MANAGING TECHNOLOGY
Tools for the job
Engineers will soon be able to develop wind turbines more cost efficiently,
thanks to a range of versatile technologies, says Robert Lee
ALTHOUGH research into renewable energy
technology has been ongoing for some time,
the rapid depletion of fossil fuel reserves has
set a critical
time-frame on the global
adoption of alternative energy sources.
The good news for engineers is that the
tools and technologies required for the
completion of this task are becoming much
more accessible. Through modular instrumen-
tation, a precise, high-speed measurement
platform is now available at much lower cost.
Technologies such as field programmable
gate arrays (FPGAs) and remote monitoring
allow advanced control systems to be
implemented more cost effectively. The perfor-
mance and flexibility of these tools can then be
maximised by integration with high level,
intuitive graphical programming software.
This approach, defined as graphical system
design, provides engineers with a technique to
develop custom-made, versatile solutions to
complex problems faced when trying to design,
develop and improve technologies and
processes that result in environmental and
economic benefits.
One area where this approach can have
significant benefits is in the continuing
development of wind turbine designs. Monitor-
ing of power quality, structural integrity,
gearbox performance, noise/acoustic
emissions and electrical output provide
engineers with a full complement of measure-
ments to identify possible improvements for
the next generation of turbine.
One example of this approach being applied
is at America’s National Renewable Energy
Laboratory (NREL) — the primary laboratory
for renewable energy and energy efficiency
R&D in the US — which is investigating the
effects of wind turbulence on turbine
structures. Through this examination, NREL
aims to improve the cost and efficiency of the
turbine by removing the need to ‘over design’
certain components, often employed by
turbine engineers to ensure reliability in use.
The laboratory designed a system to
acquire, scale, display and store multi-channel
meteorological data from the turbine structure
and then, using GPS-based time stamping,
synchronised these measurements with
turbulent airflow readings. To save time
30
Wind of change: by using the flexible systems now on offer problems can be fixed on existing turbines
during the process, it chose a combined
software and hardware system from National
Instruments based on the M Series data
acquisition platform and NI LabVIEW
graphical development software.
The investigation provided NREL with
highly significant quantitative data about
turbulence effects, which can now be adopted
and used in future turbine design. However,
data monitoring of this kind can also be
adopted as a form of feedback for the advanced
control required for turbine operation.
Turbine control algorithms are often
complex and have traditionally been
implemented in the form of expensive custom
embedded systems. But the evolution of
off-the-shelf embedded control systems,
which use technologies especially suited to
advanced control like FPGAs, means that
integration with feedback measurements is
easier than ever.
The flexibility of this technology means
control algorithms can be modified or even
completely replaced during use. And by using
this type of platform engineers can make
measurements and fix problems within a
system currently in use.
As society’s need for green energy becomes
ever more pressing, the world needs talented,
innovative engineers and scientists to ensure
success. Political movements and discussions
will have a significant role in reducing the
effects of global warming, but the burden of
implementation rests on engineers’ shoulders.
The importance of engineers is
unparalleled. Not only must they identify and
implement improvements to existing systems,
but they are also responsible for developing
solutions to brand new problems. If we are to
succeed, we require the tools to measure the
performance of existing systems and our
impact on the environment, and then
seamlessly design, prototype and deploy
effective solutions.
By using an approach such as graphical
system design, engineers will have the tools to
measure a problem and then fix it.
Robert Lee is technical marketing engineer at
National Instruments UK and Ireland
the EnGIneeR 28 JULY–17 AUGUST 2008
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