According to the Global Wind Energy Council, wind turbines with a total capacity of around 63,000 megawatts are connected to the grid every year worldwide – about a fifth of them in mountainous regions. However, operation there is more difficult than in flat terrain, as yield forecasts are less reliable and mechanical stress and maintenance costs are higher. The WindForS research cluster now aims to answer the question of how the performance of the turbines can be optimized and their service life extended. Under the leadership of the ZSW, the wind energy experts are planning a research test field in the Swabian Alb, more precisely on the Stöttener Berg near Geislingen an der Steige.
Ideal location for a research test field
"The site offers ideal conditions for our research," says project leader Andreas Rettenmeier. "The prevailing westerly wind is accelerated over the edge of the offshore escarpment, creating irregular currents and turbulence. Furthermore, the area has a high average annual wind speed," the ZSW scientist explains. These factors are typical for wind energy sites in mountainous, complex terrain and are ideal for the development and testing of new technologies. The site and its conditions were previously scientifically investigated as part of the WindForS project "KonTest."
Measuring sensors from the foundation to the rotor blades
Building on this, the "Wind Science and Engineering in Complex Terrain (WINSENT)" project is now to create a test field as a platform for research and industry. Two wind turbines, each with a nominal output of around 750 kilowatts and a hub height of 75 meters, are planned. Their rotor diameter will be 50 meters, resulting in a total height of 100 meters. One of the unique selling points of the project is that the scientists will have unrestricted access to the complete control technology and design data of the turbines, enabling them to analyze their behavior in detail. During construction, the wind turbines will be equipped with measuring sensors – from the foundation to the rotor blades.
A 100-meter-high mast will be erected in front of and behind each turbine, allowing meteorological parameters such as wind speed and direction, temperature, humidity, and air pressure to be measured with high temporal resolution. State-of-the-art laser technology will also record the approach and wake flow of the wind turbines.
New impetus for industry
"A wind energy test field of this size and in such complex terrain is unique worldwide and extremely important for both research and the wind energy industry. The results of our analyses will be transferable to large-scale commercial plants and provide new impetus for the industry," says Andreas Rettenmeier.
The project partners aim to achieve technological improvements in follow-up projects, for example, in the design of rotors, so that they will be lighter, quieter, and more powerful in the future. Part of the project also includes the development and subsequent testing of a new type of operational management system that will enable the turbines to respond intelligently and more precisely to changing wind conditions than before. New machine learning methods will also be used: This will improve feed-in forecasts and optimize models for the integration of storage systems (including power-to-gas and battery storage) in the future energy system.
Accompanying ecological research and display boards
Accompanying ecological research is also firmly planned. This will examine the impact of the facilities on the flora and fauna of Stöttener Berg in detail. A circular trail with information panels around the site is also planned for interested citizens.
The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy is funding the three-and-a-half-year WINSENT project (FKZ 0324129A-F) with approximately 10.4 million euros. The Ministry for the Environment, Climate Protection and the Energy Sector of Baden-Württemberg is providing an additional 1.2 million euros.
A film about the planned test field: www.windfors.de/testfeld.html