Wind Energy

Taiban Mesa, NM

Sandia National Laboratories (Sandia) conducts applied research to increase the viability of wind technology by improving wind turbine performance, reliability, and reducing the cost of energy. Sandia specializes in all aspects of wind-turbine blade design, manufacturing, and system reliability. By partnering with universities and industry, Sandia works to advance the state of knowledge in the areas of materials, structurally efficient airfoil designs, active-flow aerodynamic control, and sensors. Researchers at the laboratory are investigating integrated blade designs where airfoil choice, blade platform, materials, manufacturing process, and embedded controls are all considered in a system perspective. By collaborating with operators, developers, and manufacturers, Sandia evaluates known reliability problems and develops tools and methods to anticipate and investigate future reliability issues.

Highlights:

Registration is now open for the 2012 Wind Turbine Blade Workshop, which will be held May 30-June 1, 2012 at the Embassy Suites Albuquerque, Albuquerque, NM, USA. If you have not attended any previous workshops and would like to receive information about future workshops and events, please email us your contact information (postal and email addresses please).

CREW (Continuous Reliability Enhancement for Wind), a DOE-funded national reliability database that enables the analysis of wind plant operations, has published its first public benchmark.

Two Sandia engineers named as influencers and innovators of wind power by Windpower Engineering magazine.