Project description
Floating wind, rising power
Most offshore wind energy lies far from shore, where ocean depths make conventional turbines unworkable. To meet its ambitious Green Deal goals, the EU needs innovative floating solutions. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the TCR-VAWT project is rising to the challenge with a novel tilted counter-rotating vertical axis wind turbine, optimised for deep-sea platforms. By capturing wind from both directions and eliminating complex gearboxes, the design boosts performance by 40 % and cuts energy costs by 30 %. High-fidelity simulations, wind tunnel tests, and machine learning will fine-tune the concept. With support from specialists in Italy and Norway, this EU-funded project is helping unlock the potential of deep-water wind.
Objective
Offshore wind power is set to be a key driver in the global shift towards renewable energy. The EU Green Deal aims to boost offshore wind capacity by 300 GW by 2050. However, 80% of the world's offshore wind potential is located in deep waters where traditional fixed-bottom turbines are impractical. This underscores the urgent need for innovative and cost-effective floating wind turbine technologies. This MSCA PF addresses this need by developing a novel Tilted Counter-Rotating Vertical Axis Wind Turbine (TCR-VAWT) specifically optimized for spar-buoy floating platforms in deep-water environments, leading to an estimated 40% increase in turbine's performance.
Tilting the TCR-VAWT will enhance power output by capturing wind from both upwind and downwind regions, while the counter-rotation will enable the use of direct-drive generators. This technology has a huge potential to significantly reduce the Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE), by approximately 30% due to the elimination of complex gearbox systems and improved aerodynamic performance. The research methodology will combine high-fidelity Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) for detailed aerodynamic analysis with the Finite Element Method (FEM) for structural feasibility. Prototyping and wind tunnel experiments will be conducted to validate the numerical simulations. Finally, the validated data collected will support developing and refining a Machine Learning algorithm, the Tilted VAWT Design and Optimization Code (TVDAOC), aimed to reduce the time needed for design optimization by 30-40%. The project includes two secondments: a three-month stint at World Wide Wind, the sole company specializing in TCR-VAWT technology for structural studies, and five months at the University of Bergamo to conduct experiments.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- engineering and technology mechanical engineering vehicle engineering aerospace engineering aircraft
- engineering and technology environmental engineering energy and fuels renewable energy wind energy
- natural sciences physical sciences classical mechanics fluid mechanics fluid dynamics computational fluid dynamics
- natural sciences computer and information sciences artificial intelligence machine learning
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2024-PF-01
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
1433 As
Norway
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.