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

800

1000

1200

MW

inst

alle

d

Manufacturer - baseinstallation rate

Enhanced installation rate

0

200

400

600

800

O4 O5 O6 O7 O8 O9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Year

MW

inst

alle

d Enhanced installation rate

5MW prototype

deployed

Effect on Cumulative Installation Rate

5000

6000

7000

8000

Cu

mu

lati

ve M

W in

stal

led

Manufacturer - baseinstallation rate

Enhanced installation rate

1GW increase in

deployed turbines

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

O4 O5 O6 O7 O8 O9 10 11 12 13 14 16 17 18 19 20

Year

Cu

mu

lati

ve M

W in

stal

led

Enhanced installation rate

Narec’s Future Facility Development

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.

Narec Blade Test

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

Offshore Wind Demonstration

Zone (100MW – 20 Turbines)Zone (100MW – 20 Turbines)

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

Thank you

and

Questions?Questions?