gency shutdown.
WEC Abbreviation of Wind Energy Converter
WEC folder A file folder that contains the documentation intended for the
WEC operator/owner’s reference. At the time of delivery of the
ENERCON WEC to the operator/owner, it is located on the
shelf inside the tower control cabinet of the WEC.
Winch Winch in the rear part of the nacelle, powered by an electric mo‐
tor; for transporting loads from the nacelle to the ground and
vice versa
Wind class WECs are designed for wind classes defined by the IEC. A
wind class specifies both the average wind speed at hub height
and an extreme wind speed that, statistically, is expected to oc‐
cur once in 50 years. Wind classes range from I (avg.: 10 m/s;
peak: 50 m/s) to IV (avg.: 6 m/s; peak: 30 m/s). A letter that de‐
notes the turbulence in the air flow suppplements this informa‐
tion. IEC wind classes are used internationally. Alternatively,
WECs for German locations are designed for geographical wind
zones defined by the DIBt.
Wind measuring unit See ultrasonic anemometer
Yaw bearing Bearing that enables the nacelle to rotate on top of the tower
Yaw drive Drive that rotates the nacelle on top of the tower
Yaw system Rotates the nacelle around the vertical tower axis so that the
wind always meets the front of the nacelle

Index
Condensation ......................................... 90
A
Conical angle.......................................... 13
Abseiling and rescue device................... 31
Control cabinet ....................................... 64
Abseiling device ..................................... 36
Control cabinets ..................................... 95
Acceleration sensor .............................. 108
Control panel ........................................ 127
Accident prevent regulations .................. 17
Customer service ..................................... 7
Accidents ................................................ 36
Cut-in wind speed................................... 12
Acoustic sensor ............................ 104, 107
Air gap monitoring ................................ 107 D
Alternating current ............................ 66, 94 Danger zone ........................................... 20
Angle encoder ........................................ 87 Daytime marking .................................. 123
Annular generator..................................... 9 DC distribution system ........................... 61
Attachment point .................................... 44 Decommissioning ................................. 164
Automatic mode ..................................... 79 Design principle ...................................... 53
Axle pin................................................... 40 DIBt......................................................... 59
Direct current .................................... 66, 94
B
Dismantlement ..................................... 165
Basic principle .......................................... 9
Display screen ...................................... 130
Blade adapter ................................... 40, 44
Blade angle ............................................ 87 E
Blade flange bearing .............................. 44 Ear protection ......................................... 31
Blade heating system ........................... 123 Emergency braking .............................. 101
Blade load ............................................ 105 EMERGENCY OFF ................................ 33
Blade relay box............................... 47, 101 Emergency pitch unit ............................ 101
Button Emergency power supply ....................... 76
Blade in.............................................. 130 EMERGENCY STOP.............................. 33
Blade out............................................ 130 EMERGENCY STOP button
EMERGENCY STOP........... 97, 130, 132 ................................................ 97, 130, 132
Error Reset ................................ 131, 142 E-module ................................................ 63
Horn ........................................... 130, 143 EPK .................................................. 1, 161
Quick start.................................. 131, 134 Excitation controller .......................... 49, 53
UPS check ................................. 154, 155 Excitation current.................................... 95
Exhaust air system ................................. 72
C
Cable twist limit switch............................ 85 F
Cable untwisting ............................. 85, 100 FACTS.................................................. 126
Capacitor box ................................. 47, 101 Fall protection system ............................ 31
Central lubrication system ...................... 45 Fan converter ......................................... 52
Compact limit switch............................... 44 Fans ................................................. 50, 95
174/180 Index D0143420-2

Fault messages .................................... 158 Instruction ............................................... 17

