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- Category: Articles
How New Methods Developed for Rotorcraft are Making This Possible
While wind turbines were still using blade designs of the past, with generic, suboptimal shapes that neglected complex terrain and multiple turbine effects, aircraft and rotorcraft computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was already starting to compute and optimise wing design and rotorcraft multiple blade flows. Recently, there has been promising new CFD research that could have a large impact on wind turbine siting and blade design. This article describes some of this research.
By Dr John Steinhoff, Professor at University of Tennessee Space Institute and consultant to Flow Analysis Solutions, Inc., USA .
While wind turbines were still using blade designs of the past, with generic, suboptimal shapes that neglected complex terrain and multiple turbine effects, aircraft and rotorcraft computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was already starting to compute and optimise wing design and rotorcraft multiple blade flows. Recently, there has been promising new CFD research that could have a large impact on wind turbine siting and blade design. This article describes some of this research.By Dr John Steinhoff, Professor at University of Tennessee Space Institute and consultant to Flow Analysis Solutions, Inc., USA .
- Category: Articles
How Will Continuously Variable Transmissions Affect Future Wind Turbine Designs?
Continuously Variable Transmissions (CVTs) have been used in wind turbine designs for many years. For the most part they have been large, complex designs that could partially decouple the rotor motion from the generator motion to allow the use of simple or doubly fed induction generators. They were a design alternative to using variable speed alternators whose AC frequency varied with rotational speed, and drove rectifiers to produce DC power that was then converted with an inverter to 50 or 60Hz AC for grid connection. It is possible, however, for a high torque CVT to be used for the entire power path, and that offers some interesting design alternatives and cost savings.
By John Langdon, CEO, Viryd Technologies, USA .
Continuously Variable Transmissions (CVTs) have been used in wind turbine designs for many years. For the most part they have been large, complex designs that could partially decouple the rotor motion from the generator motion to allow the use of simple or doubly fed induction generators. They were a design alternative to using variable speed alternators whose AC frequency varied with rotational speed, and drove rectifiers to produce DC power that was then converted with an inverter to 50 or 60Hz AC for grid connection. It is possible, however, for a high torque CVT to be used for the entire power path, and that offers some interesting design alternatives and cost savings.By John Langdon, CEO, Viryd Technologies, USA .
- Category: Articles
The RIWEA Project
In order to keep a wind power plant in operation reliably, regular maintenance work is essential. The rotors, in particular, bear enormous mechanical stress and therefore require regular periodic checking for failures. Currently, this work is done manually by technicians rappelling from the top of the wind turbine, or by using a crane from the ground, or from a manually operated working platform. The inspection of the blade surface is done visually and with simple tapping tests. If a surface area looks conspicuous, it is examined afterwards by ‘coin tapping’. If blade damage is identified, high costs may quickly arise due to extensive repair work and long downtime. This article presents the development of a special self-propelled robot, which enables inspections on the surface of a wind turbine’s rotor blades to be carried out mechanically.
By Tilo Förster, Torsten Felsch and Norbert Elkmann, Fraunhofer IFF, Germany .
In order to keep a wind power plant in operation reliably, regular maintenance work is essential. The rotors, in particular, bear enormous mechanical stress and therefore require regular periodic checking for failures. Currently, this work is done manually by technicians rappelling from the top of the wind turbine, or by using a crane from the ground, or from a manually operated working platform. The inspection of the blade surface is done visually and with simple tapping tests. If a surface area looks conspicuous, it is examined afterwards by ‘coin tapping’. If blade damage is identified, high costs may quickly arise due to extensive repair work and long downtime. This article presents the development of a special self-propelled robot, which enables inspections on the surface of a wind turbine’s rotor blades to be carried out mechanically.By Tilo Förster, Torsten Felsch and Norbert Elkmann, Fraunhofer IFF, Germany .
- Category: Articles
Medium Voltage IGBTs Harness More Energy, Less Heat
With the aim of generating 20% of all energy from renewable sources by 2020, the European Union is relying heavily on the contribution of wind power. Such targets can only be met with a two-fold strategy of energy-saving incentives and large-scale exploitation of renewable energy.
By Bradley Green and Neil LeJeune, IXYS Corporation .
