Emerging Technologies for Next-Generation Wind Turbines

Abstract

To increase the performance and reliability of next-generation wind turbines, the technology must continue to evolve building on earlier successes in wind energy and other fields. This chapter provides an introduction and in-depth survey of four emerging technologies: permanent magnetic direct drive, 3D printing, anti-icing and deicing, and data-mining techniques, particularly used for wind energy. The merits of each technology are briefly described as follows. The wind turbines with permanent magnetic direct-drive generators could offer higher efficiency of energy conversion and lower maintenance cost than traditional wind turbine designs with gearboxes. The 3D printing technology opens a new window for rapid design and manufacturing of wind turbine systems, e.g., use of 3D printing of wind turbine blade molds for new blade design. The anti-icing and deicing technology could improve the performance and reliability of wind turbines and lower the safety risks for wind turbines installed in cold-climate areas. Various data-mining techniques take full advantage of the huge amounts of available data from wind turbines and/or wind farms, acquire useful information within, and eventually lower the wind energy cost. The fundamental concepts, main classifications, and key applications and contributions of these four types of emerging technologies are elaborated.