KAWASAKI, JAPAN—Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions Corporation (hereinafter “Toshiba ESS”) today announced that the company has been adopted by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (hereinafter “NEDO”), together with Kyushu University as a representative, Hitachi Zosen Corporation, and NSK Ltd., to participate in the “Research and Development of Evaluation Technology for the Wake Phenomena of Floating Wind Turbines Using Large-Scale Wind Tunnel Facilities” under the FY2023 “NEDO Feasibility Study Program / Feasibility Study Program on New Technology / Feasibility Study Program on Energy and New Environmental Technology.” Toshiba ESS will promote the development of technology for large floating offshore wind farms for the advancement of wind power generation.

For this R&D project, our consortium will replicate the actual wind flow and motion of a floating wind turbine using a wind tunnel at the Research Institute for Applied Mechanics (hereinafter “RIAM”) at Kyushu University to evaluate wind turbine wake and mutual interference phenomena particular to offshore floating wind turbines. The results of the evaluation will be extended to a 15MW class wind turbine to understand the wake phenomena. An evaluation method that accurately describes nonlinear flow phenomena, such as wakes, has not yet been established, taking into account the motion of floating offshore wind turbines, but Toshiba ESS will study in an industry-academia collaboration to develop technology to evaluate and predict wind turbine wake and mutual interference phenomena.

Toshiba ESS will also utilize wind farms in coastal areas to observe and measure offshore wind resources using the latest remote-sensing technology and evaluate the impact of wakes on wind turbines using the measured wind resource data and wind turbine condition monitoring data. Toshiba ESS will also verify the effectiveness of measures to minimize the impact of wakes on downstream wind turbines by controlling slight shifts in the yaw degree of upstream wind turbines relative to the wind direction, thereby increasing the overall power generation of the wind farm. At the same time, the latest research results will be provided mainly to Europe and the United States through IEA Wind Task 44 (Wind Farm Flow Control).

Furthermore, the companies will apply data-driven science methods combined with IT to the results of these experiments and conduct analyses to develop an engineering mathematical model of floating offshore wind turbine wake. During this research and development, Toshiba ESS will examine evaluation methods for the advancement of wind turbine operation and maintenance using TOSHIBA SPINEX for Energy^* technology in preparation for the launch of a service that visualizes the conditions of the wind turbines.

Makoto Ochiai, Director & Chief Technology Executive of Toshiba ESS, said, “We are honored to work on this project with reliable partners. Toshiba ESS will continue to contribute to the realization of a carbon-neutral society by providing infrastructure services and promoting development that enhances the value of energy systems, utilizing our extensive knowledge, technology, know-how, and digital technology in the energy field.”

With the Japanese government’s goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, expectations for offshore wind power generation are increasing, and research and development of low-cost, high-quality wind turbine equipment is required to realize a large-scale offshore wind market quickly and appropriately in Japan.

As the blades of a wind turbine rotate, the wind speed deficit area, called a wind wake, is formed downstream of the wind. In a large-scale offshore wind farm consisting of multiple wind turbines, the wind wakes interfere with each other on the downstream side of the wind, resulting in reduced power generation and increased wind loads. This research and development is being conducted in order to accurately assess these effects.

*  TOSHIBA SPINEX for Energy: Digital infrastructure services for power utilities with industrial IoT services compliant with the Toshiba IoT Reference Architecture.
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