Project description
New testing method to accelerate wind energy developments
Wind energy now covers over 11 % of Europe's electricity demand and is a EUR 72 billion industry. Wind holds an important and growing place in Europe's industry base. Three of the five largest turbine manufacturers in the world are European companies. It makes sense to accelerate wind energy technology development. This is the goal of the EU-funded INNTERESTING project. It is developing a disruptive methodology to demonstrate reliability of larger wind turbine critical components without the need for building larger test benches in the future by overcoming size-dependent issues during the design process and testing. By integrating virtual testing and hybrid testing, the project's methodology will save time and money during the product development process.
Objective
The future wind turbines will require flexible and economically affordable PDPs to obtain reliable and validated new concepts for bigger wind turbines or already installed turbines.
One of the most critical components that have a high contribution to wind farms OpEx costs are the bearings (selected Case Studies 1 and 3 during INNTERESTING) and gearboxes (selected Case Study 2 during INNTERESTING). Since both components transfer high loads and have high failure rates, they are considered as critical components inside the wind turbine. Although the percentage of the total Capex cost of bearings (2% ) is not as high as other structures (e.g. blades 22% and gearbox 13%) , their role is not insignificant.However the role of bearings and gears in the OpEx is higher due to the major impact of early. The fatigue requirements that must be assured for the lifetime is a key factor to reduce the negative effect of reparations. New wind energy key concepts and uses which are faster to commercialisation have been prioritised:
INNTERESTING project aims to accelerate wind energy technology development and increase lifetime extension of wind turbine components by developing a disruptive methodology to demonstrate reliability of larger wind turbine critical components without the need of building larger test-benches in the future by overcoming size dependent issues during design process and testing. In this matter, INNTERESTING project pursues the development of innovative virtual and hybrid testing methods for prototype validation of pitch bearing and gearboxes components (Selected Study Cases Components).
The new methodology will help saving time and money during the product development process (PDP) by integrating virtual testing and hybrid testing: including innovative non-physical and scaled/simplified physical testing. In comparison with current methodologies INNTERESTING will reduce considerable environmental and economic impacts, and improve social acceptance.
Fields of science
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
RIA - Research and Innovation actionCoordinator
20500 Mondragon
Spain