The US National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has released open-access designs of a complete offshore wind turbine system with a 15MW capacity.
The International Energy Agency 15MW reference turbine, or IEA 15-MW for short, features options for both fixed-bottom turbines and those with floating substructures.
The open-source model, now available on GitHub, can accommodate multiple software tools and will provide industry, researchers, and academics a public-domain tool for designing next-generation offshore wind turbines.
IEA 15-MW also includes supporting models for simulation and design, making it possible to evaluate the performance and cost of proposed modifications before prototype development.
While NREL led the development of the IEA 15-MW, it collaborated with researchers from various institutions, including the IEA for one of the research tasks.
NREL also worked with the Technological University of Denmark (DTU) and the University of Maine (UMaine).
NREL designed the rotor, generator, drivetrain, nacelle, tower, monopile, and controller. DTU was invaluable for reviewing the design and suggesting improvements, performing loads analysis and developing public domain models for their simulation toolsets.
UMaine designed the semisubmersible loading substructure. Several companies provided feedback on the design of individual subsystems.
NREL postdoctoral researcher Evan Gaertner said: “Offshore wind turbines have eclipsed the current slate of reference turbines in terms of size and utility.
“The IEA 15-MW’s configurations go beyond the capabilities of the 10-12MW turbines already in development by industry, but are similar enough to serve as a baseline for 15-20MW next-generation designs, which means the IEA 15-MW will serve as a valuable development resource for the foreseeable future.”