Component Tests in Wind Turbines Component Tests in Wind Turbines | HBM

Component Tests in Wind Turbines: Longer Service Life, Higher Efficiency

Achieving maximum efficiency with wind turbines requires reliable and conclusive component tests. Whether you are testing the individual components of rotor blades or those of generators, HBM testing and measuring equipment and software ensures reliable and accurate testing of the wind turbine components. This results in increased system reliability and facilitates network integration.

HBM provides testing solutions for the following components:

Rotor blades

Rotor blades are subjected to extreme loads. Static load and fatigue tests need to be performed to ensure safe operation. HBM provides the complete measurement chain for these tasks:

Electrical Components

The Genesis HighSpeed data acquisition system facilitates the testing of electrical or high-voltage components such as generators and inverters. In addition, its combination with HBM torque transducers enables determining the overall power and efficiency of the generators. These values also allow the inverter power to be certified in accordance with the EN61400-21: 2008 Wind turbines – Part 21.

Gear unit

High-precision torque transducers provide the key parameters, particularly for the purpose of calculating a motor’s efficiency, in test stands for development of gear units. This enables the gear units to be developed in a manner that facilitates a long service life, minimum wear, and high efficiency.

  • For a nominal (rated) torque ranging from 50 Nm to 10 kNm, we recommend using the T12HP torque transducer with an accuracy class of 0.03
  • For a nominal (rated) torque ranging from 15 kNm to 80 kNm, we recommend using the T40FM torque transducer

Complete nacelle test stands

HBM offers both mechanical and electrical measurement systems for testing complete nacelle test stands. The systems use many sensors based on different measurement principles and deliver conclusive data to enhance service life.

Benefits of HBM Testing Solutions

  • Enhanced service life of your critical assets

  • Higher efficiency of your components/wind generator

  • Optimized design of your wind turbine

Research Projects

HBM participates in many research projects that explore wind turbine components and bring valuable and new insights that drive the development of HBM testing and measuring equipment.

IEA Wind Task 35

HBM is a member of the “IEA Wind” international forum’s working group on “Ground Based Testing of Wind Turbines and their Components”. This working group not only focuses on large-scale testing facilities for ground-based gear units and generators but also on the evaluation of rotor blade loads. It mainly seeks to develop guidelines and offer recommendations for testing facilities that simulate the loads observed in wind turbine components in a controlled environment on site, with the objective of verifying system or component functionality, reliability, and durability.

Click here for more information: www.cwd.rwth-aachen.de/1/iea-wind/

EMPIR 14IND14 Project

Within the scope of the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research project, the largest EU research and innovation program, HBM and the German National Metrology Institute, PTB, are working together on the “Torque measurement in the MNm range” project (EMPIR 14IND14 Project) of the "EUROPEAN METROLOGY PROGRAMME FOR INNOVATION AND RESEARCH”. This project focuses on the largest torque transfer standard in the world that ensuring traceability. This standard, developed by HBM, offers 5 MNm nominal (rated) capacity and is located at PTB.

Click here for more information: www.ptb.de/emrp/ind14-home.html