SULAWIND - Intelligent Wind Turbine Components and Structures

The activities have been broadly divided into two different approaches: modelling of the wind turbine's aerodynamical, mechanical and electrical behaviour and, on the other hand, development, laboratory testing and modelling of technologies of active structural parts to be used in the turbines. An adaptive wing profile was designed, manufactured and tested. Novel tools for designing, modelling, and manufacturing of composites with embedded SMA actuators were developed and demonstrated. Patentability evaluation of the developed composite technology is ongoing. Several stiffness control concepts utilizing actuator property of Shape Memory Alloys (SMA) have been developed. A 3-5 fold on/off type stiffness increase has been demonstrated with these devices. One patent application on studied concepts has been deposited. Several numerical studies on an offshore wind turbine structure are made in order to study application potentiality of adaptive components. A multidisciplinary-modelling environment has been developed and is used in power system dynamic studies of wind farms. Active duration and load control algorithms have been included and demonstrated in the developed models. The research activities of five research groups in three institutes have been combined. The groups have established networks with several researchers with different expertise in Europe and USA. Some results have been taken into use in other projects with industrial involvement. Many results have much wider applicability than just wind energy.