Sending the Wind Turbine to Uncharted Depths

Offshore wind conditions represent a potentially rich energy resource, but there have been some obstacles in our efforts to tap it.

Existing turbine design relies upon physically anchoring the turbine structures to the sea floor, and this becomes cost prohibitive in water depths approaching only 200 feet. Many regions around the world lack extensive reaches of relatively shallow offshore marine environments. And installing turbines in areas that are suitable from an engineering standpoint may conflict with marine life and bird conservation goals, interfere with established shipping routes or cause waterfront property owners to pull a NIMBY and sue to stop construction.

Siemens however may be prepared to float an elegant solution to getting past these roadblocks.

Copyright: Siemens press photo 

Better still, as pointed out in the recent New York Times article highlighting the breakthrough, is the fact that wind conditions are generally more consistently strong a bit farther out to sea as compared to those in the range available for development with the rigid structure design approach.

Another innovation, courtesy of deep thinking.