INCREASING POWER

INCREASING SIZE

The rapid technological developments that wind turbines have undergone in the last few decades are closely  mirrored by the increase in the power they can deliver.  In fact, the small turbines with average outputs of barely  30 kW that characterized the mid-1980s have given way  to giant turbines with rated outputs of up to 7.5 MW and even more in offshore applications, and there is simply no end in sight to this constant growth in performance.

HUB HEIGHTS OF UP TO

200 METERS (650 FT)

As wind turbine outputs increased, so did their dimensions: by the end of the 1990s, rotors with a maximum diameter  of 50 meters (160 ft) were already in use. Today, rotors  with diameters of over 90 meters (300 ft) are common, and state-of-the-art low- velocity wind turbines can have rotor diameters of up to 120 meters (390 ft). These wind turbines have hub heights of approximately 200 meters (650 ft).Not surprisingly, wind turbine components have also become heavier. The consequence? Crane technologies have had  to keep up with the changes, with companies constantly launching increasingly powerful models with matching system lengths and lifting capacities. As a leading  manufacturer of cranes, Terex has come up  with a number of ways to lead this trend,  including special-purpose wind power kits  for its cranes. These kits are designed  to make it easier to erect wind  turbines and enable crane  service providers to stay one  step ahead with cost-effective  and competitive services.