Research impact
We have a proven track record of working collaboratively with industry to deliver innovative and commercially viable solutions that have a positive impact on the real world.
Harnessing wind power with Siemens Gamesa
We have worked with Siemens Gamesa since 2009 when the Sheffield-Siemens Wind Power Research Centre, now the Sheffield Siemens-Gamesa Renewable Energy (S²GRE) Research Centre, was established. Professor Zi-Qiang Zhu from the Electrical Machines and Drives research group was appointed Head of the research centre and has worked closely with colleagues at Siemens Gamesa to improve the power and efficiency of their off-shore wind turbines.
The initial focus was on reducing vibration-induced wear in the generator, then on increasing output power while minimising overall generator size at no additional cost. This culminated in May 2020 with the launch of the world’s largest capacity wind turbine with a 222 meter rotor diameter, producing output of 14MW.
Dr. Arwyn Thomas, Head of Drive Train Design at Siemens Gamesa stated: “Sheffield has made a major contribution to Siemens achieving its key target of zero-subsidy offshore wind, and brought wind power to the point where it must be taken seriously because it is competitive with every other energy type."
