Rotatable Wind Revolution

Happier Wind, Lighter Structure, Cheaper Energy, Brighter World!

Introducing the Rotatable Tower, a game-changing innovation in offshore wind technology. the revolutionary Self-Aligned Rotatable Wind Turbine Support System offers 15% LCOE cost reduction by reducing wind loads, tower weight, and foundation construction costs, O & M cost while enhancing safety and boosting energy production.

Join us in powering a brighter World with this groundbreaking solution.  

ABOUT
Wind Rider is a UK-based company committed to making the world a better place by reducing the cost of offshore wind.

Imagine turbines dancing with the wind, not fighting it. 

Our breakthrough innovation removes the root cause of high costs – wind loads – by allowing turbines to passively rotate and align with the wind, minimizing loads and harnessing the full power of the wind, reducing LCOE by at least 15%. 

This game-changing technology brings many benefits: 
  • Lighter towers and foundations:
  • Less wind loads means less material, significantly reducing construction costs.
  • Better maintenance: With less equipment overhead, maintenance becomes safer and cheaper.
  • Simpler logistics: More manageable towers, smaller, lighter foundations mean easier transportation and installation, saving time and money.
  • More energy: Continuous alignment and reduced wake effect with the wind maximizes energy capture.


Wangwen Zhao, Dr.

Chief Executives Officer

From scribbling equations in univeristy at 13 to sculpting steel giants at 23, my journey has been a whirlwind of wind-powered passion. While some follow established paths, I crave the untrodden. Every solved problem breeds a fresh question, every innovation a seed for the next. For me, engineering is not about absolutes, but about the beautiful dance of possibilities within constraints. The Rotatable Wind Tower is just the first gust in a revolution. I've led teams, molded standards, and unleashed research into the world, all driven by a singular vision: a future powered by the untamed force of wind.

Join me as we rewrite the energy script, one turbine at a time, transforming whispers of wind into a symphony of sustainability.

Streamlined Design - Like Airfoil

Embrace the power of the wind with our streamlined tower design inspired by airfoil principles. Reduce wind load and increase efficiency by up to 90% with our innovative teardrop shape tower section.

Embrace Wind with Flexible Base

Why do we resist wind? Our base is designed to rotate with wind wherever wind goes and offers no resistance. Hence no force is transmitted to the substructure. Our revolutionary system allows rotational movement with the wind, reducing structural stress and improving overall performance.

Dance with Wind - Automatic Self-alignment

Explore our advanced feature of self-alignment with wind, inspired by tail vane of traditional wind fans. The tower is propelled to align with wind direction, no matter where the wind is blowing.

No Active Yaw Control - Less O and M

Our innovative system offered dramatic reduction of Operation and Maintenance for offshore wind turbines, with the yaw control system removed at the hub.

Follow Wind, Not Fight Against

Our intelligent design let the wind take control. The structure will follow the wind and offer no torsional resistance. No stress, less cost, more energy.

Integrated Tower and Foundation Design

Achieve dynamic harmony by integrating the design of the tower and foundation. The reduced load leads to better and more economic foundation design.

Lighter and Leaner Tower and Foundation

Achieve dynamic harmony by integrating the design of the tower and foundation. Our revolutionary system allows rotational movement with the wind, reducing structural stress and improving overall performance.

Drastic Reduction of O and M Cost and Safer Operation

Our innovative system offered dramatic reduction of Operation and Maintenance for offshore wind turbines, with the yaw control system removed at the hub of considerable height.

Better Energy Production Efficiency

Our design offers the least wind resistance and provide continuous alignment thus more wind is used for energy production and less wind wake effects to impact negatively on other turbines in the farm.

Unleashing the Full Potential: 15% LCOE Reduction Through Smart Design

Our focus is on the reduction of LCOE (levelized cost of electricity) enabled by our design, including CAPEX reduction, OPEX reduction and energy production increase. These combined effects are 15% reduction in LCOE.

Empowering Communities, Powering the Future: A Wind Farm for All

Our innovative system is based on the reduction principle in all aspects including fabrication and installation. The modular design is easy to fabricate. The reduced weight not only cuts cost but simplifies installation thus enables broader supplier base and more equitable employment, leading to increased levels of equality, diversity and inclusion.

Less Carbon, Better Life

Our system presents a compelling technological solution to the challenges facing the offshore wind industry. Its transformative potential for cost reduction, environmental impact, and operational efficiency makes it a crucial innovation for accelerating the transition to a sustainable future powered by clean wind energy.

