Company
Portfolio Data
Back to Company SearchWetzel Engineering, Inc.
Address
821 Grand Avenue Parkway Suite 410Pflugerville, TX, 78660-2197
USA
UEI: N/A
Number of Employees: 16
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
SBIR/STTR Involvement
Year of first award: 2013
2
Phase I Awards
1
Phase II Awards
50%
Conversion Rate
$299,905
Phase I Dollars
$1,000,000
Phase II Dollars
$1,299,905
Total Awarded
Awards
An Autonomous System for On-Blade Flow Control for Load Alleviation
Amount: $149,905 Topic: 19a
Wetzel Engineering, Inc., WEI) proposes research and development to engineer the AutoBlade -- An Autonomous Control and Actuation System for On-Blade Flow Control for Load Alleviation for Wind Turbines. This technology serves as an aggressive alternative to current active and passive methods of load alleviation by a) eliminating the majority of the sensor and actuation lag that plagues current methods of active load alleviation, and b) tailoring the aerodynamic response to the load-inducing gusts. The proposed solution combines several technologies: Flow field and aerodynamic measurement devices that allow for real-time sensing of gusts and direction change along the span of the blade; Autonomous on-board blade control systems that respond to rapid changes in flow fields i.e. gusts or extreme direction change); and State-of-the-art flow-control actuation mechanisms that do not add a level of complexity that is inhibitive of low-cost manufacturing and in-field maintenance highly reliable, compact, and minimal weight). The objectives of the presently proposed applied research project are: Promote synergy with existing development programs that are integral to the proposed approach, minimizing risk associated with product commercialization. Bench test a select few measurement devices, such as pressure measurement and inflow measurement devices, for accuracy, reliability, and ease of integration. Bench test a select few actuation devices, such as piezoelectric actuators with deflection amplification by way of post-buckled precompressed composite laminates or pressure-induced control system morphing. Both of these proposed technologies have been exhaustively bench tested in previous settings by members of the team and their associates and colleagues. Bench testing will be focused specifically on applicability to the load alleviation mechanisms specific to this FOA. Engineering analyses of system integration and design of control systems. Phase 1 will focus primarily on vetting the proposed technologies and their integration potential, with a finite level of engineering analyses of the system integration and design of control systems. Phase 2 will focus further on engineering these systems into the component-based space frame blade design for implementation and commercialization of the product. This technology builds on work that is already well underway at Wetzel Engineering, with support from USDOE through another Phase 2 SBIR grant, to develop wind turbine blades built around a component-based space frame construction. The flow field sensor and active flow control actuation technology will be much more easily incorporated into the space frame blade than in to a conventional molded fiberglass blade, and so the two technologies are highly complementary. Based on our experience with loads simulations and measurements of operating wind turbines, we anticipate that adopting the AutoBlade capable of responding rapidly to transient inflow conditions could reduce extreme loads and fatigue by an additional 30% over the current state-of-the-art low-loads passive designs with the most sophisticated active pitch control systems. A 30% reduction in loads would enable further growth of rotor size, enabling a 20-25% increase in energy capture at low-wind sites. This could translate into a similar 25% reduction in the cost of energy from wind.
Tagged as:
SBIR
Phase I
2015
DOE
Late Award - Field-Assembled Component-Based Rotor Blades
Amount: $1,000,000 Topic: 08a
The utility-scale wind industry is evolving towards very large ( & gt;4MW) machines with blades longer than 70m for both land-based and off-shore installations. There is a rapid ramp in cost associated with ground transportation of blades longer than 65m, rising to a threshold that is considered practically prohibitive for blades longer than 75m. Managing the quality of such large blades using conventional manufacturing methods is also becoming increasingly challenging. As a product of the SBIR Phase 2 R & amp;D, Wetzel Engineering will create a Field-Assembled Component- Based Rotor Blade technology that addresses the above concerns. The blade is assembled in the field from factory-built sections sized to be easily transportable, and both the manufacturing and assembly are performed on open fixtures such that the quality can be inspected carefully before finish. During Phase 1, Wetzel Engineering identified the optimal configuration for sectioning a blade for more cost effective manufacturing, transportation, and field assembly. We also performed structural engineering of the major components of the blade, assessing the feasibility of the concept and identifying the potential cost and performance benefits of the technology. Phase 1 validated that the concept has merit and should be developed further in a Phase 2 SBIR project. During Phase 2 Wetzel Engineering will optimize the engineering of the structural components used in forming the blade through a program of comprehensive component and substructure testing. We will further validate and refine our understanding of the technology by building a 41m subscale test blade and subjecting it to static and fatigue testing. Finally, we will validate the scalability of the technology by engineering an 83m component-based blade for operation on a land-based 6MW wind turbine. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits: Wetzel Engineering, working with its Wetzel Blade manufacturing affiliate, will commercialize the technology by manufacturing 41 and 46m blades for the US domestic replacement blade market for aging 1.5-2.0MW turbines and by manufacturing 83, 90, and 100m blades for 6-10MW wind turbines for the worldwide off-shore and large land-based wind industry. Wetzel Engineering believes that the technology developed here will create a revolution in the engineering and manufacturing of rotor blades.
Tagged as:
SBIR
Phase II
2014
DOE
Field-Assembled Component-Based Rotor Blades
Amount: $150,000 Topic: 08a
Wetzel Engineering, Inc., proposes research and development to engineer very large wind turbine rotor blades for land-based machines that avoid expensive and logistically challenging transportation requirements. The proposed solution combines two technologies: Sectional component-based assembly of large wind turbine rotor blades ( & gt;65m length) using design approaches adapted from aerospace composites manufacturing, Partial in-field manufacturing and final in-field assembly. This proposal responds to Topic 8a, specifically the request for proposals addressing . . . approaches to the assembly and installation of land-based wind turbines that overcome logistical and cost barriers . . . larger swept areas; and access to areas with higher class wind resource leading to an overall & gt;20% reduction in the cost of energy for land-based turbines. The objectives of the presently proposed applied research project are: Engineer and test the proposed technology for sectional component-based assembly of large wind turbine rotor blades ( & gt;65m length), Engineer and test the proposed technology for in-field manufacturing and assembly of large rotor blade sections, Develop commercially viable technology to aid land-based installations of wind turbines without limit on turbine size: Reduce the cost of energy & gt;20% by adopting this technology.
Tagged as:
SBIR
Phase I
2013
DOE