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By Corwin Hardham, Makani Power, USA
The Makani airborne wind turbine (AWT) is a new way of harvesting wind energy. A conventional horizontal axis wind turbine (HAWT) generates the majority of its power output using the outboard third of the blade, due to its high speed and large swept area. Makani’s AWT systems use tethered, rigid wings with wing-mounted turbines to fly circular paths similar to the path of the tip of a HAWT blade, at comparable speeds but greater altitudes. Because the entire wing is flying at an aerodynamically active speed, the wing need only be as large as a single blade of a HAWT of the same power rating.
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{access view=!registered}Only logged in users can view the full text of the article.{/access}{access view=registered}There are a number of potential markets for FWTP technology – various companies have targeted the Mediterranean coast of France, Iberia, Italy, Norway, Scotland, Japan, Korea and the USA. Of these nations, the US State of Maine is the only place with a stated installation target: 5GW of FWTP by 2030. The State of Maine estimates that the FWTP offers up to US$ 20 billion of investment, and will create between 7,000 and 15,000 jobs.
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{access view=!registered}Only logged in users can view the full text of the article.{/access}{access view=registered}Wind turbine levelling is commonly achieved using high pressure (700 bar) hydraulic systems. In many cases lifting and levelling the transition piece is still achieved manually, basically using a hydraulic pump and cylinders configuration. However, an electronically monitored system with the use of sensors and valves provides a much more accurate and, importantly, time-saving solution.
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{access view=!registered}Only logged in users can view the full text of the article.{/access}{access view=registered}In 2005 ZephIR, the first wind lidar system for the wind industry, became commercially available founded on decades of lidar expertise within QinetiQ, a UK research and development laboratory. Working with Risø DTU, Denmark’s National Research Centre, the product was launched and stands today as one of the leading lidar devices with over six years of field experience and more than 450 system deployments ranging from -38°C Canadian winters through to +44°C African summers. ZephIR users range from developers, banks’ engineers and consultancies, through to turbine manufacturers, research institutes and utilities.
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{access view=!registered}Only logged in users can view the full text of the article.{/access}{access view=registered}The spectacular worldwide growth of renewable energy resources has created the need for specialised communications solutions for this market. Connection of distributed energy resources to the electrical grid, as well as their integration into data communication systems, is characterised by technical challenges not present in conventional electricity generating plants. Onshore and offshore wind farms are frequently built in remote sites that are exposed to extreme weather conditions and also lack an established telecommunications infrastructure; this makes it difficult to connect them to a communications network in a central location where data acquisition, monitoring and control systems are running.
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{access view=!registered}Only logged in users can view the full text of the article.{/access}{access view=registered}For most of its existence, patents and other IP rights have not played a major role in the wind industry. Even the most innovative companies in the field kept IP protection at a low level and peaceful coexistence was the norm. As a result, many companies in the wind industry have not paid attention to their IP strategies in recent years.
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{access view=!registered}Only logged in users can view the full text of the article.{/access}{access view=registered}Currently, repairing wind turbines is both time consuming and limited by a narrow weather window (above 15°C). Typically styrene, within polyester and vinyl ester wet-laminating resins cured below 15°C, has a tendency to homo-polymerise rather than co-polymerise with the vinyl ester or polyester resin. This can lead to a resin with permanent under-cure even when subsequently heated. Epoxy resins can be prone to ‘bi-product’ at low ambient temperatures and at high ambient humidity. Again this can lead to the resin exhibiting permanent under-cure and inter-laminar adhesion problems. These resins are difficult and messy to use when operating from rope or platform access when repairing wind turbine blades in situ, especially when you add high wind and cold temperatures to the equation.
