New Siemens research turbine commissioned at National Renewable Energy Laboratory site in the US

The turbine is the centerpiece of a multi-year project to study the performance and aerodynamics of a new class of large, land-based machines – in what will be the biggest government-industry research partnership for wind power generation ever undertaken in the U.S. Under the initial phase of the $14 million research program, Siemens will contribute $9 million, NREL $5 million.

Under their Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA), Siemens and NREL will test basic turbine characteristics and verify new performance enhancing features of the pilot turbine over a minimum of three years – and potentially longer. Testing will include a full range of real-world operating regimens, including severe weather conditions.

The Siemens 2.3-MW turbine is among the largest land-based turbines deployed in the United States and is the largest at the NWTC site. Planned testing includes structural and performance testing; modal, acoustics and power quality testing; as well as aerodynamic testing and turbine performance enhancements. A new meteorological tower to the west of the Siemens turbine will feature more than 60 instruments to collect the most advanced data available on wind, temperature, dew point, precipitation and other weather features that can influence the performance and lifespan of a wind turbine.

Installation of the pilot turbine at the National Wind Technology Center follows Siemens’ decision to locate its own wind power research and development center in nearby Boulder. That office is expected to grow to 40 engineers and other staff by 2013. This turbine project is part of a coordinated wind research program supported by the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.