Lusatian research project brings a breath of fresh air to the use of renewable energies in urban areas
On February 1, 2023, the joint project "LausitzWind" was launched at the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences (HSZG) by the HSZG and the Cunewald-based company Härtwig Maschinenbau GmbH & Co. KG. The focus is on the development of a visually unobtrusive, sustainably produced wind turbine with high output for use in urban areas. The project is being funded for three years by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) as part of the WIR! initiative "Lusatia - Life & Technology".
The structural change in Lusatia is completely dominated by the phase-out of fossil fuels. It is clear that energy requirements must also be secured after 2038. Alongside the generation of energy from sunlight, wind energy is currently one of the most promising alternatives. The generally known large-scale plants in rural and coastal regions already reliably supply electricity from renewable sources, but are unsuitable for operation in urban areas. There are many reasons for this, ranging from high noise emissions and shadow impact to the space required. Vertically aligned wind turbines (VAWT) are an alternative for populated areas. However, these need to be rethought.
Disadvantages of vertically operated turbines include, for example, the lack of self-start capability or the strongly fluctuating torque on the rotor axis. This is why the LausitzWind project is researching a new, intelligent system for effective adjustment of the rotor blades. Thanks to machine learning, the control system will also automatically ensure efficient alignment of the rotor blades. A general disadvantage of wind turbines is the noise they generate. Each turbine generates what is known as aerodynamic noise, which is comparable to the noise generated by an open car windshield. One component of the overall project is to design the rotor blades in such a way that the noise level is significantly reduced in contrast to comparable turbines.
It is clear that the use of renewable energy sources is leading us into an era of environmentally friendly electricity and heat generation. On the other hand, the production of the systems required for this is still a problem from an ecological point of view.
LausitzWind is addressing this issue by researching the use of natural fiber composites for the manufacture of rotor blades. The aim is to replace the use of GRP and CFRP materials with environmentally friendly materials. This not only reduces the ecological footprint during production, but the possibility of recycling the system after its service life also plays a major role in this project. For this part of the project, the partners are also working together with the LaNDER³ project of the HSZG. LausitzWind thus draws on a wealth of experience in the processing of natural fiber composites that has been built up over many years.
The aim of the LausitzWind project is to develop the plant in accordance with the above-mentioned requirements and thus to establish new processes and technologies for the local industry. During the development work, for example, experience will be gained in the field of lightweight construction with natural fiber-reinforced materials, which can then be passed on to regional companies.
At the end of the project, Härtwig Maschinebau GmbH & Co. KG will manufacture a functioning demonstrator on a real scale. The project thus creates the basis for the production and use of these systems in Lusatia.
The work of the L&T alliance is geared towards making Lusatia fit for the future and contributing to innovative and sustainable regional development with new research and development approaches. In 2019, the consortium partners Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences, the district of Görlitz, ULT AG and the Fraunhofer IWU joined forces to develop a joint strategy to positively shape structural change in Lusatia with a total budget of around EUR 9 million. Since then, the alliance's network has grown to over 75 partners. To date, 13 projects have already been successfully launched. With its objective, the LausitzWind project serves two of the three L&T innovation fields. It combines the topics of "additive manufacturing" and "networked energy (storage) systems" as an example.
L&T project coordinator Leonie Liemich describes the overarching strategy of the WIR! alliance as follows:
