UpWind
UpWind is a European project funded under the EU's Sixth Framework Programme (FP6). The project looks towards the wind power of tomorrow, more precisely towards the design of very large wind turbines (8-10MW), both onshore and offshore.
The challenges inherent to the creation of wind farms of several hundreds MW request the highest possible standards in design, complete understanding of external design conditions, the design of materials with extreme strength to mass ratios and advanced control and measuring systems geared towards the highest degree of reliability, and critically, reduced overall turbine mass.
The wind turbines of the future necessitate the re-evaluation of the turbine itself for its re-conception to cope with future challenges. The aim of the project is to develop the accurate, verified tools and component concepts the industry needs to design and manufacture this new type of turbine.
UpWind focuses on design tools for the complete range of turbine components. It addresses the aerodynamic, aero-elastic, structural and material design of rotors. Critical analysis of drive train components will be carried out in the search for breakthrough solutions.
The UpWind consortium, composed of 40 partners, brings together the most advanced European specialists of the wind industry. The findings of the project will be disseminated through a series of workshops.
REnKnow.Net
REnKnow.Net is a free of charge database for research and education in renewable energies!
REnKnow.Net is supported by an international network of researchers in the field of renewable energies. The aim of REnKnow.Net is to promote and enhance the active exchange of research and educational material.
Special features include:
- its wide range of manifold objects and items, compared to conventional media, e.g.
- Educational material
- University lectures and slides
- Measurement and simulation data
- Charts and figures
- Multimedia objects (animations and videos).
- direct and free availability of the items and
- quality of material ensured through peer review process.
Research at alpha ventus (RAVE)
The German Federal Ministry for the Environment (BMU) aims to accelerate the wind energy development offshore. For this purpose, it supports research at the offshore test site "alpha ventus" with about 50 million Euro in the next years. RAVE consists of a variety of research projects in connection with the installation and operation of alpha ventus. The overall objective is to reduce the costs of offshore wind energy deployment in deep water. The offshore wind farm alpha ventus will be located 45 km north of the island Borkum next to the research platform "FINO 1". It will comprise twelve offshore wind turbines. Six Multibrid M5000 turbines will be installed in summer 2008, six REpower 5M turbines will follow in 2009. The test site will be equipped with extensive measurement instrumentation in order to provide all participating research projects with detailed data.
