A Wichita Falls, Texas wind manufacturer is one of eight receiving federal funding from the federal government for wind development research.
Carter Wind Turbines received two awards from the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory and its Competitiveness Improvement Project. The laboratory with funding from DOE’s Wind Energy Technologies Office works with dozens of small businesses across the U.S. in advancing wind technology.
One of the awards to Carter Wind Turbines is the development and implementation of a new 36-meter rotor for the firm’s 300-kilowatt two-bladed downwind turbine. The new turbine more than doubles the rotor swept area of the current model.
A second Energy Department award will help Carter implement a new generator and control system for the 36-meter rotor design that also enables integrated energy storage.
Mirroring a trend seen with larger wind turbines, most of these projects are developing small or medium-size wind turbines with longer blades and larger rotors, allowing them to capture more energy even in areas with lower wind speeds. These larger rotors create a need to reconsider the drive trains, turbine controls, and support structures, not only to increase energy production, but also manage loads and reduce system weight and cost.
“The Competitiveness Improvement Project has advanced the state of distributed wind technology in the United States, reducing the cost of some designs by more than 50%. CIP also supports the electrical, performance, and safety certifications of next-generation technologies, which is important for competitive market entry and export,” said Daniel Simmons, Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy at DOE.
The other recipients of the awards were firms in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Arizona and Vermont.