The
two-metre-tall
part-scale
demonstrator
of
the
5MW
VAWT,
made
up
of
a
long
stabliser
tube
that
rotates
in
the
water,
a
vertical-axis
rotor
and
a
spar-type
foundation,
was
trialled
at
Marin's
facility
in
Wageningen
in
waves
equivalent
to
real-life
heights
of
15
metres
and
currents
as
fast
as
four
metres
per
second.
“A
key
point
in
these
tests
is
that
wind
and
waves
are
present
simultaneously
in
a
controlled
environment,
allowing
the
study
of
the
complex
motions
and
loads
of
the
rotating
wind
turbine
in
wind,
waves
and
current,"
says
Marin
project
manager
Erik-Jan
de
Ridder.
"These
tests…
