Onshore Wind. Optimisation & Cost Reduction. All Energy 2015

Transcription

1 Onshore Wind Optimisation & Cost Reduction All Energy 2015

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3 Our network of local offices

4 Global track record We have consulted on over 110GW of renewable energy in over 70 countries covering both project development and due diligence Europe Belgium Bulgaria Estonia France Germany Greece Ireland Italy Malta Netherlands Norway Poland Portugal Russia Romania Slovakia Spain Sweden UK Ukraine Asia China India Israel Korea Mongolia Pakistan Philippines Sri Lanka Turkey United Arab Emirates Vietnam North America Canada Mexico USA South America Brazil Chile Galapagos Islands (Ecuador) Africa Angola Ethiopia Kenya South Africa Oceania Australia New Zealand

5 A Wood Group company SgurrEnergy joined Wood Group in 2010 An international energy services operating in more than 50 countries Together we deliver a range of engineering, production support, and maintenance management services from our combined network of offices.

6 What we do SgurrEnergy personnel hold unparalleled engineering knowledge across the full project lifecycle.

7 What we do We provide expert advice for a diverse range of stakeholders including utilities, developers and investors on multiple technologies. Onshore wind Offshore wind Solar Wave & tidal Bio-energy Hydro

8 The need for LCOE reduction Cost pressures have always existed for wind These are now greater than ever: Maturing market Political pressure CFD competitive bids Onshore wind faces stiff competition Solar is catching up fast Fortunately the timing is good: New turbine technologies New measurement technologies eg. lidar Improved understanding of wind behaviour These must be channelled into lowering LCOE.

9 LCOE reduction opportunities All elements of the cost equation should be tackled: 1. Faster & smoother planning process 2. Increased turbine size (planning envelope) 3. Turbine innovation 4. Optimised wind farm design 5. Grid competitiveness 6. Grid innovation 7. Cheaper finance. RUK Cost Reduction Task Force.. active steps to ensure onshore wind is the lowest-cost new generation technology in the UK by 2020.

10 LCOE reduction opportunities This discussion will focus on: 1. Faster & smoother planning process 2. Increased turbine size (planning envelope) 3. Turbine innovation 4. Optimised wind farm design 5. Grid competitiveness 6. Grid innovation 7. Cheaper finance. These two together make a major contribution

11 Focus on performance Increased focus on operational performance Owners are increasingly seeking to: Sweat their assets Enhance their revenue streams Free themselves from the grip of the OEMs Enhance value pre disposal/acquisition Attention to date on reliability & opex This is only part of the solution Performance enhancement has much more to deliver

12 Performance enhancement techniques A diverse range of contributors: 1. Forestry restructuring 2. Yaw alignment optimisation 3. Aerodynamic improvements 4. Control & pitch optimisation 5. Wind farm control

13 What is Galion? azimuth

14 Forestry restructuring

15 1. Forestry restructuring Locating turbines in trees can have advantages: Reduced visual impact Shared land use But there are implications: Reduced energy yield Increased turbulence Increased wind shear Complex thermal effects Increased failure rates Higher maintenance costs.

16 Forestry restructuring options Increase production and reduce maintenance costs by: Fully understanding the effect of the trees on the wind Using measurement (Galion lidar) and analysis of options (CFD) Felling trees within the windfarm Felling trees on the approaches up to 5km (where allowed) Adopt short rotation to minimise tree height Felling and replanting with slow-growing species Switching to deciduous trees if possible (less roughness in winter). (note these measures can support biodiversity improvements)

17 Measured Wind Profile

18 CFD Modelled Wind Profile

19 Difference Excellent agreement in the area of interest

20 Yaw misalignment

21 2. Yaw misalignment correction Yaw alignment via nacelle wind-vane notoriously difficult: Significantly disturbed airflow (nacelle, hub, blade roots) Prone to significant operating error Often subject to set-up (commissioning) error Not representative of whole rotor disc Lidar allows direct measurement of yaw alignment Across the whole rotor, not just at the hub With a high degree of accuracy Alignment is therefore fully corrected. Accurate yaw alignment increases production

22 Method: wake scanning (patent pending)

23 Validation tests in Germany Tests supported by PNE Wind

24 Measured yaw error Wind flow Perfectly aligned

25 Measured yaw error Wind flow 15 o Yaw error Misaligned by 15 degrees: 7% performance loss

26 Evidenced - frequency distribution

27 Aerodynamic tools

28 3. Aerodynamic improvement tools

29 Applying the technology Vortex Generators

30 Aerodynamic enhancement options A proportion of losses can be recovered Vortex Generators are an established technique Positioning on the blade is key to success Site-based tests ensure optimum application Improvements of 2-3% energy yield anticipated Certain blades types have most potential Robust proving of gain is essential.

31 Control and pitch

32 4. Control & pitch optimisation Pitch regulation algorithms commonly non-optimised Blade pitch commissioning set-up can be wrong, also Real site wind conditions differ from design: Wind sheer, veer and turbulence Aerodynamic characteristics can change over time: Blade roughness Leading edge erosion Control set-points/algorithms need ongoing optimisation. Optimised pitch control increases production

33 Blade pitch & controller errors Under-performance due to pitch and controller errors Nacelle anemometer calibration/transfer function Pitch misalignment at knee of curve (Betz limit) Controller error

34 5. Wind farm control Windfarms should be managed as a single unit (rather than as a collection of individual turbines) Active wind farm control can increase total output.and reduce wake-induced loadings.and meet grid code and balancing requirements Managing the windfarm as a power station.synthetic inertia, droop control, fault ride-through According to real conditions, not a model And using lidar to monitor wakes in real time. Maximising production and component life

35 Lidar shows true wake behaviour

36 The cumulative effects are complex Accurate wake models can now be developed Future windfarms better designed as a result.

37 Test and development sites

38 Testing and development Central Scotland Forestry restructuring Valsneset, Norway Windfarm control Alpha Ventus, German North Sea Low level jets Wake behaviour Power curve verification techniques Lower Saxony, Germany Yaw misalignment correction Aerodynamic performance enhancement

39 Verification techniques

40 Verification techniques Forestry Yaw Aerodynamic Control & Pitch Windfarm Management Overall Enhancement GM Galion Turbines Met Mast Modelling

41 Summary

42 Summary There are significant and increasing cost pressures Further LCOE reduction is eminently achievable Performance enhancement is an essential route to this There is a wide range of contributory measures A full and detailed understanding is essential In many cases lidar provides the tool for understanding But the expertise itself is even more important Backed up by comprehensive test & verification As an industry we have to focus on these measures