Passive Loadshedding Trailing Edge

In order to achieve the Department of Energyĺs Wind Vision of U.S. wind energy producRon comprising at least 20% of all naRonal electricity producRon by 2030, wind energy projects must expand across all 50 states, including low-wind-speed regions like the southeastern U.S.Ś onshore and offshore. Such growth requires wind turbine rotor and blade design to be more technologically suitable and durable for these geographies as well as more cost-effecRve over the long-term. Expansion of the wind energy market in the southeast has, to date, been limited by tradiRonal blade technology, where the growth in rotor size needed to capture energy from low-wind-speed environments results in uneconomical power projects. Gulf Wind Technologyĺs Phase I and II research helps to open this marketŚand by extension enable turbine growth in exisRng marketsŚby advancing a blade technology product that aerodynamically self-adjusts to withstand acute loading from extreme events. This technology, the passive load-shedding trailing edge design, can reduce extreme loads such as from tropical storms, hurricanes, or wind gustsŚand can be leveraged to open up new markets in the southeastern U.S. In Phase I, Gulf Wind Technology conducted trials and simulaRons of a novel passive trailing edge design that remains rigid until reaching a pre-determined load before deflecting, and reduces the aerodynamic loads experienced on a wind turbine blade section. In Phase II, Gulf Wind Technology will carry this concept forward by determining the conditions under which the passive trailing edge should deploy, and then creating and testing a marketable, aero-elastically-tailored device prototype. During Phase II, Gulf Wind Technology will conRnue to refine the aerodynamic and structural design of the passive load-shedding trailing edge product. Refinement will include unsteady aerodynamic simulaRon and tesRng in order to tailor the response of the design to achieve the desired load reducRon along the blade span. OperaRon for a full product lifecycle of 20 years or more requires the opRmizaRon of the material selecRon and structural design for the passive trailing edge assembly, which will be evaluated in Phase II with coupon and sub-assembly faRgue tesRng. Results from Phase I suggested that the aerodynamic benefit can exceed the expected 4% increase in a turbineĺs annual energy producRon. This value assessment will be further refined in Phase II by compleRng a full performance and cost study to quanRfy the potenRal impact of the passive load-shedding trailing edge design for introducRon into new and exisRng products. This value assessment will include integraRon into new blade products, modeled aber a 15 mega-wac reference wind turbine, and by the development and tesRng of a variant of the trailing edge technology for use on exisRng products. Gulf Wind Technologyĺs value proposiRon is focused on reducRon in loads that result in performance increases and a reducRon in wind turbine blade cost. These design, performance, and cost improvements will in turn support more technically efficient and economically rewarding producRon of wind energy over the long-term. Gulf Wind Technologyĺs passive load-shedding trailing edge design will increase wind energy productivity while controlling the cost and extending the life of wind turbine components. The end product will incentivize engagement in wind energy production and enhance the sustainability of the sector, driving gains in overall wind energy production as a proportion of overall energy production, while also increasing employment opportunities at the local level because the end product will be produced locally for local use.