INEGI validates blade refitting solution for the German wind farms developer Energiekontor
26-02-2018
With the aging of Europes wind farms, some operators have been trying to find solutions to reboost their older wind turbines, without major interventions. The goal for them is to be as short and as inexpensive as possible.
Working that, German company Energiekontor decided to develop a technology that would increase the wind turbine’s swept area by increasing the length of the blades, without having to replace them. With this goal, the company designed a blade tip, attachable to the original blade, called the Rotor Blade Extension (RBE).
After assessing the successful performance of the RBE in a wind turbine located in Germany on flat ground and with a simple wind regime, the company decided to repeat the experience in complex terrain and with a more demanding wind regime. Having some wind turbines in the Serra do Marão, this was the place chosen to repeat the experiment.
In order to estimate the impact of the RBE on the wind turbine’s power curve and to verify if the increase of the swept area would not have negative consequences in the wind turbine at the structural level, INEGI was contracted to measure the power curve, make the structural analysis of the blades and main shaft, as well as to analyze the gearbox lubricants.
To this end, INEGI instrumented and analyzed two neighboring wind turbines of the same model and subject to very similar wind conditions, one of the wind turbines being equipped with the RBE and the other with its original configuration.
One of the main objectives of the analysis was to determine the increase of the structural load caused by the RBE. The procedures and calculations were performed in the light of IEC 61400-13 standard.
The power curve measurement was done to evaluate the increase of energy output as a result of the RBE. This analysis was performed following the feasible requirements of IEC 61400-12-1.
José Carlos Matos, director of INEGIs wind energy department, points out that "following the applicable IEC 61400 standards allows us to carry out the tests according to internationally accepted and validated methods, to advantage of our customers. INEGIs ability in various fields of mechanical engineering, such as structural analysis, lubricant analysis and measurement of the power curve of wind turbines, enables a comprehensive approach to problems, capable of converging into a solution which, in this case, contributed to Energiekontor validates its product".
For INEGI’s specialist in wind energy, these are determining capabilities at a time when operators address refitting and repowering issues in wind farms.
The experiment carried out by INEGI was successful for one year, with several challenges related to the complexity of the site. Once completed, it enabled Energiekontor to provide results that led the company to proceed with the installation of RBE in the vast majority of its wind turbines and also to make RBE a commercial product, with Energiekontors Portuguese team being the worldwide leader for this product.
Working that, German company Energiekontor decided to develop a technology that would increase the wind turbine’s swept area by increasing the length of the blades, without having to replace them. With this goal, the company designed a blade tip, attachable to the original blade, called the Rotor Blade Extension (RBE).
After assessing the successful performance of the RBE in a wind turbine located in Germany on flat ground and with a simple wind regime, the company decided to repeat the experience in complex terrain and with a more demanding wind regime. Having some wind turbines in the Serra do Marão, this was the place chosen to repeat the experiment.
In order to estimate the impact of the RBE on the wind turbine’s power curve and to verify if the increase of the swept area would not have negative consequences in the wind turbine at the structural level, INEGI was contracted to measure the power curve, make the structural analysis of the blades and main shaft, as well as to analyze the gearbox lubricants.
To this end, INEGI instrumented and analyzed two neighboring wind turbines of the same model and subject to very similar wind conditions, one of the wind turbines being equipped with the RBE and the other with its original configuration.
One of the main objectives of the analysis was to determine the increase of the structural load caused by the RBE. The procedures and calculations were performed in the light of IEC 61400-13 standard.
The power curve measurement was done to evaluate the increase of energy output as a result of the RBE. This analysis was performed following the feasible requirements of IEC 61400-12-1.
José Carlos Matos, director of INEGIs wind energy department, points out that "following the applicable IEC 61400 standards allows us to carry out the tests according to internationally accepted and validated methods, to advantage of our customers. INEGIs ability in various fields of mechanical engineering, such as structural analysis, lubricant analysis and measurement of the power curve of wind turbines, enables a comprehensive approach to problems, capable of converging into a solution which, in this case, contributed to Energiekontor validates its product".
For INEGI’s specialist in wind energy, these are determining capabilities at a time when operators address refitting and repowering issues in wind farms.
The experiment carried out by INEGI was successful for one year, with several challenges related to the complexity of the site. Once completed, it enabled Energiekontor to provide results that led the company to proceed with the installation of RBE in the vast majority of its wind turbines and also to make RBE a commercial product, with Energiekontors Portuguese team being the worldwide leader for this product.
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