ReliaWind

Reliability focused research on optimizing Wind Energy systems design, operation and maintenance: Tools, proof of concepts, guidelines & methodologies for a new generation.

ReliaWind project is awarded EU funding within the frame of the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme for RTD (FP7) under the Specific Programme COOPERATION, Theme 5 - Energy (Call FP7-ENERGY-2007-1_RTD)

Reliawind project’s main goal is to usher in a new generation of more efficient and reliable wind turbines, providing practical results to be used in wind turbine design, operations and maintenance. Commenced on 15th March 2008, the project will be developed over three years, for completion by March 2011 with a total budget of €7.7 Million, which includes a major contribution by the European Commission of €5.2 Million.

The project aims to achieve better efficiency for wind turbines, through the deployment of new systems with reduced maintenance requirements and increased availability. To this end, the project proposes architecture directed at a modular design more immune to environmental conditions, permitting the replacement of components simply and quickly; to improve monitoring systems for components and thus achieve more accurate diagnosis; and to develop preventive maintenance algorithms for failure anticipation. These new technologies will be integrated in future generations of wind turbine components, wind turbines and wind farms.