Offshore wind turbines: Does size matter?

When it comes to wind turbines, bigger is indeed better. The larger the rotor area, the more wind flow is gathered from the swept area. Add height and the turbines will catch stronger winds speeding up rotor blade rotation resulting in more power output with fewer turbines.

Private households increasingly demand electricity for not only lighting and home appliances, but more and more so also for heating supplies and vehicles. The same is true for industry. Increasing the amount of electricity produced from renewable sources is a necessity to continue the green transformation of the global energy mix.

That is where size enters the picture. Wind turbines have undergone massive technological development, also when it comes to height: from 20 meters to 280 meters in only a few decades.

In Denmark, the country’s tallest construction is now the Siemens Gamesa SG 14-222 DD wind turbine measuring 271.4 meters. And with the V236-15.0 MW recently presented by Vestas measuring 280 meters with 115.5-meter-long blades we haven’t seen the last of growth of wind turbines size.

The V236-15.0 turbines are expected to be in commercial use by 2024. A prototype turbine will be installed in Denmark in the second half of 2022.

Installing sensors to match safety and size

Increasingly complex technical structures, wind turbines must be monitored. Installing sensors ensure stable operations and collect data used by engineers to monitor the overall health of the turbine; data which is actively used to schedule maintenance or alert technicians in case of errors. In fact, more than a thousand sensors monitor the newest and most complex wind turbines. Data from sensors are used to sustain industry development without compromising on safety.

Sensors are used to monitor factors such as temperature, humidity, vibrations, de-icing of blades, lighting strikes, and stress/fatigue.

Read more: The vital role of reliable sensors

 

For further information, please contact:



Keld Reimer Hansen
Wind Key Account Manager
Phone: +45 6389 2270
Email: Send email