Wind energy techniques

In the last few years, it has become an indispensable player in the energy market: Wind energy. With growth rates between 30 and 40 %, the sector is currently experiencing a rapid development which is leading to a strong increase in employment. In 2008, over 90.000 people were already employed in the German wind energy sector alone, and in the near future it will scarcely be possible to fill the demand for qualified engineers to develop, design and operate onshore and offshore plants. The determining factors for this boom in Germany are, amongst others, the construction of large-scale wind energy parks now commencing in the North Sea and Baltic Sea, the ”Renewable Energy Law” and the support of regenerative energies by the German government, as well as the current discussion on climate change and its first observable impacts. The Master Degree Course in Wind Energy Techniques has evolved on the basis of these national and also of international developments in the area of wind energy, and the demand voiced by industry towards the University for specially qualified engineers. In this course, engineers are trained who understand the complex system of the ”wind power plant” as an entirety and can perform, in a comprehensive manner, interdisciplinary tasks in the field of wind power engineering in technical and management positions. In this way, it will be possible to react in good time to the strong increase in employment occurring in the
growth market of ”wind energy”.

• Objectives and special features 
• Employment opportunities for graduates 
• Course structure 
• Moduls 
• Pracitcal focus of the course 
• Special support by the business community 
• Admission conditions 
• Application Procedure 
• Student advisory service and contact 
• Professors of the course 

 WET_Master_2009.pdf
 

 WET_Flyer_Internet.pdf
 

Objectives and special features

The Wind Energy Techniques course is a scientific engineering course which relays, on the basis of the knowledge acquired to date, both theoretical/analytical and practice-oriented skills in specific aspects of wind energy as well as of measurement and control engineering. The guiding theme of the course is to prepare students for assignments as technical experts and management personnel and to impart to them the skills they need to perform tasks in the wind energy techniques sector. In general, the Master course aims to build on students’ existing knowledge, to consolidate it and to communicate to them the interdisciplinary topics revolving around the wind power plant.

Key features of the course are:

• A full-time course lasting four terms
• Qualification asMaster of Science (M. Sc.)
• High percentage of practice-related exercises, laboratory work and internships in the 4th term

Employment opportunities for graduates

In deepening their knowledge of wind energy techniques, graduates are prepared for activities in the wind energy sector for which there is a considerable demand in industry and thus the expectation that a growing requirement for qualified graduates will be observed. Tasks can be found, amongst others, in the area of rotor blade manufacture, steel, tower and foundation construction as well as in design, project planning and logistics. Graduates of the Wind Energy Techniques course are provided with all the necessary ammunition to tackle and solve questions in the area of wind energy techniques as technical experts and management personnel. In this way, the course enables graduates to perform tasks in a comprehensive manner at middle and upper management level. Apart from dealing with several projects with different focuses, the vocational spectrum of the qualified Master graduate in Wind energy techniques demands the taking on of management tasks where the work of the team members must not only be supported but also verified. Beyond this, graduates can deploy their know-how in other industrial areas with a maritime orientation as well as in the aeronautics industry, vehicle manufacture and lightweight construction, in other fields of renewable energies and instrumentation. Additionally, it is possible to find employment in the area of research and development.

Course structure

During the four terms, course modules designed to follow on from each other take place in the areas of simulation as well as measurement and control engineering for wind power plants. The core competencies from these fields are closely linked to the other modules in the course and enable students to understand wind energy techniques as a coherent system and to put it into practice in the shape of projects. By going into depth in the area of programmes for control process simulation, application of measuring and sensor technology as well as the teaching of business management and safety systems, students are able to understand how onshore and offshore wind energy plants function and to transfer this knowledge to industrial project work, thus contributing to its optimisation and further development. To prepare students for employment in management positions, the topics of project management, personnel management as well as profitability and finance are studied in depth. In the first and third terms, students can complete two compulsory module options per term. The fourth term is the practical phase, a preparatory phase for the Master thesis and the actual Master thesis itself, including the final oral examination.The course qualifies graduates for scientific and engineering work and method and relays theoretical/analytical as well as practice-oriented skills which enable students to approach new situations openly and creatively.

