News
Published in: Wind, Press Releases
- World’s most powerful test facility for rotor bearing arrangements strengthens Schaeffler’s position as a system partner for the wind power industry
- Project completed in partnership with LORC (Lindø Offshore Renewables Center) and R&D Test Systems in Lindø, Denmark
- Test facility provides key component for development and validation of next-generation wind turbines
Schaeffler, as a partner of the Lindø Offshore Renewables Center (LORC), has commissioned the world’s most powerful test rig for rotor bearings in Lindø, Denmark – underlining the strong positioning of the Motion Technology Company as a system partner for the wind power industry.
“From the first product sketch to manufacturing and validation in real-world operating conditions – as the global market leader for wind turbine bearings, we contribute decisively with our comprehensive system understanding to ensuring that our customers’ turbines generate wind power ever more efficiently, reliably, and economically. This holistic approach – we call it ‘closed loop engineering’ – sets us apart from our competitors in the market,” said Sascha Zaps, CEO Bearings & Industrial Solutions, Schaeffler AG, at the inauguration. “The market is calling for safe and robust solutions. With this forward-looking commitment in Lindø, we are making sure it receives them. Our customers benefit from a partner that combines innovation and cost efficiency with maximum safety.”
Uwe Wagner, Chief Technology Officer of Schaeffler AG, said: “Our broad range of product families and manufacturing technologies form the foundation on which we continually impress our customers with technological innovations. We achieve this across a wide variety of market sectors – from two-wheelers and automotive to rail technology and renewable energies. The test rig in Lindø is another milestone through which Schaeffler, as a Motion Technology Company, sets new standards and strengthens its leadership role in the global competition.”
Cooperation with partners and customers is an important part of Schaeffler’s holistic closed loop engineering approach. In Lindø, the Motion Technology Company teamed up with LORC and R&D Test Systems. LORC is an experienced test facility operator and the owner of the state-of-the-art facility at Odense Port in Munkebo. The aim of the Danish company is to promote innovation in the field of renewable energy, ranging from full-scale testing of wind turbine nacelles, drivetrains, main bearings, blade bearings, components, and structures to industrial-scale battery storage systems. R&D Test Systems is a renowned developer of test rigs for the wind power industry.
Schaeffler played a big part in defining the specifications for the world’s most powerful test facility and will be its first user. From now on, it will test rotor bearing arrangements for the coming generations of wind turbines here exclusively in cooperation with wind turbine OEMs. “Development is rapid; we are now talking about turbines with a rated output of 25 megawatts. The demands on our wind turbine bearings are keeping pace with this,” says Bernd Endres, Vice President Regional Business Unit Wind.
560-ton test load unit
The heart of the facility in Lindø is the 560-ton test load unit. It is 16 meters long, 9 meters wide, and more than 8 meters high. It was specifically developed by the three project partners to simulate the extreme loads that the rotor bearing arrangements of wind turbines are subjected to on land and, most importantly, on the high seas. In the overall drivetrain, the rotor bearing system plays an especially important role: it has to support all the forces and moments from the rotor, which can be up to 300 meters in diameter.
“Reliability is a decisive factor for us and our customers, especially in the offshore sector. We are at the forefront with our engineering tools and manufacturing technologies. This new test facility, which we can use now thanks to the excellent and trusting cooperation with LORC, enhances our infrastructure for testing and validation. It is where we will take innovations to market maturity,” says Bernd Endres. “Some scenarios cannot be simulated on the computer. With our closed loop engineering approach, we ensure that all models and computations are backed up by real-world tests. This gives our customers a level of reliability that is unique in the market and forms the basis for safe, durable wind turbines.”
Schaeffler Group – We pioneer motion
The Schaeffler Group has been driving forward groundbreaking inventions and developments in the field of motion technology for over 75 years. With innovative technologies, products, and services for electric mobility, CO₂-efficient drives, chassis solutions and renewable energies, the company is a reliable partner for making motion more efficient, intelligent, and sustainable – over the entire life cycle. Schaeffler describes its comprehensive range of products and services by means of eight product families: From bearing solutions and all types of linear guidance systems through to repair and monitoring services. Schaeffler is with around 115,000 employees and more than 250 locations in 55 countries, one of the world’s largest family-owned companies and one of Germany’s most innovative companies.
Contact
Gregor le Claire
Head of Communications Bearings & Industrial Solutions
Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG, Schweinfurt, Germany
+49 (0)9721 91 3888
gregor.leclaire@schaeffler.com
Marco Bosch
Communications Bearings & Industrial Solutions
Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG, Schweinfurt, Germany
+49 (0)9721 91 1206
marco.bosch@schaeffler.com
