VIRGINIA OFFSHORE WIND TECHNOLOGY ADVANCEMENT PROJECT OVERVIEW
George Hagerman, Senior Research Associate, Virginia Tech Advanced Research Institute
April 28, 2015, 10:00 am, NIA, Rm 101
Abstract
In May 2014, the Virginia Offshore Wind Technology Advancement Project (VOWTAP) was selected by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) as one of just three offshore wind demonstration projects nationwide to receive a $47 million DOE award to design, build, and operate a utility-scale offshore wind demonstration project. The Virginia project consists of two Alstom 6-megawatt turbines having a direct-drive, permanent-magnet generator and a rotor diameter of 150 m. The two VOWTAP turbines will be located 23 nautical miles offshore, on a research lease issued in March 2015 to the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy (DMME) by the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), and will be operated by Dominion Virginia Power. The two turbines and their foundation sub-structures will be installed during the summer of 2017, and will be heavily instrumented to measure their response to winds and waves.
This talk will provide an overview of the various project elements, focusing on the innovative aspects of its design that are anticipated to reduce the cost of offshore wind energy. It will particularly focus on remote condition monitoring and the opportunity for autonomous systems (both aerial and underwater) to minimize the need for offshore personnel to access the turbines and sub-structures, thereby reducing risks and costs.
Bio
George Hagerman has over 30 years’ experience researching marine renewable energy systems, including offshore wind power, wave power, tidal current energy, and ocean thermal energy conversion. He is a Senior Research Associate at the Virginia Tech Advanced Research Institute, and has served on the BOEM Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Task Force for offshore wind development in federal waters off Virginia since it was formed in December 2009. He also is a member of the Dominion-led design team for the Virginia Offshore Wind Technology Advancement Project.