The Rotor is the key item for development of wind turbines. This includes e.g. power curve / production, turbine loads, safety and noise. In this session three developers / manufactures will contribute their know-how on research, development and validation of the new developments, i.e. CFD and measurements. The session will be completed by an outlook for the future trends within the Rotor technologies.

Learning objectives

• State-of-the-art rotor technologies
• Outlook for future rotor technologies

In recent years several alternative drive train solutions have been proposed and also introduced on prototypes and in larger series. The new solutions seek to reduce the cost of energy by improving the reliability and service costs while keeping the initial costs competitive. Only a few of the new solutions have found their way into the competitive onshore market. The session will look into some of the potential incremental improvements that can be foreseen on the mainstream onshore market, but also look at some more radical concepts that may hold potential.

Learning objectives

• Get an understanding of the options for journal bearings when used in the gearbox
• See how field experience and numerical analysis can be used to optimise the performance of gearbox solutions
• Learn more about the potential of magnetically geared solutions for wind application
• See some of the potential improvements that can be implemented on drivetrains with gearboxes

The electrical system is the most powerful and also the most sensitive system in a turbine, with small sensor faults often causing fault errors. It is also the most critical system, responsible for control of the machine, power shaping and power delivery. The session will show how electrical systems can be optimised in turbines, how they can be made more secure and robust, as well as looking at future trends for electrical systems.

Learning objectives

• Get inside knowledge of future trends and technologies in electrical systems, including; generator, converter, control and communication systems
• Learn about the interaction of electrical systems to turbine loads as well as mechanical systems and the grid
• Discover and understand trends in grid connection requirements and their impact on electrical design

Installation of wind turbines is an area that has attracted significant attention, in an attempt to increase efficiency and reduce costs. Bigger, better, cheaper ways of transporting and installing turbines are vital in the drive to reach grid parity. Onshore, increasing tower heights lead to alternative materials and assembly procedures. Offshore, costs can be reduced by optimising design, transportation and installation of foundations.

Learning objectives

• Discover the design concepts and assembly procedures that ensure steady installation rates of concrete towers
• Identify the current challenges and solutions in the installation of new onshore technologies
• Summarise the calculation, design and manufacturing criteria for optimised offshore monopile foundations
• Examine the savings in materials and cranes derived from an innovative transportation and installation structure for a floating foundation

As wind energy becomes an increasingly important power supply technology in many countries, the wind energy sector has to keep on working in collaboration with system operators and develop the technological solutions that are required. This session will present new developments that will consolidate wind energy as a major element of electricity systems: wind turbine group (WTG) hardware and software, new control strategies from WTG to global power systems as well as storage solutions.

Learning objectives

• Identify new WTG capabilities for grid operation support
• Analyse new control strategies at both WTG and wind farm level
• Understand how wind energy will/can be managed in future scenarios and at high penetrations
• Examine what is at stake to consolidate wind energy as the future leading energy source
• Identify and analyse electricity storage business models

Time is money: how can advanced materials with high potential for driving down costs be utilised in wind energy turbines within short timeframes? What can we learn from material and component testing of products currently under certification to shorten the time-to-market of the next-generation products? Does the strong worldwide competition between turbine manufacturers accelerate the use of new materials? These questions will be discussed with a view on the introduction of a new adhesive for blade bonding, testing of rotor blades, high-strength iron for rotor shafts, and superconducting materials for new generators.

Learning objectives

• Discover ideas on how new materials support the development of new turbine components
• Understand the interdependence between materials development, testing and product development
• Recognise the role of testing to decrease the time-to-market of new components