Minesto has finished the procurement of yet another subsystem for the first commercial-scale Deep Green demonstrator, as they have placed an order for what presumably is the most characteristic part of the Deep Green system; the wing.
It is Green Marine out of Southampton, UK that has been chosen as supplier of Minesto’s first wing in commercial scale, which means 12 meter between the wing tips, and a center chord (wing depth) of 3.3 meter.
Green Marine is perhaps best known for building custom racing yachts, such as challengers for the America’s Cup and Volvo Ocean Race, but their core business is also to build lightweight components in carbon fibre composites. In the manufacturing process of Minesto’s wing, the British outfit will be assisted by Gurit, leading global supplier of composite materials and engineering services.
The ordered 12-meter wing has basically the same hydrodynamic shape and properties as the further-developed and recently manufactured scale-model wing, which Minesto took delivery of in November.
The wing will be made from composite material, with inner beams in carbon fibre and an outer shell in fiberglass. On the inside it is filled with a foam with room for dry ballast and an adjustable dynamic buoyancy system. On the outside, the wing is fitted with sensors to measure current velocity, kite speed and level of depth.
More details can be found on Minesto’s website here.