RBE – Rotor Blade Extension is a product that increases the efficiency of wind turbines. A partnership between Energiekontor and Hochsule Bremerhaven, in Germany was created to develop this technology.
Energiekontor is a renewable energy company based in the German city of Bremen. In addition to its headquarters in Bremen, Energiekontor has offices in Bremerhaven, Hagen im Bremischen, Aachen, Bernau near Berlin, Potsdam and Augsburg. The company also has branches in England (Leeds), Scotland (Edinburgh, Glasgow), Portugal (Lisbon), USA (Austin / Texas and Rapid City / South Dakota) and France (Toulouse, Rouen).
Energiekontor requested the Institute for Wind Energy at the University of Applied Sciences Bremerhaven (fk-wind), to study possible solutions to increase the production on wind farms. In 2009, fk-wind presented a solution to increase the rotor diameter with an extension of the blade, and that was clearly recognized to be the best solution for an effective realization.
The fk-wind is a center for research and education of wind energy. The Institute offers an interface between teaching, researching and application to make sure that the potential of wind energy in northern Germany is fully explored.
Since 2004, the fk-wind has been working in close collaboration with industry, science and education organizations for the realization of innovative ideas and concepts in the field of wind energy and to find solutions for interdisciplinary challenges.
One of the areas of wind energy research at fk-wind is precisely the optimization of wind turbines including rotor blade operation and maintenance, and diagnostics.
A prototype of a blade extension, which consists of an additional blade tip segment, fixed at the blade tip of the rotor, was designed by fk-wind, to wind turbines types Bonus 1.0 and Bonus 1.3. Energiekontor has applied this technology in wind farms in Germany and Portugal.
If you would like to install the Rotor Blade Extension on your wind farm to improve energy output, consider Energiekontor’s Rotor Blade Extension. Contact us for more information.