Increasing the reliability of rotor bladesIn the last two decades, the length of the rotor blades for offshore wind turbines has increased significantly. Where we started with blade lengths ranging between 30 and 40 metres, we are now reaching 110-120 metres in length per blade, and this may go up towards an impressive 150 metres in the future. Despite efforts to improve control over the manufacturing process, defects still occur during production and operation that may lead to blade failures. This can significantly affect the wind farm's power output and repair costs. Therefore, the sector is looking for more reliable blades that can cope with the immense forces. Reason for David de Jager to visit Michiel Hagenbeek and Wim Castricum of TNO to dive into the world of rotor blades. Michiel runs blade models in a digital twin; Wim crawls inside actual blades to apply the sensors. Have a look at our web magazine at https://grow-to-go.nl/202504-blade-runner-and-blade-crawler
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17. The world is your oyster
It's all about a safe tool for repair of rotor blades. Imagine that your wind turbine is installed offshore and provides significant amounts of wind energy. But then, one of the wind turbine's blades requires maintenance, or worse, gets damaged. You cannot simply take your ladder and climb up there to make the repairs like you would at home. So, Jeroen Tol and Wouter Kloppenburg from Ampelmann introduce their bright-blue “Puffer” in their production hall in Rotterdam harbour, a kind of oyster or mussel that folds around a rotor blade where you can safely stand in to do your repairs.
Have a look at our web magazine at https://grow-to-go.nl/202501-the-world-is-your-oyster
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16. Dare to share
Optimise the usage of space at the North Sea
The North Sea seems empty, but nothing could be further from the truth. The sea is divided into parts, and each part has its destination, such as fishing, shipping routes, nature protection, mining, defence, etc. So, since the available space is limited, we need to work together if we want to tap into the vast potential of offshore wind energy.
Listen to the podcast with Antonios Emmanouil and Sharon Tatman of Deltares and David de Jager of GROW. They talk about the multi-use of the North Sea in the Atlantic Basin facility at knowledge institute Deltares.
https://grow-to-go.nl/202410-dare-to-share
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15. Get down on it!
Introducing a revolutionary connection design that is set to transform the monopile installation process – and morePresenting a simple yet revolutionary way to install monopiles, endorsed by industry leaders. Jan van der Tempel, CEO at Delft Offshore Turbine, and Sander Suur, design manager at Van Oord, share their insights on the simplicity and success of the slip joint technology in offshore wind.Have a look at our web magazine at https://grow-to-go.nl/get-down-on-it
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14. On the rocks
Rocks barely sound interesting, yet they are essential for the stability of wind turbine foundations. After all, they are used to prevent the erosion of sand around the monopile. Currently, the installation process of the scour protection requires three steps. Therefore, the Optimising Pile Installation through Scour protection (OPIS) project is researching how to improve this process. The research is well underway, and its researchers are nothing but “optimistic”.
Listen to the podcast with Ton Peters and Cihan Cengiz of Deltares and David de Jager of GROW.
Find out more: https://grow-to-go.nl/202312-opis
Offshore wind energy has gone through tremendous developments in recent years. Innovation was a key driver for its success. If offshore wind wants to make a lasting contribution to the energy transition, the sector must continue to innovate. David de Jager of GROW - a consortium with a joint research program in offshore wind - gives you in this podcast series an impression of the key research and innovations that will shape the future of offshore wind.
Netherlands