Periodic Reporting for period 1 - XROTOR (X-ROTOR: X-shaped Radical Offshore wind Turbine for Overall cost of energy Reduction)
Berichtszeitraum: 2021-01-01 bis 2022-06-30
Wind power is now cost-competitive with conventional generation from fossil fuels. However, there is continuing pressure to reduce its cost of energy in order to maintain its rate growth through exploiting the wind resource in more inhospitable locations such as far offshore in deep water. The XROTOR seeks to address this challenge directly by substantially reducing the cost of energy from wind power through the development of a radical new wind turbine concept.
The XROTOR project is important for society because it will greatly advance a new wind turbine concept that has the potential to reduce the cost of energy from offshore wind by 20-30%. Lower cost of wind energy is important for society as it will assist in accelerating the world’s transition to sustainable energy and will address the energy trilemma of cost, security of supply and sustainability.
The high level non-technical primary objectives of the XROTOR project are to create the design tools necessary to allow for the design of the X-Rotor concept, deliver an exemplary X-Rotor design, determine the X-Rotors environmental and socio-economic impact and lastly create a roadmap to bring the X-Rotor concept to commercialisation.
The XROTOR project is important for society because it will greatly advance a new wind turbine concept that has the potential to reduce the cost of energy from offshore wind by 20-30%. Lower cost of wind energy is important for society as it will assist in accelerating the world’s transition to sustainable energy and will address the energy trilemma of cost, security of supply and sustainability.
The high level non-technical primary objectives of the XROTOR project are to create the design tools necessary to allow for the design of the X-Rotor concept, deliver an exemplary X-Rotor design, determine the X-Rotors environmental and socio-economic impact and lastly create a roadmap to bring the X-Rotor concept to commercialisation.
In the first 18 months of the project, the focus has been on the development of aerodynamic, control, structural, electrical and maintenance models for the X-Rotor concept. Work on the associated design tools necessary to support the design of the X-Rotor concept is approaching completion. Preliminary results obtained using these models and design tools are consistent with the X-Rotor concept being on track to meet the expectations of a cost of energy reduction when compared to traditional offshore wind turbines.
The state of the art design tools that currently exist for traditional offshore wind turbines are not capable of modelling the unique characteristics of the X-Rotor offshore wind turbine, consequently new design tools beyond the state of the art must be created. These beyond the state of the art design tools include aeroelastic models, control models, structural models and maintenance models. By the end of the project the design tools will be used to deliver an exemplary design of the X-Rotor concept. The impact of that exemplary design on the environment will also be determine with a particular focus on sea and bird life. The socio-economic impact of the exemplary design will be determined through engagement with host communities, the wider wind energy community and through economic modelling. It is hoped society will benefit from the project outcomes through reduced cost of energy from offshore wind. Lower cost wind energy is important for society as it will assist in accelerating the world’s transition to sustainable energy and will address the energy trilemma of cost, security of supply and sustainability.