Unlocking the Giants: Our System Ushers in an Era of Supersized Offshore Wind Turbine

No longer that the structure cannot stand the large force from the large turbine or too expensive. This system radically rethinks the approach to turbine support and paves the way for the deployment of even larger turbines in more challenging environments.

Stabilizing Floating Wind: Dynamic Load Reduction and Wind Vaning for a Stable and Efficient Future

Our system offers unique advantages for floating wind turbines: 1) Reduced hub weight minimizes dynamic forces on the platform. 2) Our innovative design actively reduces foundation loads, enhancing platform stability. 3)The wind vaning feature optimizes wind capture while minimizing stress on the floating structure.

The Onshore Advantage: Efficiency, Reduced Footprint, and Easy Transport – All in One System

The system is equally applicable to support turbine onshore, less load, less material, better energy efficiency. What is more, The reduced and flat shaped tower size will make it particularly appealing for onland transportations.

Second Act for Wind Farms: Retrofit, Repower, and Reap the Rewards with Our System

The flexible tower design can be used to retrofit decommisioned turbine to extend life of old turbine with existing foundation retained thus unlocking even greater potential benefit.

Our design challenges the paradigm of simply increasing foundation size and cost to resist large wind load. Instead, it focuses on reducing the load itself, paving the way for a more cost-effective and sustainable future for offshore wind.
Based on preliminary studies, tower weight can be reduced by nearly 30%. Foundation substructure cost can be reduced by 15%. Energy production can be increased by 5%. OPEX cost can be decreased by 20%. Overall LCOE can be reduced by 15%. Note that cost saving will also be affected by other project choices.
No. The only difference is in active yaw control as rotor will align with wind passively. This saves the active yaw mechanical  system on the hub and increases energy efficiency of the turbine. Unmodified turbine can be installed with yaw control de-activated.
The system produce almost zero torsion to the substructure, constrained only by the friction resistance of the bearing at the base. The overall loading from the tower to the structure can be reduced by at least 20%, resulting in at least a 15% saving in CAPEX cost.

CATAPULT

OFFSHORE RENEWABLE ENERGY

Looking beyond research and connect with the wider offshore wind industry. Catapult is appraising the wind rider technology and identify cost saving features.

NMIS

The National Manufacturing Institute Scotland

Driving the future of manufacturing through innovation. NMIS is accelerating productivity to grow our economy, develop a vibrant workforce, and create happier, healthier, greener communities.

University of Bristol

Aerodynamics Numeric Simulation

University of Bristol is speaclised at performing aerodynamics numeric simulations with its proprietary software and algorithms to model and analyze the flow of air to determine the wind load to the structure and its response, ascertaining the load reduction, optimizing design, and further reducing aerodynamic drag.

University of Bristol

Wind Tunnel Test

University of Bristol will conduct the scaled model test using one of its wind tunnels to validate the design in a simulated environment. The picture shows the wind tunnel with a 2.1 m x 1.5 m octagonal test section with maximum flow speed of 60 m/s. The wind tunnel balance system enables aerodynamic load measurements for a variety of large aero-components.

WeBridge

Structural Optimisation

WeBridge is specialied at optimal design of tower and foundation system as well as the fabrication of offshore turbine foundation.

University of Strathclyde

Bearing Validation

University of Strathclyde will be involved in the validation and optimisation of the bearing design of the rotating base.

University of Surrey

Risk Analysis

University of Surrey will examine the innovative system and its associated risk levels for the current stage of developments.

Application of Wind Rider Flexible Wind Turbine Tower for Floating Foundation and its Self-Alignment Function

The application of wind rider self rotating tower on a floating foundation helps to reduce the large load and reduce LCOE costs. The system provides stable restoring moments with features of wind facing, zero torque at base, multiple mooring fairlead for floater stability.

A FLEXIBLE SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR LARGE WIND TURBINE

Presented in OMAE2024, June 9-14, 2024, Singapore EXPO. The paper introduces a novel support system for offshore wind turbines that fundamentally redefines the paradigm of wind load management.

Innovative Flexible Support System for Large Wind Turbines

Presentation at the Asia Summit 2023

Wind Rider - An Innovative Turbine Support System Benefiting Reduction of OPEX

A flexible support system by removing the yaw control at the hub and simplifying the nacelle construction, thus greatly reduce the activities for offshore maintenance and cost.

  • London, UK