Zukunft Ökoenergie
Angewandte Forschung in Sachen erneuerbarer Energie
Ice repellent surfaces
Nanostructuring
An ultrashort pulse laser was used to create nanostructures in the sub-micrometer range on different surfaces. Subsequently, the extent to which these water-repellent structures can impede ice adhesion or reduce icing duration was investigated. For this purpose, the nanostructured samples were iced in a climatic wind tunnel and the ice formation on the sample surface was quantitatively recorded. Individual samples were also used in field tests on a small wind turbine or exposed together with reference samples.
The research project was carried out in cooperation with the Institute of Production Engineering and Photonic Technologies at the Vienna University of Technology.
cooperative research and development projects
IEA Research Cooperation
The goal of the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) Wind Technology Collaboration Program (Wind TCP) is to stimulate international collaboration in the field of wind energy research and to provide high-quality information and analysis to member states and industry. The focus of the work is on technology development, market introduction, and market and policy instruments.
The Energy Workshop is involved in two tasks here: In Task 52 “Latitude Application of Wind LiDAR” and in Task 54 “Wind Energy in Cold Climates”.
Risk analyses for ice formation on wind turbines
Risk due to ice fall
Wind power utilization in Austria faces the challenges of ice formation on wind turbines due to climatic and geographical conditions. Under meteorological conditions such as freezing fog or freezing rain, ice buildup can occur on wind turbine (WTG) rotor blades. If this ice detaches from the rotor blade surface, the ice fragments that fall or are flung away in this way can pose a safety risk to the surrounding area.
The icing of wind turbines is a major challenge, especially at Austrian wind energy sites, all the more so if one takes into account the expansion of renewable energy targeted for the future.
Wind Atlas and Wind Potential Study Austria
Austrian Wind Atlas
Using geo-statistical and numerical modeling, a wind atlas was calculated for the entire federal territory at a resolution of 100 x 100 meters grid area.
Based on this, the theoretically maximum mobilizable wind energy potentials at district level (in the form of installable capacity) were estimated.
The wind atlas was produced as part of the AuWiPot project from 2009 to 2011 and funded by the Climate and Energy Fund.
Development of wind power in Southeast Europe
Wind energy in SE Europe
Wind farm locations in South-East Europe and especially in the Balkan region offer excellent conditions for wind energy utilization, but also pose a major challenge for wind farm design and wind turbine technology due to extreme wind speeds, turbulence and shear winds.
The project “SEEWIND – South-East European Wind Energy Exploitation” was carried out in this area of conflict within the 6th Framework Programme of the European Commission. The R&D project was coordinated by Energiewerkstatt, had a duration of 90 months and a total budget of € 9.6 million.