With the aim of generating 20% of all energy from renewable sources by 2020, the European Union is relying heavily on the contribution of wind power. Such targets can only be met with a two-fold strategy of energy-saving incentives and large-scale exploitation of renewable energy.By Bradley Green and Neil LeJeune, IXYS Corporation .
- Category: Articles
Trident Supports Project Management of Offshore Wind Farm Construction
A large number of new offshore wind farm projects are planned, and their construction will raise many difficulties. Until now, only a handful of real offshore projects have been completed but experience gained during their construction has already indicated that offshore building activities will have their own specific challenges. The Trident Offshore Wind Farm Construction Manager is a comprehensive information system that tries to catch all these features. The tool maps and tracks the construction progress and makes it easier for the project manager to coordinate all the activities.
By Nico Stolk and Pim Rooijmans, Ecofys, The Netherlands .
A large number of new offshore wind farm projects are planned, and their construction will raise many difficulties. Until now, only a handful of real offshore projects have been completed but experience gained during their construction has already indicated that offshore building activities will have their own specific challenges. The Trident Offshore Wind Farm Construction Manager is a comprehensive information system that tries to catch all these features. The tool maps and tracks the construction progress and makes it easier for the project manager to coordinate all the activities.By Nico Stolk and Pim Rooijmans, Ecofys, The Netherlands .
- Category: Articles
Assessing and Managing the Risk of Wind Farms in the Marine Environment
Offshore wind power offers Europe a real chance to benefit from abundant, inexpensive and clean energy while simultaneously reducing our reliance on imported energy, reducing our carbon emissions and potentially creating thousands of jobs. With all these benefits it is hard to understand the reluctance of the energy industry to embrace offshore wind power. Much of this unwillingness could be explained by the perception of the high risk of construction and operation in the marine environment. However, often these risks can be controlled and managed if the correct data and assessment tools are available. This article introduces the development of a Geographic Information System (GIS) based multi-criteria risk model by 4C Offshore that can be used by planners as an early stage assessment tool for wind turbines, in-field cables and export cables. This article also explores real world examples of problems that wind farms have encountered where multi-criteria modelling could have assisted.
By Willow Outhwaite and Sarah Taigel, 4C Offshore Limited, UK .
Offshore wind power offers Europe a real chance to benefit from abundant, inexpensive and clean energy while simultaneously reducing our reliance on imported energy, reducing our carbon emissions and potentially creating thousands of jobs. With all these benefits it is hard to understand the reluctance of the energy industry to embrace offshore wind power. Much of this unwillingness could be explained by the perception of the high risk of construction and operation in the marine environment. However, often these risks can be controlled and managed if the correct data and assessment tools are available. This article introduces the development of a Geographic Information System (GIS) based multi-criteria risk model by 4C Offshore that can be used by planners as an early stage assessment tool for wind turbines, in-field cables and export cables. This article also explores real world examples of problems that wind farms have encountered where multi-criteria modelling could have assisted.By Willow Outhwaite and Sarah Taigel, 4C Offshore Limited, UK .
- Category: Articles
Pioneering New Levels of Safety for Those Working at Height
Falls from height remain one of the largest causes of fatalities in industry today, so any technology that helps improve safety is to be welcomed. The Limpet is the world’s first fully integrated height safety system, providing all key work-at-height safety functions in one total solution. It has been designed to provide those working at height with all aspects of required safety protection, without the complexity of multiple systems. In this article, Jonathan Watson, Managing Director of Limpet Technology, explains how his company’s product can enable users to work safely at heights and also outlines the possible cost-saving implications of an integrated and easy to use system.
By Jonathan Watson, Managing Director, Limpet Technology, UK .
Falls from height remain one of the largest causes of fatalities in industry today, so any technology that helps improve safety is to be welcomed. The Limpet is the world’s first fully integrated height safety system, providing all key work-at-height safety functions in one total solution. It has been designed to provide those working at height with all aspects of required safety protection, without the complexity of multiple systems. In this article, Jonathan Watson, Managing Director of Limpet Technology, explains how his company’s product can enable users to work safely at heights and also outlines the possible cost-saving implications of an integrated and easy to use system.By Jonathan Watson, Managing Director, Limpet Technology, UK .
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