Nov 22 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - Tom McGhie Financial Mail on Sunday, London


Two British firms are behind a new technology that could revolutionise wind power by cutting the weight of generators.

Trials of the first generator to use the high-temperature superconductor technology will begin next year when it will be installed in a hydro-electric power station in Germany, whose turbines operate on the same principle as windmill generators.

The operation of the generator, which has been developed by Converteam in Rugby, Warwickshire, and Zenergy Power, a London-based high-technology company, will be observed by engineers worldwide.

If successful, it will mark another step in the development of a light, highly efficient generator for use in wind turbines that will transform the industry.

An HTS generator at 50 tons will be half the weight and cost of a traditional generator and will not need gearboxes, which are prone to faults. It will also be about 25 per cent more efficient.

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