WIND TUNNEL ASSEMBLY AT THE SENAI INSTITUTE OF INNOVATION

FanTR was responsible for the entire project and construction of the Wind Tunnel that was installed at the SENAI Institute for Innovation in Renewable Energies (ISI-ER) in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte.

This will be one of the main pieces of equipment in Brazil dedicated to research, development, innovation and provision of services focusing primarily on the wind sector. “It is a 1m x 1m test section tunnel that enables aerodynamic tests with speeds of up to 100 km/h – extremely important for the wind power sector,” said the director of the SENAI Institute of Innovation in Renewable Energies (ISI-ER), Rodrigo Mello.

Mello also pointed out that ISI-ER will be able to contribute with several demands to solve bottlenecks for business owners: “In 2020, the ISI-ER will offer the wind power market the possibility of calibrating anemometers and direction sensors in Natal-RN, near most wind farms in operation in Brazil.” The executive points out that Rio Grande do Norte houses more than 150 wind farms in operation (approximately 4.2 GW).

The wind tunnel allows simulating air movement behavior in different types of structures (e.g. buildings, bridges, oil rigs and wind turbines –, allowing experts to observe the behavior of fluid flow and aerodynamic properties involved, in order to validate load or fluid dynamics modeling.

With the new wind tunnel, the ISI-ER expands its laboratory structure and ability to provide services to the Renewable Energies sector. The ISI-ER already has a team of 22 people, most of which are PhDs, masters and specialists, dedicated to developing innovative solutions for the market.

The institute is part of a network of 27 institutes across 12 Brazilian states. This ISI operation model was inspired by the applied research network practices of the Fraunhofer Institute, in Germany, which has a strong technological and market drive.

Based in Natal, the SENAI Institute of Innovation in Renewable Energies has nationwide operations.

“The ISI is extremely relevant for the industry, since it is the focal point of discussions in the sector, ensuring we always serve the entire production chain and benefit from the improvement of results. Just like others currently in expansion and installation, this laboratory enhances our ability to guarantee the provision of these services focused on innovation and research,” said the director.