NREL Invites Industry, Academia To Help Advance Large Wind Turbine Aerodynamics
Request for Proposals Offers $6.25 Million for Validation Data in Aerodynamics of Large Commercial Wind Turbine Rotors
Interested applicants can join an informational webinar on Jan. 23, 2025. Register now.
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has issued a $6.25 million request for proposals (RFP) on behalf of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Wind Energy Technologies Office to fill a knowledge gap in fundamental aerodynamics for large wind turbine performance and reliability. The response submission deadline is March 17, 2025.
As modern wind turbines grow larger and larger—beyond 10 megawatts (MW) of capacity—researchers are becoming aware of a need to learn more about these turbines’ aerodynamic behaviors in unique conditions (high Reynolds numbers) and when not in operational use (such as during installation, maintenance, or storms). High Reynolds numbers are a measure that helps engineers predict how air flows around wind turbine blades.
This RFP seeks to generate, collect, and disseminate benchmark aerodynamic validation datasets that will then be used to validate, develop, and improve modeling and simulation tools for the wind energy industry. These, along with physical insights, can advance design and analyses capabilities for next-generation wind turbine airfoils, blades, and rotors.
Topics and Funding
NREL will award up to $6.25 million to U.S.-based research teams that can help meet these goals. Funding will be distributed over two topic areas:
- Topic Area 1: High Reynolds Number Airfoil Aerodynamics Validation Datasets
Applicants will design and carry out experiments to gather and disseminate high-quality data about how airfoils perform at a specific range of conditions that match those experienced by large wind turbines. One winning project will receive up to $4.75 million from the award and further support for testing costs at the National Full-Scale Aerodynamics Complex, a national testing facility.
- Topic Area 2: Aerodynamic Characterization of Nonoperational Loads Phenomena
Applicants will conduct experiments to characterize how wind turbine blades behave aerodynamically and produce publicly available validation-quality datasets that improve or develop computer models for predicting how blades behave when idling or parked and/or in extreme weather. One to two winning projects will be awarded from a pool of up to $1.5 million.
Join an informational webinar on Jan. 23, 2025, and view the RFP’s webpage to learn more.
Research Benefits
The data generated from this initiative will be shared with the broader wind energy community to improve the reliability and aerodynamic performance of large wind turbines. Additionally, these data will support the development of turbine designs that can cost-effectively and reliably mitigate or endure excessive loads and vibrations, reducing the levelized cost of wind energy.
These datasets will help mitigate the financial risks of technology innovation and knowledge gaps surrounding modern wind turbines—the largest rotating machines ever built by humankind—and increase the country’s wind energy capacity and energy security.
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