Consistent light weight

In the development of the AREVA Wind M5000 the greatest importance was attached to the low weight of nacelle and rotor. This simplifies the transport considerably and allows a safe and fast installation, since the nacelle can be lifted as one complete unit on top of the tower. Moreover, the low nacelle weight ensures the use of highly cost effective foundation structures.

Durable reliability

Reliability, the decisive factor for the operation of offshore wind energy converters, is an integral element of the AREVA Wind concept. The low rotational speed-level and the small number of rotating parts and roller bearings reduce the risk of damage in the drive train to a minimum. Additionally, all auxiliary aggregates and sensors that are indispensable for the operation are installed in duplicate in order to avoid that a failure of these parts will lead to a standstill of the overall system.

Hermetic Encapsulation

The permanent protection of the converter's technology from the corrosive sea atmosphere is the basic precondition for a long life time. Therefore nacelle and hub of the AREVA Wind M5000 are hermetically encapsulated against the ambient air. An air treatment system filters the air throughout all weather and operational conditions and provides that the plant's interior is not affected by corrosion through salt and humidity.

Efficient Compactness

The drive train of the AREVA Wind M5000 evolved from the combination of the advantages of conventional turbine concepts. The intelligent integration of the rotor bearing, gear system and generator allows an extraordinary compact design and a very effective utilisation of the main components. At the same time this leads to short load paths from the rotor to the tower head. Accordingly the compactness is not an end in itself, but the result of a consequential implementation of the requirements on offshore wind energy converters.