thyssenkrupp is further expanding its development activities for slewing bearings for the wind industry. For this purpose, the company has now commissioned a new test stand in Erwitte in the district of Soest, especially for blade and rotor bearings of wind turbines. Here, bearings for turbines of more than ten megawatts of power can be tested and further developed under real conditions on around 7.500 square meters of space. The test stand is an extension of the development center for slewing bearings in Lippstadt, only a few kilometers away. The company has invested over five million euros in the new test site.

Winfried Schulte, CEO of thyssenkrupp rothe earth: "This test site is specifically designed to holistically simulate the operation and lifetime of new rotor and blade bearings for future generations of wind turbines. Holistic means that the bearings are tested in the original version, taking into account the relevant turbine components, ie rotor hub and rotor blade. For the new generation of wind turbines of the 10 megawatt class, such tests are of crucial importance, since with the power step, significantly higher demands are placed on the functionality, load and quality of the components ".

Wind turbines of the new generation have rotor blades of up to 80 meters in length. Blade bearings connect the rotor blades to the rotor hub and allow for optimal adjustment of the blades to the wind to regulate the performance of the equipment. Especially on the blade bearings load during operation extremely high forces. That's why they count as well as rotor bearings to the most important components of a system. Rotor bearings store the entire drive train of hub, rotor blades and generator. They allow the transmission of torques from the rotor blades to the power-generating generator and transmit wind loads and weight forces into the tower.

In addition to the theoretical calculations, intensive tests in the 1: 1 scale are necessary for the design of such bearings in order to evaluate non-calculable effects such as wear phenomena and to validate the design.

The new test bench from thyssenkrupp rothe erde allows all functional tests that simulate a load over the entire lifetime of the component of up to 25 years to be completed in six to twelve months. Thyssenkrupp is also using new digital measurement and test methods. For example, individual rolling elements inside the bearing are equipped with special sensors and used as measuring instruments. These "intelligent" rolling elements send real-time measurement data from the operation of the plant. This enables new insights into the actual construction of real burdens and interactions. These digital measuring methods can also be used in normal operation outside the test bench. In addition, tests with lubricants or leak tests can be carried out.

"Having in-house extensive testing and testing equipment is an important competitive advantage today. In recent years, we have continuously invested in the expansion of our test center. Together with our customers, but also with certification bodies and universities, we are working on new technological solutions to make wind turbines even more efficient, robust and powerful, "says Winfried Schulte.

The test rig in Erwitte is part of the test and development center for wind power components of thyssenkrupp rothe earth in Lippstadt. The facility is one of the largest and most modern of its kind in the world. On around 10.000 square meters of surface, large rolling bearings are being tested and further developed for onshore and offshore wind turbines. On a total of twelve large test rigs, quality and durability tests are carried out on bearings with up to six meters outside diameter. The focus here is on inductively hardened bearings. These are extremely powerful components that are suitable for particularly large applications.

thyssenkrupp in the wind industry

thyssenkrupp is an important partner to the wind industry. In addition to manufacturing components, the company is a provider of service products and engineering services. The company builds elevators for wind turbines as well as fully automated systems for rotor blade production. In addition, thyssenkrupp equips wind farm operators with state-of-the-art testing technology for the remote monitoring of wind turbines and develops industrially usable energy storage systems. In addition, thyssenkrupp operates a trading business for pipes, steel and industrial equipment used in turbine, tower and foundation construction. Thyssenkrupp is also active in the field of materials for the wind industry. Extremely hard-wearing steel plates are used, among other things, in the manufacture of foundations, towers and installation vessels. Finished thin sheets are used in the manufacture of gondolas and other components susceptible to corrosion. ThyssenKrupp electrical steel is an important starting material for generators and transformers.

ThyssenKrupp / ISE - September 2019

Picture: ThyssenKrupp