Touchwind, a Dutch company, has developed a groundbreaking single-bladed floating wind turbine that aims to revolutionize offshore wind energy. Unlike traditional turbines with three blades and active pitch control systems, Touchwind’s design features a massive single-piece rotor attached to a pole, which is draped over a large floating buoy.
One of the main advantages of Touchwind’s single-bladed turbine is the significant reduction in manufacturing costs. The company claims that its design will cost around 30% less to produce compared to triple-bladed arrangements found in traditional turbines. Additionally, the absence of active blade-pitch control systems further contributes to cost savings.
Furthermore, Touchwind’s turbine is capable of operating in high wind speeds. While most standard turbines need to shut down in wind speeds above 25 m/sec, Touchwind’s turbine can withstand speeds as high as 70 m/sec. This increased wind speed tolerance translates to higher productivity hours and more energy generation.
The unique design of the single-bladed turbine also improves its stability in high winds. As wind speeds increase, the blade starts spinning rapidly, developing lift similar to a helicopter’s rotor. This lift causes the mast to become upright, reducing the turbine’s ability to spin faster and preventing excessive stress on the sea floor anchors. Additionally, a floating buoy attached to the turbine acts as a ballast weight, further enhancing stability.
Moreover, the single-bladed turbine is designed to be agnostic to the direction of incoming wind, allowing it to passively orient itself in the optimal direction at all times. This feature improves the turbine’s overall efficiency and power generation capacity.
Touchwind’s design also prioritizes ease of manufacture and installation. The turbine’s large 200-meter blade can be manufactured at any harbor facility capable of handling its size. Additionally, the turbine can be easily towed to the installation site and attached to a ground anchor and power export cable.
The company has already completed prototypes of both land-based and floating platform versions of the turbine at a small scale. Thanks to a recent investment from Japanese shipping company Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL), Touchwind plans to expand testing and accelerate the development of its technology. Field testing with a 6-meter rotor is currently underway at Oostvoorne lake in the Netherlands.
Touchwind’s Founder and CEO, Rikus van de Klippe, expressed optimism about the partnership with MOL, stating that it would help expedite their testing program, prove the technology, and reduce time to market. With the potential to significantly reduce costs and increase power generation, Touchwind’s single-bladed floating wind turbine offers a promising solution to harness clean energy from offshore wind resources.
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- Source: Coherent Market Insights, Public sources, Desk research
- We have leveraged AI tools to mine information and compile it
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