Vestas Wind Systems A/S will test the technical feasibility of a multi-rotor turbine in partnership with the Technical University of Denmark.
A multi-rotor concept demonstrator comprising four refurbished V29-225 kW nacelles mounted on a support structure is being installed at the Risoe test site near Roskilde, Denmark. It will undergo extensive studies in the coming years to test specific functionalities.
With this project Vestas aims to challenge the core scaling rules that wind turbines have to grow in size in order to produce more power. The new concept will also address transport and installation challenges in some markets.
“As a global company, it is essential that Vestas’ product portfolio remains versatile enough to deliver high performance in a wide array of different market conditions,” commented Anders Vedel, executive vice president, Vestas Technology & Service Solutions.
The main technical areas for investigation include structural dynamics, aerodynamics and loads. Many sensors are installed on the concept demonstrator for the measurements and testing. There is also a LIDAR system at the top of the support structure for measuring the wind field in front of the rotors.
Jorge Magalhaes of Vestas Innovation & Concepts stressed that innovation sometimes entails entirely new thinking and new approaches. The project will involve the development and testing of many new load and control features before moving to the assessment of the technical and eventually the commercial feasibility of the concept.
Illustration of the multi-rotor concept demonstration turbine. Source: Vestas (www.vestas.com)
