Multi-rotors – the next big thing in wind turbine design?

CleanTechnica

Vestas has revealed it is installing a multi-rotor concept demonstration turbine that it hopes will challenge existing wind turbine scaling rules.

Vestas is teaming up with the Technical University of Denmark to install a new demonstration turbine at the Risø test site near Roskilde, Denmark, where it will be closely monitored over the next few years to determine its feasibility, specifically the technical feasibility of operating and controlling a multi-rotor turbine such as the one pictured (right).

The demonstration process is part of Vestas’ commitment to searching for new ways to lower the levelized cost of energy (LCOE), and challenging the scaling rules that turbines have to grow in size to increase their energy output.

“Installing a concept turbine shows that innovation sometimes entails entirely new thinking and new approaches,” said Jorge Magalhaes, Senior Vice President, Vestas Innovation & Concepts.

“This process of continuous innovation and exploration is extremely important. It provides us with essential knowledge that can help us bring down our products’ cost of energy and integrate key technologies to solve our customers’ challenges. Ultimately, the goal is to assess if we can build an even more cost-efficient turbine by challenging the scaling rules.”

“As a global company, it is essential that Vestas’ product portfolio remains versatile enough to deliver high performance in a wide array of different market conditions – and also innovative enough to succeed in markets with different energy systems and requirements,” added Anders Vedel, Executive Vice President, Vestas Technology & Service Solutions.

“And we see a great opportunity – and need – to continuously explore alternative concepts to cover the world’s rapidly growing energy demand in a sustainable way, while simultaneously continue lowering the cost of energy our products deliver.”