Fire ......................................................... 36 Instructions for safe use ......................... 17
Fire extinguisher ............................. 49, 110 Inverter ..................................................... 9
Fire protection ...................................... 110 Inverters ................................................. 66
First aid equipment ................................. 49
K
First aid measures .................................. 36
Key mapping ........................................ 152
Foundation ............................................. 60
Full load operation .................................. 79 L
Functional check .................................... 32 Labels ................................................... 163
Language ............................................. 127
G
Light sensors ........................................ 124
Generator cooling system ...................... 53
Lighting ................................................... 95
Generator drying system ........................ 90
Lightning protection system.................. 109
Generator filters...................................... 49
Lights ...................................................... 76
Generator rotor ................................. 40, 53
Load control box ..................................... 44
Generator stator ......................... 40, 50, 53
Locations of EMERGENCY STOP buttons
Grid faults ............................................... 95
................................................................ 33
H Low-voltage distribution system ............. 95
Hard hat.................................................. 30 Luminous intensity control system ....... 121
Hazard lights ........................................ 121
M
Hazard signs .......................... 38, 112, 163
Machine house ......................................... 9
Hazards .................................................. 23
Main carrier............................................. 40
Health and safety regulations ................. 17
Main switch............... 34, 98, 130, 135, 137
Hub ......................................................... 13
Malfunction ........................................... 157
Hub bearing ............................................ 40
Manual mode.......................................... 79
Hub sub-distribution system ................... 43
Medium-voltage switchgear assembly
I ........................................................ 65, 111
Ice detection system............................. 124 Menu structure ..................................... 150
Ice detector........................................... 124 Moisture.................................................. 90
Ice formation............................. 91, 93, 123
N
Idle mode................................................ 79
Nacelle ..................................................... 9
IEC............................................................ 8
Nacelle casing ........................................ 40
Indicator light
Nacelle control cabinet ........................... 51
Emergency power mode............ 154, 155
Nacelle platform ..................................... 41
Maintenance on ......................... 130, 141
Nacelle position ...................................... 93
Manual on .......................... 130, 138, 139
Navigation ............................................ 150
Ready ........................................ 154, 155
Navigation lights system................. 52, 121
Replace battery.................................. 154
Noise optimisation ................................ 125
Information ........................................... 159
Noise sensor ................................ 104, 107
Initial commissioning ............................ 160
D0143420-2 Index 175/180

Remote control panel ............................. 64

O
Remote monitoring system..................... 96
Obstruction lights.................................. 121
Replacements ...................................... 163
Operating data........................................ 96
Requirements ......................................... 21
Operating modes .................................... 79
Rescue equipment ........................... 31, 36
Operating states ................................... 146
Residual current monitoring ................... 50
Operating values .................................. 145
Risk assessment .................................... 17
Oscillation monitoring ........................... 106
Risk levels ................................................ 4
Overspeed .............................................. 37
Rotor blade ....................................... 40, 44
Overspeed switch ................................. 105
Rotor blade extension ............................ 44
Overtemperature switch ......................... 89
Rotor blade pitch systems .................... 100
Own consumption................................... 95
Rotor brake............................... 51, 86, 101
P Rotor head................................................ 9
Partial load operation ............................. 79 Rotor hub................................................ 40
Personal fall protection system .............. 32 Rotor lock ....................................... 51, 102
Personal protection equipment............... 30 Rotor rim................................................. 47
Phone numbers ........................................ 6 Rotor sub-distribution system ................. 47
Pictograms ............................................... 5
S
Pitch control............................................ 87
Safety equipment ................................... 33
Pitch control box ..................................... 47
Safety ladder ...................................... 7, 67
Pitch control system ............................... 87
Safety shoes........................................... 30
Pitch drive............................................... 43
SCADA ................................................... 96
Pitch motor ........................................... 101
Sensor system.................................. 79, 99
Pitch unit................................................. 87
Sensors
Platforms ................................................ 73
Acoustic ..................................... 104, 107
Pole shoes.............................................. 47
Air gap monitoring.............................. 107
Power cabinets ....................................... 66
Blade load.......................................... 105
Power generation ................................... 94
Ice formation ...................................... 124
Protective clothing .................................. 31
Luminous intensity ............................. 121
Protective gloves .................................... 31
Oscillation .......................................... 106
Q Overspeed ......................................... 105
Q+......................................................... 126 Shadow shut-off................................. 124
Qualifications .......................................... 21 Strain ................................................. 105
Temperature ........................................ 89
R
Vibration..................................... 106, 108
Rated power ........................................... 12
Service hoist
Rated wind speed................................... 12
Emergency control unit ........................ 70
Reactive power..................................... 126
EMERGENCY STOP........................... 70
Rectifier .............................................. 9, 50
Intended use ........................................ 69
Regular inspections ................................ 32
Service Info Portal .................................... 7
176/180 Index D0143420-2

Service life ............................................ 164 Tower lighting ................................. 76, 153

