source: IKERLAN

Technological approach

It is essential to provide European companies with the most advanced testing methodologies and to design tools to help them find innovative solutions and bring them faster to commercialization. INNTERESTING proposes a breakthrough hybrid methodology and disruptive design tools to demonstrate reliability and lifetime extension of large wind turbine components, eliminating the need of larger test-benches in the future. This paradigm shift aims to strengthen the European leadership in renewables, achieving increased power capacity and accelerating time to market.

INNTERESTING hybrid testing methodology

INNTERESTING will develop an innovative hybrid testing methodology that will be not only useful for validating large wind turbine components, but also for evaluating lifetime extension concepts that must be implemented in already existing wind farms in order to extend the remaining life of the structure.

CURRENT TESTING PYRAMID

COMBINING PHYSICAL AND VIRTUAL TESTING

INNTERESTING HYBRID TESTING METHODOLOGY

WITH THE HYBRID TEST CONCEPT

INNTERESTING aims to eliminate the need of building large test benches in the future by simplifying the product development process (PDP) of new wind turbine components, reducing costs and time.

CURRENT PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT PROCESS (PDP)

Predesign

Design and evaluation of new component using existing design tools

Full-scale prototype and full-scale testbench design and construction

Full scale testing campaign

Validation using fixed loads 1 specimen tested

30 months

INNTERESTING PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT PROCESS (PDP)

Predesign

Whole PDP of new component with INNTERESTING design tools and hybrid testing methodology

Validation using fixed loads 1 specimen tested

15 months

CASE STUDIES overview

INNTERESTING project also pursues the validation of the developments through 3 different case studies dealing with innovative pitch bearing concept (CS1), new gearbox component design (CS2) and innovative repairing solution for lifetime extension of pitch bearings (CS3)

source: LAULAGUN

CS1 Novel pitch bearing design concept

CS1 is based on an innovative pitch bearing concept that will be installed in a 20 MW offshore wind turbine from the year 2030 onwards (hub height of 160, rotor diameter of 276 m and the pitch bearing diameter of 7 m). The turbine will be installed in a wind farm with a size of 2 GW with 100 turbines.

Read more

CS2 Novel gear design concept

CS2 is based on a new gearbox concept that will be installed in a 10 MW onshore wind turbine from the year 2030 onwards (hub height of 119, rotor diameter of 202 m and a torque density up to level of 200Nm/kg). The wind turbine will be installed in a farm size of 100MW with 10 turbines.

Read more

CS3 Novel stiffening concept for lifetime extension of existing pitch bearings

CS3: In this CS, a 3,4 MW wind turbine will be installed in 2020, and the pitch bearing will fail at an early stage of the lifetime (<10 years): a reparation and stiffening solution will be required in the pitch bearing.

Read more