Moduls

• Aufbau und Logistik
• Betriebsführung und Sicherheitssysteme
• Energiemeteorologie
• Entwurf Windenergieanlage
• Lastannahmen
• Masterthesis
• Messtechnik und Sensorik
• Ness- und Auswertemethoden
• Netzanbindung
• Operation & Maintenance
• Praxisphase
• Projektmanagement und Personalführung
• Rotoraerodynamik
• Rotorblattstrukturen und -materialien
• Simulation: Regelung
• Simulation: Strömungen
• Simulation: Strukturen
• Simulation von windenergieanlagen
• Turm und Gründung, On- und Offshore
• Wahlpflichtfächer
• Wahlpflichtmodule
• Zertifizierungsprozesse in der Windenergie

Pracitcal focus of the course

A key specification of the Master course is its strong practical emphasis. This is achieved through project work and papers as well as extensive practicerelated laboratory work and exercises in the areas of simulation, measuring and sensor technology, business management as well as safety systems and offshore safety. There is close co-operation with enterprises and institutions, particularly in the framework of the practical phases and during the Master thesis. Joint research projects of the Institute ofWind Energy (fk-wind) with industry and other partners, the results of which are integrated long-term into teaching, qualify students for employment in the area of applied research too and contribute to an intensive transfer of knowledge and technology between Bremerhaven University of Applied Sciences and regional, national and international enterprises
as well as scientific institutions. In addition it exists a close contact to other national and international institutions and networks.

Special support by the business community

The business community was and is greatly interested in setting up and supporting a Master course in Wind Energy Techniques. It is not least due to the high growth potential and major significance of the sector for the Bremerhaven region that private businesses in the northwest are supporting the Master course to a considerable degree. For example, Multibrid GmbH is donating half a million Euro for a foundation professorship over five years and a consortium made up of four enterprises, Beluga Shipping GmbH, Sparkasse Bremerhaven, Bremer Landesbank and Germanischer Lloyd, has provided for a second foundation professorship. Thanks to this wide support, it was possible to plan and set up the Wind Energy Techniques course in a short space of time and to introduce it into the University’s curriculum. The course prepares the students, in whom the business community is extremely interested, for tasks in the wind energy sector. In addition, swb AG is supporting the wind energy field, for example in the fk-wind Energy
Colloquium. Overall, the special support afforded by the business community offers students a practice-based and application-oriented course of a high scientific standard in modern and well-equipped facilities.

Admission conditions

Admission to the Master course in Wind Energy Techniques is conditional upon a first university qualification with an overall grade of ”Good”. Applicants must provide evidence of a Diploma or Bachelor qualification from a university, university of applied sciences or other comparable foreign further education institution, with course and examination achievements equivalent to at least 180 points according to the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS). Admission criteria specific to the course are either a Bachelor qualification from the ”Maritime Technologies” course (MAR) at Bremerhaven University of Applied Sciences or a qualification from another course with a comparable curriculum. New students should master the English language to such a degree that they can contribute successfully to discussions and seminars in their own field. In general, a language qualification corresponding to Level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages is expected. Students whose native language is not German must also provide evidence of German language skills equivalent to Level C1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (see also www.hs-bremerhaven.de/Sprachqualifikationen.html).

Application Procedure

To apply for the Master course in Wind Energy Techniques, applicants must complete in full the relevant application form and either submit it in person or send it by post together with all the necessary documents before the closing date to the Admissions Office of the University. The form can be obtained either from the Student Counselling Centre or the homepage of Bremerhaven University of Applied Sciences. Closing dates for applications and other deadlines are published on the University’s homepage or can be obtained from the Student Counselling Centre. In addition to their application to the University, interested applicants from abroad should pay attention in good time to immigration regulations. Further information can be obtained from the German Embassy in the respective countries (www.auswaertiges-amt.de).

Student advisory service and contact

Student advisory service:

Admissions and registar´s office

Course-related information and advice

Professors of the course