Full Scale Testing Facilities –
Ensuring Reliability for Offshore Wind Ensuring Reliability for Offshore Wind
Stuart Herbert
Business Development Manager, Engineering and Drive Train
EWEC 2010
Narec UK operational locations
Head Office
Wind, Marine, Sub-Sea & PV Campus
Blyth, Northumberland
Electrical Networks Division
High Voltage LaboratoryHigh Voltage Laboratory
Newcastle
London Office
Victoria, London
Wave test
facilitiesBlade test
facilities
O&M training
facilities
A world class research, development &
demonstration centre
Narec offices
Drive train test
facilities Offshore Demonstration
Narec: At the Heart of Innovation
• Independent, Cross-
disciplined R&D Platform.
• Mission: Enable energy
industry to advance
technology in order to technology in order to
reach sustainability.
• New breakthroughs in
design, deployment and
commercialisation of
sustainable energy
technologies.
The Move Offshore
• Larger turbines installed:
– E.g. 5MW machines from:
– RE Power
– Multibrid
– Bard– Bard
– Others in development.
• Minimises number of units to
install.
• Maximises energy yield per unit
installed.
RE Power 5M at Beatrice. The Engineering
Business’s BOWTIS and Rambiz vessel.
Risks and Problems
• Difficulties in installing and
operating turbines:
– Variable weather
– Extreme load cases
– Marine air / salt water– Marine air / salt water
• Access for maintenance and
repair – not guaranteed.
• With large turbines financial
losses from not generating
become significant.
Need and Solution
Need - improved reliability prior to deploying turbines offshore
Reliability from enhanced and rigorous testing onshore
• Solution - Narec is developing a new, large drive train and full nacelle test-rig.rigorous testing onshore full nacelle test-rig.
Better testing - de-risks turbine deployment
De-risking enhances investment attractiveness
Drive train / Full nacelle Test-rig
• 15MW drive system capable of testing the full nacelle of a 10MW turbine: – with either gearbox or direct
drive
– includes drive shafts, – includes drive shafts, bearings, gearbox, generator, converter.
• Mechanical loads:– ultimate
– fatigue.
• Electrical loads and grid faults.
Drive train load cases
• Mechanical full envelope including side loads:– Fx – Axial Force
– Fy – Radial Force
– Fz – Radial Force– Fz – Radial Force
– Mx –Shaft Torque
– My – Moment about y axis
– Mz – Moment about z axis
• Max side loading 70,000kNm.
• Axial load continuous 4,000kN.
Full scale nacelle test-rig
• Existing route to turbine deployment – field testing on a wind turbine test site.
• Limitation – can test only with the loads provided by the wind at the test site.
• Test-rig – all combinations of loads can be applied as needed.• Test-rig – all combinations of loads can be applied as needed.
• Result – a comprehensive and thorough test of the turbine is conducted.
• Potential problems – identified early before offshore deployment.
• The key prize – a more rapid insertion into service, with increased revenue to manufacturer.
Example of Increase in Installation Rate
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1000
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Enhanced installation rate
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5MW prototype
deployed
Effect on Cumulative Installation Rate
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7000
8000
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Manufacturer - baseinstallation rate
Enhanced installation rate
1GW increase in
deployed turbines
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Drivetrain Test Facilities - Update
• 2 Bidders preparing final designs for project Fujin.
• Final design to be selected in May/ June 2010.
• Industry involvement – discussions with Narec.
