It is aimed to evaluate the potential in Turkey’s seas by designing a unique floating offshore wind farm with the physical modeling study carried out at İzmir Institute of Technology (İYTE).
A wave generator and open type wind nozzle built entirely with domestic resources in İYTE Civil Engineering laboratories, and how the original design works under regular or irregular waves and winds in storm conditions is examined. As a result of the study, it is aimed to develop the floating platform with experimental and numerical studies and obtain a stable and economical platform and obtain a patent.
Head of IYTE Mechanical Engineering Department Assoc. Dr. In his statement to the AA correspondent, Ünver Özkol said that the work started in 2018 as the «TÜBİTAK 1001» project. Stating that they designed and manufactured a wave generator within the scope of the project, Özkol said, “We produced a wind channel to generate wind with the waves. Our aim is to understand the mechanical behavior of floating type wind turbines installed in deep seas. Because the suitable areas where onshore wind turbines can be installed are gradually filling up. In the near future, there will no longer be many places for licensees in economically viable places. In Europe, Japan, the USA, they are gradually moving to offshore floating or non-floating offshore turbines. We started our studies in our country so that we have sufficient knowledge when the time comes.” said.
“Floating power plants are more economically viable in Turkey”
Özkol pointed out that it is economically more convenient to build floating power plants in Turkey and continued: “It is not possible to fix the turbines to the seabed in places where the sea depth exceeds 50 meters. So you have to switch to floating types. The turbines installed on the seas should also be at a distance of about 1 kilometer from the land so that they can benefit from the winds that are too much over the seas. In our seas, our depths increase a lot when you come out about 1 kilometer from the shore. In many places we are above 50 meters. Therefore, the applicability of floating type turbines in our country is higher than fixed types.”
Expressing that computer modeling gives positive results in his projects, Özkol said, “About 20-30 years ago, solar panels were not an economical renewable energy option. It was mostly used in universities for research purposes or for small-scale demo productions. However, as the need for energy increases and it cannot produce any other type of energy, the search for new sources increases. In the very near future, the regions where wind turbines can be installed economically on the territory of Turkey will almost disappear. We will have to sail the seas. This work is a preparation for them. In these studies, Denmark and England, USA and Japan are making their first commercial trials in European countries.” he said.