DRIVETRAINS
At ORE Catapult, we are at the forefront of drivetrain testing, validation, engineering and research. Our experienced drivetrain specialists, engineering and project management teams work with clients to enhance and validate their advanced and complex wind and tidal turbine drivetrain systems.
Across our facilities, we carry out:
Highly Accelerated Lifetime Testing (HALT) with multi-axis loading
System performance tests; power curve and efficiency assessments
Design verification and model validation
Worldwide grid compliance testing
Component validation and conformance testing
New supply chain validation
DRIVETRAIN TESTING & VALIDATION FACILITIES
Located in our Blyth location, we have state-of-the-art testing and validation facilities for next generation offshore wind turbine systems that can perform drivetrain endurance, extreme load and bearing testing.
Here is a list of our capabilities:
15MW drivetrain test facility
Drivetrain testing facility for offshore wind turbine systems, with 6 degrees of freedom loading and grid emulation
3MW drivetrain test facility
Horizontal axes drivetrain testing facility for wind and tidal turbine systems, with 6 degrees of freedom loading and grid emulation
1MW drivetrain test facility
Sub-megawatt drivetrain and component testing facility for small scale turbine drivetrain systems
18MVA grid emulation system (eGRID)
One of the world’s most advanced grid emulation systems, enabling simultaneous mechanical and electrical system testing in conjunction with our drivetrain test facilities.
Data acquisition & analysis
With 840 GPS–synchronised channels available, our data acquisition and analysis service enables us to measure every aspect of a drivetrain’s performance, while securely and independently managing client measurement data.
Wind load characteristics using our 7MW demonstration turbine
We emulate drivetrain test conditions with real-time, in-field operating conditions, assisting clients in building accelerated test load profiles from field operational loading conditions.
Materials analysis
Our materials specialists and fully equipped in-house laboratories allow clients to better understand turbine behaviour, failure modes and root cause, as well as perform post-test tear down inspections. We offer tear down and analysis, dedicated HV Materials Lab on-site and an understanding of root cause of failures.
Testing at ORE Catapult is an important step in our engineering process and the data collected will play a critical role in future design considerations. We plan to continue to invest in both onshore and offshore testing.”
SIMEC Atlantis Energy
POWERTRAIN RESEARCH HUB
The Powertrain Research Hub is a £2.5m partnership between the University of Sheffield and GE Renewable Energy. The hub focuses on the development of next generation and future technologies and research solutions for improving turbine reliability and performance. Our powertrains expertise supports with accelerated lifetime testing of the latest and greatest nacelles in offshore wind and tidal energy.
- Validating novel generators
- 1MW, 3MW and 15MW powertrain test facilities
- Grid compliance
- Powertrain reliability, health monitoring and prognostics
- Development of new componentry
- 18MVA Grid Emulation System
CONTACT OUR TEAM