• Project Nautilus – Procurement at an advanced stage
Facility capabilityContinuous shaft input power 15MW
Codename ‘Fujin‘
Estimated cost £30-40M $60 million
Status Scheduled for commissioning 2011
15MW Drive Train Test Stand
Testing capability (Phase 1)Overload torque
Max torque operational 15 000kNm
Max torque instantaneous 30 000kNm
Shaft Speed at max power 10.25 rpm
Speed range 0 – 30 rpm
Max side loading 70 000 kNm
Radial loading 8 000 kN
Axial load continuous 4 000 kN
FAS frequency response 2.5 Hz
Heaviest lift (x2 cranes) 450T
Grid supply (loss make up) 3MW
Grid voltage 3.3kV
Supply 50Hz
Test bed 30m x 10m
Dynamic fatigue
Extreme static
Side loading
Dynamic fatigue
Extreme static
Brake emulation
Unbalanced rotor
Fouling
Pitch error
Complete nacelle testing and proving
Condition monitoring evaluation
Control system validation
Facility capability
Codename ‘Nautilus‘
Estimated cost £15M / $23 million
Status Scheduled for commissioning Q2 2011
3MW Marine Drive Test Stand
(Wind turbine/ generator test possible)
Testing capability (Phase 1)Facility capabilityContinuous shaft input power 3MW
Max torque 5000kNm
Shaft Speed at max power 6 rpm
Speed range 0 – 30 rpm
Max side loading 15 000 kNm
Axial load continuous 3 000 kN
Heaviest lift 100T
Grid supply (loss make up) 0.9MW
Grid voltage 3.3kV
Supply 50Hz
Test bed 34m x 7m
DAQ 512 channels
Testing capability (Phase 1)Overload torque
Side loading
Dynamic fatigue
Extreme static
Brake emulation
Unbalanced rotor
Fouling
Pitch error
Complete nacelle testing and proving
Condition monitoring evaluation
Control system validation
Immersion testing for cooling or seal validation
Overview of NaREC – Testing, R&D, Consultancy Services
Basic System: Control and communications
Overview of NaREC – Testing, R&D, Consultancy Services
August 2009
Siemens Brande
• Stuart Herbert, Business
Development Manager
• – Engineering and Drive Train
Services
Additional Services1. Strain gauging of ring gears
2. Data acquisition and processing
3. Gearbox assembly and disassembly
4. Analysis of gearbox vibration data
5. Review of component wear following tests.
6. Root cause analysis of failures during testing
7. Gearbox FMEA and test plan review
8. Critical review of gearbox failure modes in relation to proposed test plan
9. Design validation of gearbox or drivetrain9. Design validation of gearbox or drivetrain
10. Analytical review of gearbox design, safety factors and component lives, leading to
recommendations of suitable tests
11. Design of Optimised HALT tests and Interpretation of HALT results
12. Manipulating load cycling to correct errors in order of failures.
13. Drivetrain dynamic analysis and design of dynamic tests; complete with model verification.
14. In field failure mode replication plan; - detailed simulation of drivetrain and available load data to
design tests that isolate and then replicate in service failure conditions on the test rig.
100m Blade test facility (BTF2)
Codename BTF2
Estimated cost £15M
Status Scheduled for commissioning Q2 2011
Facility capability
Blade length Up to 100m
Static winches Up to 8 winches
Hub height (static test) 9m
Hub height (dynamic test) 14m
Heaviest lift 65T
Dynamic testing Hydraulic resonant mass
Maximum hub moment 173 MNn
Static tip deflection Max 50m
Dynamic tip deflection Max 24m all directions
DAQ NI based with up to 512
strain gauge channels
Testing capability
Static blade testing
Overload (130%, 160%, failure)
Design validation
Certification (GL, DNV)
Stiffness calibration
Dynamic blade testing
Accelerated fatigue (1M, 5M cycles)
Flap
Edgewise
Combined
Pitch bearing testing
100 MW offshore wind research &
demonstration site
• 30 – 60m water depths
• 20 turbine positions
– 5-10MW class turbines
– Novel foundations
– Electrical networks
• Operated under lease from TCE
Codename Project 32
Infrastructure cost £18.5M
Status Scheduled for consent 2011
• Operated under lease from TCE
• Permitting by end 2011
• Construction to commence 2012
Summary - Approved projects 2010
• $ 50m - Offshore wind drive train test
facility rated at 15MW (Project Fujin)
• $20m - Rotary drive train test facility rated
at 3MW (Project Nautilus)
• $25m - wind turbine blade test facility • $25m - wind turbine blade test facility
with 100m capability
•$30m - 100 MW offshore demonstration
project
Well over $100m of approved projects in
planning/ procurement/ construction