Meeting tomorrows standards at the “Heimat der Windindustrie”: HUSUM 2015
After the successful premiere of WindEnergy Hamburg last year, it is now the turn of the other world-famous wind event: HUSUM 2015. As a partner to many wind turbine manufactures and blade manufacturers worldwide, Pontis will be exhibiting in die Heimat der Windindustrie from 15 -18 September.
Throughout the wind industry Pontis is well known for its innovative and high quality engineering solutions. What some people do not realise is that our wind customers are often not fully aware of our design capabilities, while we have a dedicated in house design team performing structural design, evaluation and re-design projects for industries ranging from construction to aerospace. As the world of wind energy is dynamic and continuously challenges us to improve performance and to face new realities, we are your dedicated design partner in meeting tomorrows standards.
This HUSUM, we would like to acquaint you with our design expertise and, if desired, we can go deeper into any design issues or needs your company may have. Please contact us to schedule a visit to our booth or schedule a bilateral meeting. You can find us in Hall 2, booth 2E25.
We are very much looking forward to meeting you in HUSUM!
Wind of Change: Integrated Roof Wind Energy System 〈IRWES〉
How we love smart energy! Pontis has joined a consortium with IRWES: a sustainable energy generation system capturing the wind that collides with a building. Dutch company Ibis Power was specially established by the inventors to bring the award-winning invention to market. IRWES has received a Horizon 2020 grant from the EU and is now full swing operational in realizing the first pilot project in the Netherlands within the next three months.
The Integrated Roof Wind Energy System (IRWES) uses the wind colliding with a high building. The wind is “caught” and guided through the a narrowing channel into a turbine. The throttling creates a wind speed (the so-called Venturi effect), thus increasing the efficiency. Thanks to the acceleration of the turbine is a weak breeze already usable.
As durable materials, modularity, aesthetic freedom and minimal maintenance are key target points for IRWES, the choice for the use of composites is obvious. Eager as we are to develop innovative composite products, we are engaged with the general and detailed structural analysis and the choice of materials and selection.
The consortium now has the necessary funding and a considerable number of start-up projects in its portfolio. During these projects in the Netherlands, the concept will be further developed and fully prepared for deployment to the European market.
Find out more about this inspiring new wind system at www.ibispower.eu
First time right: vacuum infusion for Human Power Team
The VeloX V, the fifth human powered bicycle of the Human Power Team (HPT), has now entered the production phase. For the first time ever the team will use vacuum infusion technology in the production process. During the past months, Pontis has supported the team in developing a design made for manufacturability. Now we are guiding them in using the vacuum infusion process to manufacture the composite parts of the VeloX V, ensuring aerodynamic shape and consistent laminate property’s.
Pontis has been involved in the VeloX V project since an early stage. We assist HPT in every step of the process, from conceptual design to production. Improving strength and stiffness of the design was the main goal during the design phase. The Velox V shell design was optimized to minimize drag on the shell joints by using the Finite Element Method or FEM as a numerical analysis. Pontis has played an important role in the Team’s mastering of this technique.
Pim de Laat, Lead Composite Process Engineer, is supporting HPT during the manufacturing part of the process. He says: “Currently HPT is working on the aerodynamic shell of the bike. The shell is made up out of four pieces. The first shell pieces have been successfully laminated with infusion technology last week. After the single shell production they are fixed together in the final aerodynamic shape (see picture). At the same time the production of the bike frame has started. At the end of the process frame and shell construction will be joined to create the record breaking HPT Velox V!”
Blade test program WEG turbine concluded successfully
Pontis’ cooperation with WEG, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of electrical equipment, has so far proven to be successful. The Brazilian company worked with Pontis on the introduction of its first 2.1MW wind turbine and last month a new milestone was achieved: the blade test program for the corresponding rotor blades was successfully concluded.
The blade tests were performed by Europe’s largest application-oriented research organization: Fraunhofer. The Germany-based company was impressed with the quality of the blades and stated there have been few blades doing so well in their tests.
Cause for celebration for the international team responsible for the development of the rotor blade, including WEG, NPS, WINDnovation, Aeris and of course Pontis. Our role is to support WEG in supply chain management and cost reduction projects. Besides that Pontis trains the WEG engineering team in blade production, inspection work, field issues and special non-conformities.
Certification of the rotor blade is expected in June this year.
Reducing cycle times: Pontis sponsors Human Power Team
This year Pontis teams up with the Human Power Team Delft & Amsterdam (HPT). We provide knowledge, network, materials and design/production support to the university student team which develops and races highly aerodynamic recumbent bicycles. HPT aims to break the world speed record for human powered vehicles with a new bike every year. In 2013 the team reached a top speed of 133.78 km/h. This is the fastest any human being has travelled solely on its own power, ever!
So they are good. But it can always be done better, smarter, faster. With fierce competition closing in, the team is now working hard on the development of its fifth racing bike: the VeloX V. The bike is set to compete and challenge HPT's own world speed record at the World Human Powered Speed Challenge 2015 which will be held in September near Battle Mountain, Nevada (U.S.A.).
In Pontis' Rouveen lab and under the watchful specialist eyes of Pontis Engineers Rob Lokate and Pim de Laat, the VeloX V promises to beat its predecessors in both design and performance. Rob says: "Besides having a lot of fun with the students, this sponsorship is a very appealing way of acquainting young technicians with the possibilities and advantages of composites. We show them what good engineering does for the end result. Experience with developing extremely efficient vehicles gives them a head start in a sustainable career and future."
Foto Bas de Meijer
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