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{access view=!registered}Only logged in users can view the full text of the article.{/access}{access view=registered}Icing has a strong effect on the planning and the operation of wind turbines (Laakso et al. 2009): it influences the aerodynamics of the blades and causes production losses (Figure 1). Moreover, additional ice loads lead to extreme and fatigue loads. Iced wind measurement sensors at the wind turbine’s nacelle lead to erroneous behaviour and security stops. Finally, ice throw represents a significant safety risk for pedestrians and service personnel. For that reason detailed knowledge on frequency and duration of icing events as well as maximum ice loads are crucial components of site assessment in regions prone to these conditions. Additionally, the inclusion of icing within wind forecasts is important when operating a wind farm because it allows operators to optimise performance and reduce risk.
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{access view=!registered}Only logged in users can view the full text of the article.{/access}{access view=registered}Deep Wind starts from the proposition that offshore wind energy needs new concepts specifically designed for offshore conditions. Starting from this hypothesis a few issues are highlighted as being essential for a successful offshore concept:
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{access view=!registered}Only logged in users can view the full text of the article.{/access}{access view=registered}Wind power is an industry undergoing turbulent growth, both with regard to its volume and its energy generating capacity. System vendors have had little opportunity to test the wind turbines as their power output has grown, and this has had a negative impact on system reliability. Particularly because of the frequent occurrence of gearbox damage in 2002/03, system insurers introduced a so-called revision clause and cancelled almost all old contracts. The revision clause stipulates that ‘all roller bearings in the drive train must be replaced after 5 years or 40,000 operating hours at the latest, unless a suitable Condition Monitoring System (CMS) has been installed’. These types of CMS can be used for function diagnosis and/or for fault diagnosis.
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{access view=!registered}Only logged in users can view the full text of the article.{/access}{access view=registered}Using a tool developed at CENER (the National Renewable Energy Centre of Spain), that includes all hurricane databases (there are six different basins in the world in which cyclones can be formed), it is possible to ascertain the actual wind speeds experienced and the Vref for potential (and existing) wind farms.
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{access view=!registered}Only logged in users can view the full text of the article.{/access}{access view=registered}When severe weather hits, the ultimate safety goal for maintenance crews is to get down from the towers and drive away from the wind farms; however, the very height of the turbines and expanse of the properties makes doing so no small effort. Therefore, it becomes critically important for wind farm operators to use a weather system that detects real-time lightning strikes. Furthermore, having the capability to provide alerts to on-site maintenance crews is a proven way to keep wind farm employees safe.
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{access view=!registered}Only logged in users can view the full text of the article.{/access}{access view=registered}The utilisation of natural energy sources such as offshore wind and tidal power is one of the most effective answers to some important global environmental problems. An offshore wind turbine generator system supplies electrical power to the utility, but a stable power supply to the grid is not feasible because the output power of the offshore wind generator system fluctuates at all times with wind conditions. Hence, we are proposing a hybrid generator system using offshore wind turbine generators in combination with a tidal generator system; the steady-state characteristics of this hybrid system are discussed in this paper.
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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 no international guidelines for calculating the Annual Energy Production (AEP) of proposed wind farm projects. AEP calculations are normally based on the Measure, Correlate and Predict (MCP) methodology. The correlation has historically meant assuming a straight-line relationship between site data and long-term met station data. Such correlation methodology (including the matrix methodology) is based on simple mathematical statistics; it does not include nor describe physical properties of wind and this affects the accuracy of AEP results.
