Osnabrück, 19.05.2015. In Wettendorf in Lower Saxony, seebaWIND Service GmbH is upgrading four Fuhrländer FL2500 wind turbines with aerodynamically improved rotor blades. The innovative product was developed by BayWa r.e. and adapted for Fuhrländer FL2500 and Nordex N100 wind turbines with the help of seebaWIND Service. In a further development, the partners have been able to increase the turbine yield by lengthening the aerodynamically active profiles of the blades and adding winglets to the tips.
The Wettendorf wind farm in Lower Saxony consists of eight Fuhrländer FL2500 wind turbines and has been maintained by seebaWIND since 2014. The Premiumplus full maintenance contract also includes rotor blade maintenance. In the pilot project, seebaWIND is now replacing the rotor blades of four turbines with aerodynamically improved models.
Aviation technology
In order to increase the surface area at the base of the blade and lengthen the aerodynamically active profile, seebaWIND is also fitting the BayWa r.e. blades at the Basdahl location with profile attachments. With this system, the turbulent boundary layer is sucked away, conducted from the base to the tip on the inside of the blade, and then exits through small holes in the winglets. As with modern aeroplanes, the winglets on the end of the rotor blades reduce the induced drag. Its jagged edges improve the airflow even more, which further increases the efficiency at the tips.
Greater yield, less noise
The aerodynamic improvements not only increase the torque and increase the yield, but also reduce the noise emission. Because the concept works without control and positioning mechanisms, it is both reliable and maintenance-free. “We are not just making do with the status quo of wind turbines”, explains Christian Klöckner, service director at seebaWIND, adding: “As an independent, specialist service provider, we are committed to using innovative solutions to increase the efficiency of investments already made, and to optimise the wind turbines we maintain, regardless of location.”
The first wind turbine at the Wettendorf wind farm to be fitted with the improved rotor blades is due to go into operation at the beginning of July. As soon as the data from the pilot project has been analysed, seebaWIND will extend the concept for other wind turbine models and market the optimisation throughout Germany.
