Discover the people behind FLOATFARM in our interview series!
Meet Alessandro Bianchini from the Università degli Studi di Firenze (UniFi) with 5 questions and answers about the project goals, challenges and expected impact.
Could you briefly present your organization and its role within FLOATFARM?
The University of Florence contributed to the conceptualization of FLOATFARM as the key partner for aerodynamic design and analysis of FOWTs. In the project, we are now leading WP1 on “Advancements in floating turbine design and control”, and more specifically we are in charge of coordinating the development of a new-generation, ultra-low-specific power rotor optimized for use in the Mediterranean Sea. The rotor will incorporate a series of innovations developed in the project and will be released as an open-access reference wind turbine at the end of FLOATFARM for use by the scientific community. Moreover, we are actively contributing to WP2 on innovative substructures and WP7 on optimization methods, as both these activities are part of the holistic design framework that is at the basis of FLOATFARM.
Could you explain the work done by UniFI since the start of the project?
WP1 has started at the very beginning of the project. Work done since January is quite impressive yet. We have started creating a database of aerodynamic polars for use in offshore application, among which the final airfoils will be chosen. Differently from other study cases, polars will be realized with Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) at different level of fidelity, thus progressing beyond the state of the art. We have also carried out a technical survey on different Mediterranean sites to understand the working conditions expected for the turbine. Finally, we have started making a preliminary aero-servo-elastic design of the rotor, with particular focus on the aeroelastic tailoring of the blades.
What do you expect to achieve in the next months?
The next months will be definitely challenging, as all current activities need to prosecute and reach their goals. Then, we will merge all data with the innovations at generator and control levels (expected from Task 1.2 and 1.3) with the optimization framework developed in WP7 in order to achieve the optimize wind turbine design and evaluate its potential.
From a research perspective, what’s the advantage of being part of a European project like FLOATFARM?
Being part of a European project like FLOATFARM is, in my opinion, priceless for a researcher. Collaboration has been always at the basis of my approach to research. Bringing such collaboration at a pan-European level is something really stimulating and an invaluable chance of growth as a scientist. This is particularly true for a project like FLOATFARM, in which different sciences, research areas and expertise are combined to progress on the strategic field of FOWTs. As I told to younger students during my welcome speech as the Chair of TORQUE2024 in Firenze this year, as wind energy experts in this particular moment in time we need not only to always feel on the edge of something great, but also feel the pride and the responsibility to work on a renewable energy source that could truly revolutionize our lives for the years to come.
Why have you decided to join the consortium?
The University of Florence has enthusiastically joined FLOATFARM after the work done in FLOATECH. The experience of FLOATECH was really amazing, not only for scientific results, but also because indeed we felt like a “family” rather than simple colleagues. The research initiated in the predecessor project needed to be brought at the next level, and this is what we are aiming for in FLOATFARM.
