Innovation should be judged on technical merit, not blind enthusiasm. Even in an industry at the leading edge of design and technology, critical evaluation based on sound processes is essential.
GL Garrad Hassan expert Peter Jamieson has authored a new book: ‘Innovation in Wind Turbine Design’, based on his over 30 years of experience working on wind technology. It addresses the fundamentals of design, the reasons behind design choices, and how to apply existing engineering knowledge to further advance this technology.
Peter Jamieson has been involved with innovative technologies, their assessment and concept design for his entire career. His background in academic maths and physics, rather than engineering, has seen him work across the entire turbine design process.
Andrew Garrad, President of GL Garrad Hassan, says of Peter Jamieson and the book: “He is a real blue sky thinker unimpeded by convention and driven by a strong sense of rigour. Innovation in wind turbine design is what he has been doing for the last 30 years. Anyone interested in the technical aspects of both the past developments and the exciting future of wind turbines should read this book carefully and be inspired. This is no arid technical text or history – this is real intellectual capital and, of course, innovation”
‘Innovation in Wind Turbine Design’ is divided into four main sections covering: design background, technology evaluation, design themes and examples of innovative technology.
* Section 1 reviews aerodynamic theory and the optimisation of rotor design, discusses wind energy conversion systems, drive trains, scaling issues, offshore wind turbines, and concludes with an overview of technology trends with a glimpse of possible future technology
* Section 2 comprises a global view of the multitude of design options for wind turbine systems and develops an evaluation methodology, including the cost of energy assessment with some specific examples
* Section 3 discusses recurrent design themes such as blade number, pitch or stall, horizontal or vertical axis
* Section 4 considers examples of innovative technology with case studies from real-life commercial clients
The culmination of a long and varied career in wind technology, the book lays out a methodological approach to evaluating the technical merits of innovative technologies that is sure to have an impact on the development of wind turbines as they continue to evolve.
[mappress]
Source: GL Garrad Hassan, September 02, 2011