Cost of Energy Assignment

Dr Alasdair McDonald

Aims of assignment
To be able to model the cost of energy for:
A small onshore wind turbine
A large offshore wind turbine
To investigate the potential improvements in cost of energy for both
turbines for different turbine innovations:
Rotor innovations
Nacelle innovations
Support innovations
Installation innovations
Operation and maintenance innovations
To recommend one innovation (per group) to the manufacture.

Timings
Set groups today. Define roles and so on.
Friday 12th we will use lecture slot to ask me for advice
Interim presentation, Friday 19th December (no marks, but pass/fail)
Baseline cost of energy calculations
Identify the innovations that you will model
Show how you will model the innovations and their impacts
Show your project plan
Final Report, early Semester 2 to be agreed 15% of module mark
Everything! Including modelling results, comparison of your
innovations and your recommendations.

Onshore small turbine

Gaia-Wind 133 wind turbine

Gaia-Wind 133 turbine,
10.7kW
13m rotor diameter
2 bladed, downwind, stall
regulated
18m tower
Fixed speed, gearbox,
induction machine
Data sheet is here:
http://www.gaiawind.com/files/9513/1470/8
844/Datasheet-GW-UK-1-611.pdf
Costs are here:
http://www.naturalenergyuk
.co.uk/gaia/

Measured power curve

Taken from: http://www.gaia-wind.com/files/3413/7967/7488/GWTD0018_Gaia-Wind_GW133-11_kW_Summary_Report_UK_MCS_-_V1_1.pdf

Offshore large turbine

e.g. Siemens 6MW wind turbine

6MW
154m rotor diameter
3 bladed, upwind, pitch regulated
variable speed, direct drive, PM generator
Brochure is here:
http://www.energy.siemens.com/hq/pool/hq/
power-generation/renewables/windpower/platform%20brochures/D6%20Offshor
e%20brochure_English_Apr2014_WEB.pdf
Technical specs are here:
http://www.energy.siemens.com/hq/en/rene
wable-energy/wind-power/platforms/d6platform/wind-turbine-swt-6-0154.htm#content=Description

Assignment
A. Agree between all groups what the baselines are,
e.g. onshore 10.7kW, costs, wind speed distribution
e.g. offshore 6MW offshore turbine, size of the wind farm, distance to shore,
mean wind speed, baseline costs,
B. For the onshore turbine, take a few innovations in your area and model the
Cost of Energy.
C. For the offshore turbine, take a few* innovations in your area and reproduce
the Cost of Energy identified in the Crown Estate report. You can also identify
and model some other innovation that fits into your scope that has not been
modelled in the report.
D. Recommend the top innovation (in your scope) which will give the best Cost
of Energy.
*Few = use your judgement! Some groups will have a lot of innovations to choose from, others not so many

Each group is going to take

Same turbine

Same wind input

Propose some innovations to the technology

Find a different Cost of Energy

/MWh?

Wind turbine technology groups

1. Rotor Innovations
2. Nacelle Innovations
3. Turbine Support Innovations
4. Turbine Installation Innovations

5. Operations and Maintenance Innovations

Download here

Group 1: Rotor innovations

e.g. aeropdynamics, number of blades, HAWT vs VAWT,

blade construction, size, control options, tip speed

EE989 Wind Turbine Technology

Group 2: Nacelle innovations

e.g. drivetrain, generator, testing, power converters

EE989 Wind Turbine Technology

Group 3: Support structure innovations

e.g. tower, foundation, jackets, monopole, floating

EE989 Wind Turbine Technology

Group 4: Wind farm installation innovations

e.g. installation vessel capabilities, float-out-and-sink, cable

installation

EE989 Wind Turbine Technology

Group 5: Operation & Maintenance innovations

e.g. condition monitoring, personnel transfer, weather

forecasting, maintenance scheduling

EE989 Wind Turbine Technology

Cost of Energy Models

NREL COE Model

NREL 2011 Cost of Wind Energy Review http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy13osti/56266.pdf

Courtesy of P. Jamieson

COE common data Model

ICC = Rest of wind turbine Cost + Drivetrain cost + Balance of Plant and Soft Costs
Rest of wind turbine Cost =

$1446/kW (6MW)

Balance of Plant and Soft Costs =

$3811/kW (6MW)

Fixed Charge Rate =

0.118 (6MW)

AOE =

$136/kW/year (6MW)

AEPnet =

?(6MW)

Project Lifetime =

25 years

Adapted from: NREL 2011 Cost of Wind Energy Review

http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy13osti/56266.pdf ; Use $1.3 to 1 ; Calculate in please

How does the choice of

drivetrain affect the
turbines cost of energy?

In order to reduce the cost of offshore wind energy we can target the following
items through drivetrain design and selection.
Reduce capital costs (ICC):
Active material costs (copper, magnets)
Structural material
Manufacturing costs
Reduce mass of drivetrain
Increase annual energy production (AEP):
Maximise drivetrain efficiency (at peak and part loads)
Maximise drivetrain availability
Reduce failure rate
Reduce mean time to repair
Redundancy
Decrease operation and maintenance costs (AOE)

Modelling Annual Energy

Production

Start: Mechanical Power Curve

Find and/or calculate: Efficiency curves for your drivetrain

Calculate: Efficiency curves

Start: Mechanical Power Curve

Find and/or calculate: Efficiency curves for your drivetrain

Calculate: Efficiency curves

0.95

Find: Wind turbine availability with your drivetrain