Texas Tech’s wind research program is a partner in a five-year U.S. Department of Energy research project on improving offshore wind turbines, officials announced this week.
The $4.1 million research award was given to Alstom Wind, a subsidiary of the French-headquartered Alstom Group. A branch of Alstom and Tech’s Wind Science and Engineering Research Center are located at the Reese Technology Center.
Other partners in the research effort are the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s National Wind Technology Center and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Laboratory for Ships and Platforms Flow.
The project was part of a $43 million grant announcement from the Energy Department supporting research to lower the cost of energy generated and to speed up the process of bringing offshore wind energy systems online.
According to an announcement from Alstom, the research will focus on developing a reliable offshore system for 6-megawatt wind turbines suited for United States deepwater conditions.
Alstom spokesman Tim Brown said turbines used in wind farms on land typically generate 1.5 megawatts to 3 megawatts of electricity — about one-quarter to one-half the energy produced by the larger turbine.
A 6-megawatt turbine would generate enough electricity to service about 1,400 homes for a year.
Tech’s Wind Science and Engineering Research Center will bring its understanding of wind and the effect wind has on structures to the project, said John Schroeder, the center’s director.
“New technologies require validation. The existing turbine at Reese, along with the dedicated atmospheric-observing technologies provide a great test bed to evaluate new technologies,” Schroeder said. “From these measurements, you can also provide a baseline for extrapolation to larger rotor diameters for offshore turbine deployments.”
Alstom already has several strategic partnerships with the other members of the research team.
In addition, the company recently completed a 115,000-square-foot nacelle manufacturing plant in Amarillo expected to employ more than 200 people. The nacelle is the turbine’s generator, gearbox and control unit.
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Texas Tech's wind research program is a partner in a five-year U.S. Department of Energy research project on improving offshore wind turbines.
Michael Lake, High Voltage General Manager for Zachry Engineering, said the project represents a small part of their overall engagement efforts in wind generation.
