Effects of Erosion on Wind Turbine Leading Edge and Countermeasures
In recent years, operators of wind farms have become aware of an annoying effect reducing the performance of their turbines – the impact of weather-induced erosion at the rotor blade surface, mainly at the leading edge (Figure 1). Offshore wind parks in particular are impacted, driven by droplets of water hitting the blades with high velocity.
By Jan Liersch and Bastian Sundermann, Key Wind Energy, Germany
In Situ Method Makes Repairs More Economically Feasible
A new invention for repairing yaw rings in situ is expected to make a contribution to extending the lifespan of wind turbines. Developed by Danish machining expert CNC Onsite, the patented system means the yaw ring does not need to be replaced, eliminating the expensive, time-consuming and potentially detrimental disassembly of the rotor and nacelle.
By Søren Kellenberger, Sales Director, CNC Onsite, Denmark
Technology Inspired by Large Seabirds Leads to Increased Lift at Low Wind Speed
Since early 2019, the Albatrozz consortium has been active in the application of a principle that mimicks the landing behaviour of the albatross to increase the energy production of wind turbines especially at low wind speeds. Years of academic research have led to a patent and subsequently to governmental stimulation funding, and now the consortium is almost ready to do full-scale testing on a Vestas V52 wind turbine. This article describes the background story including technical details, plans and outlook.
As part of efforts to combat climate change, there is rapid growth in renewable energy production around the world. However, bird collisions with wind turbines are likely to be an unfortunate side effect of any effort to ramp up renewable electricity supply.
The wind industry is rapidly growing and taking steps towards becoming a significant source of power. But, as the discussion around climate change becomes more serious, floating wind companies need to think smarter. We are starting to see many companies propose solutions that take their lead from the offshore oil and gas industry, but this approach has challenges related to material costs, scalability, speed to market, and its overall impact on the environment. As a result, there is not yet a clear technology leader. Alternatively, deep-water wind farms are ideally positioned to become the next frontier for achieving net zero carbon by 2050.
By Jon Salazar, Founder and President, Gazelle Wind Power, Ireland
Enabling Larger Blades by Alleviating Ultimate and Fatigue Loads
To increase energy production, wind turbine and blade manufacturers have deployed progressively longer blades for the last 40 years. Blades have grown from, in the 1980s, ones that easily fit in the average suburban driveway, to today’s blades, which are longer than a football field. The impetus behind this growth is increasing energy production while reducing cost. An important metric that OEMs use to compare technological impact and make decisions is the levelised cost of energy (LCOE), an economic assessment of the cost of the energy generating system including all the costs over its lifetime. In other words, LCOE is the minimum price at which energy must be sold for an energy project to break even. Until now, the longer blades have proven successful in lowering LCOE, but diminishing returns indicate a new method is necessary.
By Claudia Maldonado, John Hall, Edward Tierney and James Roetzer, Atrevida Science, USA
#11 Enercon E70 installed in Bessakerfjellet, Norway (courtesy Liam Tench)
Every week on our website and in our email newsletter we want to show you that wind energy is more than just technology. We therefore invite you to send stunning pictures of wind turbines inspired by “light” (in the broadest sense of the word).
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