• The new feature could control the direction of wind reaching downstream offshore turbines.
  • Software solutions could be tailored according to site conditions and can integrate with Siemens Gamesa geared and gearless offshore wind turbine
Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE), a Spanish-based engineering company, has reportedly introduced a new Wake Adapt feature at the WindEurope Offshore 2019 Conference & Exhibition which was held in Copenhagen. Sources cite that this feature would allow the company to adjust the heading of an individual offshore turbine, giving direction to the wind that flows off individual machines in a different direction. The resultant shift in direction of turbine would increase wind park performance by up to 1% in annual energy production. Morten Pilgaard Rasmussen, SGRE’s Head of Offshore Technology, said that this feature is all about proactive problem-solving. With this, the company can capture and direct the wake and its adverse effects away from machines across the entire power plant. With digitalization, SGRE could produce more energy outputs from the same turbines which would benefit customers, society and ratepayers. The company is committed towards improvements and innovations which ensure clean energy for the coming generation. Rasmussen added that SGRE’s solution can be assembled with wind parks that use Siemens Gamesa geared G4 and Direct Drive offshore wind turbine. As a leading player in offshore wind, Wake adapt could improve overall park performance for consumers serving hundreds of thousands of families. As per technical specs, SGRE’s Wake Adapt applies wake steering methodologies to lower wake-induced production losses in offshore wind plants. When remotely activated, the feature adjusts the yaw angle of each offshore turbine when the wake of upstream turbines negatively impact downstream turbines. Notably, these adaptations are made depending on site-specific conditions and come in line with the load design envelope for the company’s offshore wind turbines and support structures. Reportedly, Siemens is also partnering with the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) to deliver an alternate wake loss verification partner to its consumers. For a record, TNO has a patents related to wake steering and is creating an in-house tool for gain verification purposes. Source Credit - https://www.siemensgamesa.com/newsroom/2019/11/191126-siemens-gamesa-wake-adapt-en