TMD.Tower VIV – Making tower vibrations technically manageable
Key Points at a Glance
- TMD.Tower VIV is Wölfel’s passive, scalable tuned mass damper solution for onshore wind turbines.
- It provides a cost-effective solution for VIV-induced tower vibrations during installation, downtime and operation.
- Passive & robust: no active control and no connection to the wind turbine control system.
- Scalable & OEM-compatible: designed as a modular solution for different tower variants.
- Evidence-based: simulation, design, validation at the Wölfel Test Center and series integration support the development process.
Onshore wind turbines are becoming taller, more slender and increasingly cost-optimized. As a result, the targeted control of tower vibrations is becoming increasingly important from an economic perspective – during installation, downtime and operation.
TMD.Tower VIV is Wölfel’s passive, scalable tuned mass damper solution for onshore wind turbines – developed to provide a cost-effective means of controlling VIV-induced tower vibrations, rather than allowing them to become a risk to the tower and project schedule.
The Approach
TMD.Tower VIV follows four fundamental principles. They describe the concept behind the system — without going into the details of its technical implementation.
Passive & robust
No active control and no connection to the wind turbine control system — reducing complexity, interface risks and servicing requirements.
Scalable across platforms
Designed as a modular building block that can be adapted to different tower variants — rather than as a bespoke solution for an individual application.
Developed for OEM compatibility
Designed with the available installation space, interfaces, installation and maintenance requirements of real-world tower environments in mind.
Evidence-based
Simulation, design and validation at the Wölfel Test Center accompany the development process from the outset — providing a sound technical basis for decision-making.
Built on experience, not assumptions.
TMD.Tower VIV builds on Wölfel’s many years of experience in vibration analysis, structural mechanics and the development of tuned mass dampers for wind turbines. This expertise is well established in the wind energy sector and is being specifically extended to the onshore market with TMD.Tower VIV. In doing so, Wölfel draws on end-to-end expertise from a single source – from requirements analysis and concept development through detailed design and prototype construction to serial delivery – expertise the company has already established in the offshore sector with TMD.Tower.
The path to technical validation
Four steps that progressively strengthen the technical evidence supporting TMD.Tower VIV over the course of a project.
FAQ
A Tuned Mass Damper (TMD) is a passive vibration reduction system: a tuned auxiliary mass continuously counteracts tower vibrations — without active control and without any connection to the wind turbine control system. An alternative concept, known as an impact damper, limits vibration amplitudes through controlled impact/collision energy rather than through a continuously tuned counteracting mass. TMD.Tower VIV follows the TMD operating principle and is individually designed for the respective tower and verified through a multi-stage validation process comprising simulation, design, validation and series integration.
VIV stands for vortex-induced vibration – tower vibrations that can be caused by vortex shedding in taller, more slender and increasingly cost-optimized tower designs, particularly during installation, downtime and certain operating conditions. As tower heights increase and cost optimization continues in the onshore wind market, the targeted control of these vibrations is becoming increasingly important from an economic perspective.
Please contact us personally
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We would be pleased to support you in solving your problem concerning "Wind turbine vibrations" and advise you on questions regarding our system and service offerings in the areas of structural health monitoring, vibration reduction, sound and noise as well as structural design.
Industrial engineering in dual study programme, Osnabrück University of Cooperative Education
SALES DIRECTOR AND EXPERT IN SCALING STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS SOLUTIONS FOR THE WIND ENERGY SECTOR
Responsible, together with his team, for the market development and positioning of solutions in the fields of Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) and vibration mitigation
Extensive experience in collaborating with global OEMs and operators across the wind turbine value chain
Implementation of commercial strategies for the successful delivery of complex projects
Building long-term customer partnerships and identifying new business opportunities in the international wind energy market
Civil Engineering, TU Berlin
Dipl.-Ing.
WAB e.V.
"Paths are created by walking them." (Franz Kafka)
Working independently in a flexible, highly innovative company that makes a little contribution to the energy transition.
KEY ACCOUNT MANAGER WIND ENERGY ONSHORE
B.Sc. in Industrial Engineering and Management – specialising in project management
Responsible for Key Account Management and sales activities in the WIND sector
Focus areas include monitoring systems (SHM.Blade / IDD.Blade), tower vibration dampers (TMD.Tower) and vibro-acoustic dampers (ADD.Sound)
SENIOR KEY ACCOUNT MANAGER
More than 10 years of experience in international key account management, sales and bid management in technology-driven industries, including aerospace and renewable energy
Experienced in collaborating with interdisciplinary and international project teams as well as coordinating complex tendering and contract processes
Degree in Applied Foreign Languages and Business Administration, complemented by international academic and professional experience and multilingual capabilities (DE, EN, FR, ES)
Holds additional certifications in negotiation and sales
Industrial engineering in dual study programme, Osnabrück University of Cooperative Education
SALES DIRECTOR AND EXPERT IN SCALING STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS SOLUTIONS FOR THE WIND ENERGY SECTOR
Responsible, together with his team, for the market development and positioning of solutions in the fields of Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) and vibration mitigation
Extensive experience in collaborating with global OEMs and operators across the wind turbine value chain
Implementation of commercial strategies for the successful delivery of complex projects
Building long-term customer partnerships and identifying new business opportunities in the international wind energy market
Civil Engineering, TU Berlin
Dipl.-Ing.
WAB e.V.
"Paths are created by walking them." (Franz Kafka)
Working independently in a flexible, highly innovative company that makes a little contribution to the energy transition.
KEY ACCOUNT MANAGER WIND ENERGY ONSHORE
B.Sc. in Industrial Engineering and Management – specialising in project management
Responsible for Key Account Management and sales activities in the WIND sector
Focus areas include monitoring systems (SHM.Blade / IDD.Blade), tower vibration dampers (TMD.Tower) and vibro-acoustic dampers (ADD.Sound)
SENIOR KEY ACCOUNT MANAGER
More than 10 years of experience in international key account management, sales and bid management in technology-driven industries, including aerospace and renewable energy
Experienced in collaborating with interdisciplinary and international project teams as well as coordinating complex tendering and contract processes
Degree in Applied Foreign Languages and Business Administration, complemented by international academic and professional experience and multilingual capabilities (DE, EN, FR, ES)
Holds additional certifications in negotiation and sales