Shadow shut-off ................................... 124 Tower variants ........................................ 54
Shoe-type brake ..................................... 51 Training .................................................. 17
Signal lights .......................................... 121 Transformer .......................... 9, 65, 94, 111
Signs ............................................ 112, 163 Transmission ........................................ 125
Slip ring unit...................................... 40, 43 Troubleshooting.................................... 157
Smoke detector .................................... 110 Type plate............................................... 11
Spare parts ........................................... 163
U
Speed monitoring ......................... 100, 105
UPS ........................................................ 65
STATCOM ............................................ 126
Upwind rotor ............................................. 9
Stator sub-distribution system ................ 50
Useful life.............................................. 164
Status messages .................... 96, 151, 158
Strain gauges ....................................... 105 V
Switch Vibration sensor ................................... 106
Main switch ........................ 130, 135, 137 Visual check ........................................... 32
Maintenance .............................. 130, 141
W
Manual/automatic .............. 130, 138, 139
Warning message ................................ 159
On / off ....................................... 154, 155
Warranty ............................................... 7, 6
Start/stop ........................... 130, 133, 133
WEC display ................................. 130, 144
Yaw control ........................................ 130
WEC folder ............................................... 7
Synchronous generator .......................... 53
Winch.................................................. 7, 49
T Wind class .......................................... 8, 59
Telephone .................................... 130, 143 Wind measuring unit............................... 43
Temperature sensor ............................... 89 Windstorm .............................................. 37
Three-phase alternating current ............. 94
Y
Three-phase current ............................... 66
Yaw bearing ........................................... 41
Thunderstorm ......................................... 37
Yaw drives .............................................. 51
Torque monitoring system .................... 108
Yaw system ...................................... 13, 84
Tower cooling system............................. 72
D0143420-2 Index 177/180

Appendix
No. Manufacturer Document Classification
1. logaer Instructions for use Safety ladder

maschinenbau
178/180 Appendix D0143420-2

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Operating Manual

ENERCON Wind Energy Converter

1 General information ................................................................................... 1

2 Product overview ....................................................................................... 8

3 Basic safety instructions ............................................................................ 16

D0143420-2 Table of contents iii

3.6.3 Personal fall protection system ................................................ 32

5 Features and functions .............................................................................. 79

iv Table of contents D0143420-2

5.7 Temperature monitoring ............................................................................ 89

6 Safety equipment and safety functions ..................................................... 97

7 Options ...................................................................................................... 121

D0143420-2 Table of contents v

7.1.3 Obstruction lights without emergency power supply, without

9 Malfunctions and troubleshooting.............................................................. 157

10 Installation and initial commissioning ........................................................ 160

11 Maintenance and repair............................................................................. 161

vi Table of contents D0143420-2

11.1 Safety instructions ..................................................................................... 161

12 Final decommissioning of the wind energy converter ............................... 164

Glossary of terms ...................................................................................... 167

D0143420-2 Table of contents vii

Pict. 1: General view ............................................................................................ 8

viii Table of figures D0143420-2

1.1 About this document

D0143420-2 General information 1/180

1.2 Liability limitation

2/180 General information D0143420-2

1.3 Symbols and representation

1.3.1 Text and layout conventions

ENERCON Stands for ENERCON GmbH.

1. Identifies step-by-step instructions to be carried out in a specific

Identifies step-by-step instructions that do not need to be car‐

Identifies the expected result of an action.

Grey squares identify level one bullet points.

Grey dots identify level two bullet points.

– Dashes identify bullet points that are part of safety instructions.

D0143420-2 General information 3/180

References These reference chapter headings. They indicate the chapter

1.3.2 Risk levels of safety instructions

4/180 General information D0143420-2

1.3.3 Pictograms used for safety instructions

Risk of falling from height (e.g. through open trap‐

Risk of falling from height (e.g. from platforms with‐

Machinery may start up automatically

Harmful substances or irritants

Risk of hand injuries

Watch out for falling objects

D0143420-2 General information 5/180

Cold conditions or falling ice

Hazardous electrical voltage

6/180 General information D0143420-2

1.4 Related documents

1.6 Customer service and Service addresses

D0143420-2 General information 7/180

2.2 Design and operating principle

Pict. 1: General view

8/180 Product overview D0143420-2

The design of the E-82 E2 follows the same basic principle as