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

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

Morphing Blades Can Be More Efficient than Rigid Blades

In wind turbine operation, airflow separation causes turbulence, which diminishes blade efficiency. It is therefore desirable to limit or eliminate flow separation. Many passive or active separation control mechanisms have been proposed to reduce separation. Active control systems sense the wind velocity or rotational speed, and modify blade aerodynamic configurations accordingly. Some propose employing suction within the boundary layer. Others suggest particle blow-through leading edge slots and use of trailing edge flaps. Passive vortex generators have also been proposed. Generally, all such control schemes improve the blade performance at part-load, but they also reduce blade efficiency at or near the design load. Further, in the case of active control, they come at the cost of an added power penalty as well as design complications. The use of morphing blades, however, eliminates flow separation without design point penalties.

By Asfaw Beyene, Department of Mechanical Engineering, San Diego State University, USA

What Makes Taller Towers Attractive to Developers?

Developers are seeing their turbine costs, transportation costs and installation costs going up and the potential of their new turbines curtailed by the limitations of 80-metre towers. What will taller towers do for them?

By Peder Hansen, Executive VP, Northstar Wind Towers, USA