Analysis of Ideal Towers for Tall Wind Applications: Preprint

Katherine Dykes; Joseph Roberts; Eric Lantz; Rick Damiani

Analysis of Ideal Towers for Tall Wind Applications: Preprint

Katherine Dykes, Joseph Roberts, Eric Lantz, Rick Damiani

National Wind Technology Center

Research output: Contribution to conference › Paper

Abstract

Innovation in wind turbine tower design is of significant interest for future development of wind power plants. First, wind turbine towers account for a large portion of overall capital expenditures for wind power projects. Second, for low wind-resource regions of the world, the use of low-cost tall-tower technology has the potential to open new markets for development. This study investigates the relative potential of various tower configurations in terms of mass and cost. For different market applications and hub heights, idealized tall towers are designed and compared. The results show that innovation in wind turbine controls makes reaching higher hub heights with current technology economically viable. At the same time, new technologies hold promise for reducing tower costs as these technologies mature and hub heights reach twice the current average.

Original language	American English
Number of pages	11
State	Published - 2018
Event	2018 AIAA Science and Technology Forum and Exposition - Kissimmee, Florida Duration: 8 Jan 2018 → 12 Jan 2018

Conference

Conference	2018 AIAA Science and Technology Forum and Exposition
City	Kissimmee, Florida
Period	8/01/18 → 12/01/18

Bibliographical note

See NREL/CP-5000-71326 for paper as published in AIAA proceedings

NREL Publication Number

NREL/CP-5000-70642

Keywords

optimization
tall towers
wind

Access to Document

https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy18osti/70642.pdf

Cite this

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title = "Analysis of Ideal Towers for Tall Wind Applications: Preprint",

abstract = "Innovation in wind turbine tower design is of significant interest for future development of wind power plants. First, wind turbine towers account for a large portion of overall capital expenditures for wind power projects. Second, for low wind-resource regions of the world, the use of low-cost tall-tower technology has the potential to open new markets for development. This study investigates the relative potential of various tower configurations in terms of mass and cost. For different market applications and hub heights, idealized tall towers are designed and compared. The results show that innovation in wind turbine controls makes reaching higher hub heights with current technology economically viable. At the same time, new technologies hold promise for reducing tower costs as these technologies mature and hub heights reach twice the current average.",

keywords = "optimization, tall towers, wind",

author = "Katherine Dykes and Joseph Roberts and Eric Lantz and Rick Damiani",

note = "See NREL/CP-5000-71326 for paper as published in AIAA proceedings; 2018 AIAA Science and Technology Forum and Exposition ; Conference date: 08-01-2018 Through 12-01-2018",

year = "2018",

language = "American English",

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TY - CONF

T1 - Analysis of Ideal Towers for Tall Wind Applications: Preprint

AU - Dykes, Katherine

AU - Roberts, Joseph

AU - Lantz, Eric

AU - Damiani, Rick

N1 - See NREL/CP-5000-71326 for paper as published in AIAA proceedings

PY - 2018

Y1 - 2018

N2 - Innovation in wind turbine tower design is of significant interest for future development of wind power plants. First, wind turbine towers account for a large portion of overall capital expenditures for wind power projects. Second, for low wind-resource regions of the world, the use of low-cost tall-tower technology has the potential to open new markets for development. This study investigates the relative potential of various tower configurations in terms of mass and cost. For different market applications and hub heights, idealized tall towers are designed and compared. The results show that innovation in wind turbine controls makes reaching higher hub heights with current technology economically viable. At the same time, new technologies hold promise for reducing tower costs as these technologies mature and hub heights reach twice the current average.

AB - Innovation in wind turbine tower design is of significant interest for future development of wind power plants. First, wind turbine towers account for a large portion of overall capital expenditures for wind power projects. Second, for low wind-resource regions of the world, the use of low-cost tall-tower technology has the potential to open new markets for development. This study investigates the relative potential of various tower configurations in terms of mass and cost. For different market applications and hub heights, idealized tall towers are designed and compared. The results show that innovation in wind turbine controls makes reaching higher hub heights with current technology economically viable. At the same time, new technologies hold promise for reducing tower costs as these technologies mature and hub heights reach twice the current average.

KW - optimization

KW - tall towers

KW - wind

M3 - Paper

T2 - 2018 AIAA Science and Technology Forum and Exposition

Y2 - 8 January 2018 through 12 January 2018

ER -

Analysis of Ideal Towers for Tall Wind Applications: Preprint

Abstract

Conference

Bibliographical note

NREL Publication Number

Keywords

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Cite this