VGB POWERTECH 7 (2021) - International Journal for Generation and Storage of Electricity and Heat

VGB News | Personalien VGB PowerTech 7 l 2021
VGB News
Efficient electricity generation
through wind power,
even in icy temperatures
• An interdisciplinary team of experts
from VERBUND, the AIT Austrian
Institute of Technology, the University
of Vienna and Meteotest is researching
the use of intelligent rotor blade heaters
in wind turbines in the joint research
project SOWINDIC. These heaters are
intended to ensure efficient electricity
production in winter temperatures.
Blick von oben auf Vereiste Windkraftanlage , winterliche Landschaft, © Verbund
Alongside hydropower, wind energy is
Austria’s most important alternative source
of energy. In the winter months, the alpine
climate causes not only windscreens and
car doors to freeze up, but also the rotor
blades on wind turbines. When this happens,
wind turbines have to be brought to a
stop and defrosted, either with a rotor
blade heater or by natural means. This
shutdown causes unpredictable production
losses. To nevertheless ensure a stable
electricity supply, the generating companies
have to purchase expensive electricity
or resort to conventional power plants such
as, for example, gas power plants.
The SOWINDIC – Smart Operation of
Wind Turbines Under Icing Conditions research
project launched in April 2021 investigates
the intelligent operation of rotor
blade heaters for wind turbines, as a means
to use these with maximum efficiency. Financed
through the Climate and Energy
Fund and under the consortium leadership
of VERBUND, Austria’s leading energy
company, experts of the AIT Austrian Institute
of Technical, Austria’s largest non-university
research facility, the research association
“Data Science @ Uni Vienna” and
Meteotest AG, a specialist for weather, climate
and environmental data, are working
on the development of an optimised rotor
blade heater control system.
The project aims at delivering two initially
independent approaches for the optimised
operation of the rotor blade heater,
which will later be merged within the
scope of a so-called hybrid model: on the
one hand, the working group “Applied
mathematics with a focus on optimisation”
of the University of Vienna will examine
and further develop existing Machine
Learning strategies for their suitability; on
the other hand, Meteotest will research an
empirically based approach that builds on
physical models. Both strategies pursue the
goal of being able to predict the ice-caused
production failures of wind turbines as precisely
as possible using control, sensor,
weather and market data. A network component
specially adapted by AIT will capture
the data streams as close to the system
as possible, implement both algorithms on
the wind turbine with real-time capability,
and use them for automated, optimised
control of the rotor blade heater. As an operator
of wind turbines, VERBUND will
mainly focus on validating the developed
models and bring its many years of operating
knowledge to bear in the project.
Austria will be further strengthened as a
knowledge, business and climate location
through the cooperation of leading, Austrian
companies and research institutions
with strong international partners such as
Meteotest.
LL
www.vgb.org (212251449)
Personalien
Paddy Hayes appointed new
Chief Executive of ESB
(esb) ESB announced that Paddy Hayes
has been appointed by the Board as the
new Chief Executive in succession to Pat
O’Doherty who is retiring.
Paddy Hayes joined ESB from British
Steel in 1999 and was appointed Managing
Director, ESB Networks in 2018. Prior to
this he held the position of Executive Director,
Generation and Wholesale Markets. A
chartered engineer with a Masters Degree
in Engineering from University College
Dublin and an MBA from the University of
Warwick, Paddy is currently co-chair of the
European Distribution Transmission Cooperation
Platform.
Terence O’Rourke, Chairman of ESB said,
“On behalf of the Board, I am delighted to
announce Paddy Hayes as the new Chief
Executive of ESB. He takes over the role at
a challenging time for the country, the industry
and the company. Paddy brings
enormous business experience, expertise
and a track record of achievement to the
role. I am confident he will be outstanding
in the position. I also want to thank Pat
O’Doherty, the outgoing Chief Executive
for the many years of dedicated service to
ESB. Pat has led the transformation of ESB
over the last decade in Ireland and has focussed
the company on the transition to a
low carbon future. I wish him the very best
for the future.”
Paddy Hayes said, „ESB is an outstanding
company. I am delighted and honoured by
the trust placed in me and looking forward
to working with the Board and everyone in
ESB as, together, we play our part in delivering
a low carbon future based on clean
electricity.”
Minister for the Environment Climate
and Communications Eamon Ryan TD
said, “I want to congratulate Paddy Hayes
on his appointment. ESB has an important
role to play in helping us reach our climate
goals and I am looking forward to meeting
with Paddy in due course. I also want to
thank Pat O’Doherty for his outstanding
leadership of ESB over the last decade,
during which Ireland reached over 42 %
renewable electricity. He has left ESB well
positioned to lead the transition to a low
carbon economy and I wish Pat well in the
future.”
LL
www.esb.ie (212251521)
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