The German Aerospace Center has put a third system into operation in the Wind Energy Research Park.
The German Aerospace Center (DLR) has built a third research facility in the wind energy research park in Krummendeich (Stade district) with six million euros in funding from the Federal Ministry of Economics.
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The German Aerospace Center operates a wind energy research park in Krummendeich, where two wind turbines have been in operation since 2023.
Scientists want to research the energy of the future with a specially built wind turbine. For this purpose, the German Aerospace Center (DLR) said it developed and built a third system in the wind energy research park in Krummendeich (Stade district). Two wind turbines have been in operation there since 2023.
The researchers want to use the system to test and further develop rotor blades, transmission parts and controls under real wind. The aim is to develop a technology step by step that can later be used in large industrial plants. The Federal Ministry of Economics is supporting the project with around six million euros.
What the researchers are testing there
“OPUS 3” works like a large construction kit. The researchers can replace rotor blades, parts of the transmission or the control system and combine them in new ways. New methods for controlling the system can also be examined during operation.
The system is smaller than many industrial wind turbines, but already works under real weather and operating conditions. In this way, the DLR teams can check whether an idea has proven itself in practice before it is used in larger systems.
A feat of strength - How the wind turbine was built
The tower, which weighs around 80 tons, was assembled from two segments, erected and screwed together. On top of that was the gondola, which weighed around 30 tons. It contains, among other things, the gearbox and the generator - important parts that convert the movement of the rotor into electricity.
Finally, according to the researchers, the rotor star, which weighs around 15 tons, was assembled. Three rotor blades, each 25 meters long, hang on it. The individual components were partially pre-assembled and brought to Krummendeich in several heavy transports.
The construction itself was a research project, as the DLR announced. During assembly, scientists measured how the tower moved in the wind while the gondola was still missing. The additional weight at the top of the tower changes how the tower swings. Such data should help to better plan the construction of larger wind turbines and reduce risks.
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