Adwen Picks Sentient Science for 8MW Turbine Gearbox Testing

Adwen has signed an agreement with the US-based Sentient Science to validate the drivetrain for the Adwen 8MW offshore wind turbine.

Under the terms of the agreement, Sentient Science’s DigitalClone computational testing software will be used to further validate the Adwen 8MW platform drivetrain’s design and standards.

Sentient Science says that DigitalClone provides ”an exhaustive and comprehensive validation strategy in which thousands of gearbox validation test points are computationally created within weeks for a fraction of the cost of physical testing,” thus allowing ”massive amounts of testing points and insights to be evaluated before physical testing begins.”

Ward Thomas, CEO and President of Sentient Science, said: “Confidence in 20- to 30- year rotating equipment life is our crucial objective. The world’s largest equipment operators, gearbox and bearing manufacturers, as well as lubrication suppliers, are turning to Sentient to confirm that their products will lower the cost of energy by 1 cent per kWh on land and 5 cents per kWh offshore. Sentient is proud to help confirm and validate the system under design and to make sure that Adwen has the world’s most tested drivetrain before our friends at Fraunhofer begin their physical testing.”

Adwen, the second largest offshore wind turbine manufacturer in 2015 by market share, is a joint venture between France’s AREVA and Spain’s Gamesa.

Maite Basurto, Chief Technology Officer of Adwen, said: “A front-end to our physical testing process with the newest computational test technology matches with our rigorous test and validation process, always with the final aim of increasing the reliability of the turbine. Using Sentient’s DigitalClone® is a first 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.”