The Fraunhofer IWES in Bremerhaven is building a worldwide unique test facility for complete 400 ton wind energy turbine nacelles: a drive-performance of 10MW, the dynamic equivalent of five times the shear force of a harbour tug boat to simulate rotor wind-loading and an artificial medium voltage grid for full value electrical turbine certification characterise the “Dynamic Nacelle Testing Laboratory”, DynaLab for short.
Testing in this facility gives manufacturers the possibility of developing more efficient, less expensive and more reliable wind energy turbines.
Quicker development times for wind energy turbine manufacturers through laboratory instead of field testing.
Today, a new wind energy turbine design must be immediately convincing – “teething problems” in the highly professionalized wind energy trade are not tolerated by operators. High-performance and reliable turbines must be produced using increasingly large components in increasingly short development times: generally, really new concepts hide high development risks – unless of course, they have already been put to the acid test. In DyNaLab this, after a one year building phase, will become possible for nacelles of all standard type offshore and onshore turbines.
Investment in Innovation Strength
The technical reliability of the nacelle with a large number of power electronic components determines to a great degree the overall availability of the wind energy turbine on the grid. Accelerated test procedures in DyNaLab can assure that turbine operability is not endangered by unknown weak points.
With a total investment in the facility of 30 million Euros funded by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Natural Conservation and Reactor Safety (BMU), the Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF), EU funding in the framework of the EFRE programme as well as the State of Bremen and the Fraunhofer society who with the innovative power of quality conscious manufactures wish to influence the definition of testing standards for the entire trade. Already in the conception phase the Fraunhofer IWES established close collaboration with the industry to develop a tuned to needs test stand.
Positioning in the International Research Landscape
With the possibility of being able to carry out comprehensive laboratory stystem-tests – two successful rotor blade test stands have been in operation for several years a further test stand for support structures opens in 2014 – the Fraunhofer IWES as the central figure for German wind energy research is on the same level as other facilities in Europe and the USA. “Based on a test infrastructure which can portray the complexity of wind energy turbine systems almost completely and realistically, new approaches for future oriented research projects result which can be beneficial for the entire wind industry,” stresses Institute Director Prof. Andreas Reuter .
Good Connections and Unique Performance Spectrum
The wind port of Bremerhaven offers optimal conditions for the delivery of heavy-weight test specimens which can reach a maximum of 400 tons and diameters of up to 13 metres: short transportation distances from the heavy-load quays in Labrador Harbour to the test stand make for competitive logistics costs.
The dynamic force exertions of 20 MNm bending moments and a nominal torsional moment of 8,6 MNm as well as a virtual, independent of the public power supply, grid with installed 40 MVA inverter output for simulating electric voltage drops and with high repetition frequency make the performance spectrum unique. Smaller components such as inverters, generators, pitch drives, bearing shafts and mainshafts are also to be tested in the new building which is also the work place for 20 members of staff.
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Press release, September 23, 2013; Image: Fraunhofer