Description
The wind sector demands larger turbine installations which requires higher towers to support them. The aim of the project is to provide a technological leap for aging wind farms related to good wind resource location, but with obsolete wind turbines (less than 1MW) vs novel market technologies. The project objective is to develop new versatile structural solutions through embedding solutions with the original structural elements of an onshore wind turbine. These solutions allow wind farms to increase power capacity through re-powering. Novel structural solutions are required taking into account: additional foundation fixed into original one, precast concrete support section for tower, reusing existent steel tower and structural connections. Outcomes involve a new demand in wind farms exploitation through re-powering wind farms vs building new wind farms, thereby it will re-use non operative foundations due to cracks or it will allow for new turbines in obsolete wind farms.
Summary of project results
Nowadays, wind sector demands larger turbines installation which requires highest towers to support them. According to these demands, GHT has developed REPOWERING project. The primary project objective was to develop new versatile structural solutions through embedding solutions with the original structural elements of an onshore wind turbine. These solutions allow wind farms to rise up power capacity through repowering. It has considered multiple repowering scenarios: increasing hub height, increasing rotor diameter or both of them. The aim of the project was to provide a technological leap regarding the aging wind farms related to good wind resource location, but with obsolete wind turbines versus novel market technologies. Therefore different solutions were studied: additional foundation fixed into original one, precast concrete support section for tower, reusing existent steel tower and structural connections needed.
Summary of bilateral results
It was decided to count with the collaboration of MAMMOET NORGE AS. The company offers huge expertise and specialization in heavy lift operations inside wind industry. A study of logistical constraints and new processes focused on wind farm repowering was carried out by MAMMOET.