Students stress test construction for Floating Wind Challenge
Is it possible to build a floating undercarriage for a 4-meter-high wind turbine? Students from the Beverwijk campus are taking up the challenge. Together with college and technical university students, Techport and Stichting MyTec-Bedrijven, they prepared for an international competition Floating Wind Challenge on May 12 off the coast of Scheveningen. After weeks of intensive preparation, the students conducted a test of the operation and stability of the structure in the port of IJmuiden on April 13 and 14.
The Floating Wind Challenge is a competition initiated by OffshoreWind4Kids. The competition encourages young technical designers to develop the best floating wind support structures. MyTec lecturer Erik Deuling: 'The challenge for the students is to design and make the floating part and positioning. The project is appealing on many fronts. Think of region IJmond as a port of exit for the wind industry, sustainability techniques, but also the unique cooperation between the different educational levels and the business community.'
Leon Woolthuis of Beuker Special Products attended the test: 'As a company we are very excited to participate in this project. In our workshop we introduced the students to working with plastics and the techniques involved. They spent three days on the floor mastering extrusion welding, wire welding and polyfusion welding in practice. It's so cool: students are so enthusiastic, you notice that the MyTec students are bright students. MyTec student Jeroen Dozij, "I welded on the floats.
Arie Pronk, who as safety coach taught the students how to make a safety analysis: 'It's great to see the enthusiasm of teacher Erik Deuling and how he motivates the MyTec students with his enthusiasm. Third-year All-round employee production engineering student Kick Tiekstra works with the MyTec students: 'As engineering students, we work together intensively for the Floating Wind Challenge. The MyTec students designed the construction and I contributed ideas. I welded the steel structure for my exam, and I also helped finish it. It's great fun to have a final assignment like that.
Learn more
Contact Erik Deuling, lecturer, edeuling@novacollege.nl.