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windtest north-america introduces blade alignment service
windtest north-america has added blade alignment measurement to its full-service wind energy testing and measurement offerings. The service allows clients to ensure maximum power performance without the financial costs and operational losses of a full battery of power performance tests.
CONTACT
Sandy Shonkwiler
Office Manager
windtest north-america
sandy.shonkwiler@windtest-na.com
+1 712-362-6803
ESTHERVILLE, IOWA (May 10, 2022) – windtest north-america has added blade alignment measurement to its full-service wind energy testing and measurement offerings. The service allows clients to ensure maximum power performance without the financial costs and operational losses of a full battery of power performance tests.
Correct blade angle is essential to maintaining consistent and optimized turbine power performance. Deviations of even a few tenths of a degree from the manufacturer’s 0° pitch angle setpoint can negatively impact turbines’ generation. Conversely, correct blade alignment allows wind farm owners and operators to remain within the parameters for power performance they cited in agreements with public and electric utility partners.
windtest’s service includes contact-free, laser-optimal, 3D scanning of rotor blade geometry for precise angle measurements, within 0.2°. The company can verify if a client’s blades need adjustment or eliminate their alignment as a possible contributor to power performance reductions.
“Precision is critical in wind energy development and generation,” said windtest north-america Vice President & Chief Operating Officer Jasmin Holzinger. “We’re pleased to be able to offer a relatively inexpensive blade alignment service that helps our clients to not only generate as much power as possible, but also keep their promises to their own stakeholders.”
Exclusive North American Partner
windtest uses technologies and processes pioneered by Bargeshagen, Germany-based WIND-consult to measure and analyze a turbine’s blade angles. windtest is WIND-consult’s exclusive North American partner for offering blade alignment services.
WIND-consult pioneered blade alignment measurement technologies and processes before introducing them to the industry in 2014. Since then, the company has completed more than 1,200 blade alignment projects for OEMs and wind farm owners/operators around the world.
In addition to blade alignment measurements, windtest provides testing and technical consulting, including measurements in power performance, mechanical load, sound emission, acoustic vibration, grid integration and performance assessment. The data windtest collects helps turbine manufacturers, investors, lenders, developers, wind farm owners and grid operators prove the validity, quality, efficiency, safety and long-term return on investment of their wind energy projects.
The Process
windtest measures clients’ blades from the ground at a distance of 100 to 300 meters. To ensure precision, wind speeds need to be minimal, the turbine must be stopped, the blade being measured has to be perpendicular to the ground and it must be set at the 0° pitch angle position (control target). Measurement precision also depends on variations of each wind turbine’s components.
The measurement device detects the entire profile of each blade’s area of maximum chord at specific measurement points from leading edge to trailing edge. Scanning a turbine’s three blades takes from half to a full day.
From there, windtest analyzes the resulting 3D coordinates in a CAD model. With a CAD design profile, windtest can calculate the angle offset absolutely. Without one, the company can still determine the blade angle to identify possible aerodynamic imbalance.
About windtest
windtest grevenbroich gmbh, Grevenbroich, Germany, has more than 25 years of renewable wind energy experience, having participated in several large projects in the United States as well as Europe, India, China and other countries. windtest grevenbroich established windtest north-america in 2014 at the Sustainable Energy Resources and Technologies (S.E.R.T.) Center of Iowa Lakes Community College, Estherville, Iowa. In addition to wind energy, windtest north-america is able to serve companies in a wide range of industries that require precision measurement, data collection and reporting, such as manufacturing, aviation and all industries where test bench and field measurements are necessary.
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