While horizontal axis wind turbines are the industry standard, vertical axis wind turbines offer the potential for a breakthrough in offshore wind energy availability and reduced life-cycle costs due to their inherent design characteristics of few moving parts, insensitivity to wind direction, and the placing of the generator at base level potentially allowing large-scale direct drive. Their relatively low centre of gravity and overturning moments (in the case of NOVA’s Aerogenerator) make the turbines highly suitable for offshore installation. In addition, they are potentially ‘radar friendly’ compared to existing horizontal axis wind turbine technology.
NOVA will develop the unique Aerogenerator concept designed by Wind Power Limited, which has a novel rotor invented by aeronautical engineer David Sharpe. Wind Power Limited has brought together a 100% UK-based consortium involving world leading research and development groups. Cranfield University will provide aeronautic structural and materials design as well as offshore support structure design, while Sheffield and Strathclyde Universities will be designing the drive train and power systems.
Meanwhile, private technology solutions provider QinetiQ will model and optimise aerodynamic performance, the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture (CEFAS) will look after environmental impact issues, and offshore wind industry market leaders James Ingram & Associates will provide both grass roots and high level offshore wind farm development know how and experience.
The project is being managed and lead by Guildford based OTM Consulting, offshore energy specialists with 15 years’ experience of developing joint industry technology projects, while Wind Power Limited will be responsible for commercialising NOVA.
The NOVA project will follow a well-structured three-phase approach over a six-year period, starting with concept selection and feasibility (15 months), followed by subsystem development, testing and detailed design (24 months), and finally offshore demonstrator construction, installation and test (36 months). The project will in the first phase develop relationships with other organisations with a view to their participation in future phases. This will include a potential systems integrator, component manufacturers and suppliers.
Funding for the NOVA project is coming from the ETI Partnership formed by BP, Caterpillar, EDF Energy, E.ON, Rolls-Royce and Shell. The UK Government has committed to match support for five further Members. The ETI’s public funds are received from the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) through the Technology Strategy Board (TSB) and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) with additional funding from the Department for Transport. These organisations, together with the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) are engaged directly in the ETI’s strategy and programme development.
The ETI has also established the Energy Technologies Institute. A consortium comprising Birmingham, Loughborough and Nottingham Universities, based at Loughborough University Science Park, was chosen as the host location for the ETI, which aims to achieve a number of key objectives, including demonstrating energy technologies and systems, improving energy usage, efficiency, supply and generation and developing knowledge, and supply chains.
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