Powering the energy transformation with wind energy: the Test Centre for Support Structures

9.00-11.30

A sand-covered area measuring 9 x 14 metres and 10 metres deep: at the Leibniz University Hannover Test Centre for Support Structures (TTH), sand with grains the same size as North Sea sand is saturated with water from the Mittellandkanal and compacted repeatedly. This is where researchers subject the foundation structures for offshore wind turbines to conditions that realistically reflect those in the ocean. The unique foundation-engineering test pit and the 3D clamping field enable the testing of large structures and components with complex loads, a precondition for constructing offshore wind turbines at the scale that is urgently necessary for the energy transition.

Guides:
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Raimund Rolfes (TTH board of directors, spokesperson for the Offshore Megastructures collaborative research centre)
Prof. Dr. Elyas Ghafoori (TTH managing director)
Dr.-Ing. Christoph Abraham (TTH operations manager)