IWES to Test Adwen’s 8MW Turbine

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 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 1.5GW. 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”.