Adwen and Fraunhofer IWES have signed an agreement to test the drivetrain for Adwen’s next generation turbine of 8MW rated power, the largest offshore turbine on the market.
Under the terms of the agreement, the 8MW drive train will be tested in IWES´s new Dynalab (Dynamic Nacelle Testing Laboratory) site, a unique test stand located in Bremerhaven, Germany, which is to be inaugurated on October 20th.
The 8-MW drive train for the Adwen turbine will be tested in IWE’s new Dynalab (Dynamic Nacelle Testing Laboratory) site in Bremerhaven, Germany. The lab will be inaugurated on October 20th.
The DyNaLab is one of the world’s largest and the most versatile test facility for nacelle testing. Fraunhofer IWES has invested around 35 Million Euros over the past years to design and build the facility.
“We expect to offer the wind industry valuable support for a more reliable design process and faster secure market introduction of new wind turbines” pointed out Prof. Jan Wenske, deputy director of Fraunhofer IWES.
The process, to be carried out from December 2015, will cover mechanical testing on the integral chain of drive train components. By simulating operational conditions but as well offshore conditions for extreme and fatigue loads, a critical move forward will be achieved in the verification of gearbox, bearings, couplings, shaft, generator and converter. The process will allow individual and fully integrated subsystems’ validation as well as complete drive train operation at full power, paramount for de-risking before prototype erection in 2016.
Adwen’s 8MW turbine has already been selected for a pipeline of projects reaching almost 1.5 GW. Its serial production is scheduled to start in 2018, at Adwen’s industrial sites in France and Germany.
Maite Basurto, Chief Technology Officer of Adwen said: “The IWES Dynalab test stand is an invaluable asset for the wind industry. Adwen immediately chose to take advantage of this opportunity: IWES Dynalab testing is a complementary step in our extensive validation program. It will contribute to having a faster certification process and finally a more reliable turbine available in serial production in 2018”.
The signing ceremony for the 8 MW turbine included executives from Gamesa and Areva.
Adwen is a 50-50 joint-venture of AREVA and Gamesa dedicated to offshore wind. Adwen is responsible for the design, manufacturing, installation, commissioning and services of offshore wind turbines. Combining both AREVA and Gamesa wind expertise and extensive track-record, Adwen is ideally positioned to become a leading player in the offshore wind segment with the objective of garnering a market share of close to 20% in Europe by 2020. Adwen has corporate offices in France, Spain, the UK and Germany.
Bringing together a testing infrastructure and capability for accelerated life-time testing, Fraunhofer IWES is often a preferred research partner for leading turbine manufacturers, suppliers, wind farm operators and power authorities all over the world. By assuring investments in technological development, accelerating development times and certification processes, and increasing planning security, it covers the complete spectrum of technical wind energy utilization issues. With an overall budget of €23.6 million in 2014 and currently 140 employees, the institute is a leading provider of applied research services.
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