Downwind configuration for floating offshore wind turbines

Wednesday, February 22 2023

Wind Energy – Downwind Configuration

The mission of X1 Wind from Spain is to find smarter solutions to solve the climate challenge

The company is a strong believer in the downwind configuration for very large floating offshore wind turbines of the 15MW+ scale.

The downwind configuration has several advantages for floating offshore wind:

– The blades bend away from the structure, allowing them to be lighter and cheaper, which is especially relevant for very large rotors.

– It can reduce (or eliminate) the tilt angle of the nacelle, with a positive impact on annual energy production.

– It allows optimization of the structural design of the platform and saves steel weight, by removing the traditional tower and creating a pyramidal platform that is more efficient in load transmission.

Last, but not least, the same efficient and slender pyramidal structure solves the traditional “tower shadow” effect that used to be the main issue with tower-based downwind systems, having minimum impact on the air flow downwind of the “masts”.

Do you want to know more about our floating wind technology? Check it here.