The remarkable first race for wind-powered vehicles

Wind Energy Events was formed by the Dutch Association of Technology Transfer (ATO-NH), the Energy Research Centre of The Netherlands (ECN) and De Jong Insurances which saw their “cooperation as a long-term commitment to climate changing possibilities.”

Windenergy Events’ Mission statement is to “organize various, international public events, in which WIND is promoted both as a source of energy and means of transportation. The events will have a highly innovative and educational character with particular regard to sustainable energy. Thus we strive to seek increased public understanding for sustainable energy technologies, awareness and the motivation that goes with changing public opinion towards overall sustainability.”

The North Holland Association of Technology Transfer (ATO-NH) is the intermediary for knowledge exchange in the field of sustainable energy technology. It serves the corporate sector in general and SMEs in particular. ATO-NH achieves its goals by intensifying collaboration between knowledge institutions, training institutes and government institutions. ATO-NH initiates, stimulates and coordinates broad industrial innovations using high-grade knowledge networks. The ultimate goal is the creation of sustainable employment in the region. ECN develops high-level knowledge and technology for a sustainable energy system and transfers it to the market.

The Rules Defining the rules for wind powered vehicles for the race was done thus: the competing yachts had to be land-based vehicles driven on wheels, with one driver, and propelled by a device with spinning blades or turbine coupled to the wheels. Temporary storage of energy was allowed during the race, but the storage device had to be empty at the beginning of the event.

The Race

Six European universities and research centres entered the race, but the InVentus team of 20 Stuttgart University students scooped the pool, also winning prizes for its innovative design and the effectiveness of its PR work. The ECN-impulse built by the Energy research Centre of the Netherlands (ECN) scored second place, while the Flensburg University of Applied Sciences made up the podium in this historic event with its Headwind Tricycle. The race was set up so that contestants had to drive directly into the wind, without tacking.

During the preliminary events, the Stuttgart Ventomobile quickly showed itself to be the lightest (just 130 kg) and most efficient vehicle and went on to take a clear win.

“Winning this prize was a great reward for our intense construction work during the last few months”, said Alexander Miller of the InVentus team. Miller, Jan Lehmann and 20 Stuttgart University students developed and constructed the vehicle over the last year with the support of the Endowed Chair of Wind Energy at the University of Stuttgart.

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