Setting A Different Tack…

Setting A Different Tack… A New Architecture For Solving The Problems Facing Offshore Wind Projects 2nd Annual New England Marine Renewable Energy Technical Conference - 11/2/2010 Brian D. Kuhn, Director Offshore Wind Power Systems (OWPS), a division of OWES, LLC

It’s Not A Secret: Offshore Wind Faces Challenges Source: DOE NWX National Renewable Energy Webinar, September 2010

The Offshore Wind Industry Faces Challenges: The quest for ever increasing rotor sizes has begun reversing the economy of scale curve – especially offshore. "Sadly, it would seem we have not derived benefits from learning, scale and technological improvement over the last five years," says Rob Hastings, director of the marine estate at the UK's Crown Estate. "We have, indeed, gone backwards.” July 12, 2010 in Recharge News

Solutions Are Needed Today’s designs are basically terrestrial turbines (3 bladed, HAWT, monopole designs ‘stuck in mud’) placed in shallow waters (<30m) – not specifically designed for where most of the energy is.

Solutions Are Needed • 9 of 11 projects currently being tracked in US along the eastern seaboard are within 21 km of shore. • The wind resource potential at 5 to 50 nautical miles off the US coast is estimated to be more than the total currently installed electrical generating capacity of the United States (more than 900 GW) Whether coastal machines , or‘floaters’ to get us towhere the winds are far greater and the opposition is less: A different design is needed; none has achieved ‘market lock’. 97,975 vs 809,725 mW Source: Energy From Offshore Wind, NREL – Butterfield, Musial 2006

OWPS architecture was designed from the beginning with the ocean in mind. Whether shallow OR deep water, it inherently addresses many of today’s problems. Although the architecture might seem new, it’s really from an old name in wind energy…

OWPS concepts based on the work of William E. HeronemusNaval Architect, Wind Energy Pioneer, Teacher AWEA Lifetime Achievement Award - 1999 Naval Architect, Captain USN Professor, UMass Renewable Energy Lab World-Class Authority on Offshore Systems Patent Holder of many offshore designs

OWPS Uses a Different Wind Architecture – the Multi-Rotor Array (MRA): Major Advantages: Smaller, Lighter Components result in Volume Manufacturing ‘Down tower’ Weighting (low CG & met centric height) perfect for ‘floaters’ Self-Yawing Tethered, orTraditional Platforms,

How OWPS designs solves current industry challenges: The concept of the multi-rotor array and its corresponding weight and cost reductions have dramatic implications on the entire offshore project.

Current Technology Challenge: Cost of Construction Due to Huge Rotors Huge blades (up to 200’+ long) built as ‘one up’ construction Generators the size of houses – 300’ in the air All the weight is up-tower, increases tower and foundation costs and loads, hard to float Work done at sea costs ‘8-10 times’ that as on land Results in higher than terrestrial costs: $6,000+/kW vs <$2,000/kW

OWPS Technology Answer: Lower Turbine Costs/mWMany rotors are better than one… • Multiple smaller rotors favor volume manufacturing of more lightly loaded blades • High use of ‘off-the-shelf’ components • Scalability via # of rotors, not size of blades • Tower superstructure weight and cost reduced via: • Alternating rotors counter-rotate, nulling out gyroscopic moments and reducing loading • Space frame (lattice) designs used, monopoles not required • Weight of generation moved from nacelles down to floating hull or platform and aggregated. ‘Down-tower’ power.

OWPS Technology Answer: Lower Turbine Costs/mWMany rotors are better than one… • Higher Specific Yield (kW/m2) without violating Betz Limit • Ability to optimize pitch angles to take advantage of wind speed at respective tier levels • Shorter blades easier to fabricate and install/kW • Smaller rotors more responsive to changes in wind speed turbulence • Smaller blades can be made with thinner cross-sections, gaining aerodynamic efficiencies • Ability to run rotors at higher tip speeds ratios at different tier wind speeds • Asymmetric placement of lighter rotors along vertical axis increases effective overall ‘hub height’.

OWPS Technology Answer: Lower Turbine Costs/mWMany rotors enable a better architecture for off shore wind applications… • With weight down-tower and ‘out of the crow’s nest’, Center of Gravity (G) is lowered and Metacentric Height (GM) is decreased – vastly improving stability for traditional and ‘floating’ designs. Down-tower power makes ‘wind ship’ naval architecture more cost effective. WEH coined term ‘Wind Ships’, and envisioned an armada of them along coasts.

Current Technology Challenge: Costly Installation and Service Large rotors require huge specialized cranes mounted on vessels Single machine downtime is costly, encouraging repairs in foul weather Lack of Portside staging and fabrication sites

OWPS Technology Answer: Easier Installation and Service • Use of On-Board Jib Crane/Hoist simplifies installation and repair/replacement of rotors or components • Loss of single rotors has minimal impact on overall output, allowing service to be scheduled in better (less costly) weather • If Wind Ship: towed to location and moored via umbilical. • If Wind Ship: self-yawing, moving freely within watch circle

Current Technology Challenge: Lack of Service Fleet Size of specialized vessels required to transport and lift rotors and towers are huge Jones Act requiring US flagged vessels – there are none Lack of Fleet is a real barrier to entry, time and money sunk costs before anything is operational

OWPS Technology Answer: Need for large special purpose vessels eliminated • Small rotors allow use of on-board jib boom/hoist • Jones act not an obstacle – vessels available or can be reconfigured • Wind ships: Towing to site like a flip-ship • Sprite graphic showing rotor going up and down

Current Challenge: Permitting and NIMBYISM Near shore projects will face the largest opposition Near shore projects involve the most State and Federal jurisdiction

OWPS Answer: Out of Sight – Out of Mind • What’s not to like??? • Floating designs can be located farther offshore – ‘over the horizon’ • Greater wind energy resource helps economics • Out of Sight means more politically supportable

OWPS continues to refine and validate WEH designs Several US & Int’l Patents Filed – IP includes designs on both Multi-Rotor Arrays and hull designs for floating ‘Wind ships’

OWPS continues to refine and validate WEH designs Scale Testing of Multi-Rotor Array design at Langley Wind Tunnel. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis confirms little interference between rotors

OWPS continues to refine and validate WEH designs Garrad Hassan & Partners Ltd., wind energy consultants (now part of Germanischer Lloyd) confirm primary scaling benefits of the technology, issue report: “Multi-Rotor Wind Energy Systems” Finite element modeling for a 5 MW system conducted by Aerotrope Consulting Engineering, issue report: “OWES 5.0 MW Multi-Rotor Support Structure and Yaw System Study”

OWPS continues to refine and validate WEH designs Present – continuing work on terrestrial version of MRA by OWES, LLC Need graphic, wordsmith

OWPS continues to refine and validate WEH designs Now forming development consortium for prototypes and pilot plants Need graphic, wordsmith

Take Aways: Offshore wind environment (coastal or deep) demands new architecture, especially for floating ‘wind ships’ Wind ships allow us to go into deep water - after the lion’s share of ocean winds - cost effectively It may look like a ‘sea change’, but OWPS approach is based on sound naval architecture and application of well known rotor technologies A new consortium is being launched – Shipmates Wanted

FINIOffshore Wind Power Systemsa Division of OWES, LLCWe’re Taking a Different Tack – Contact: Brian D. Kuhn Director Offshore Wind Power Systems Brian.Kuhn@OffshoreWindPowerSystems

Setting A Different Tack…