Siemens Gamesa to Test 8MW Turbine Nacelle at Fraunhofer IWES

Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy and the Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy Systems (IWES) have officially signed a contract for validation of the SG 8.0-167 DD wind turbine nacelle.

The prototype of the new offshore turbine from Siemens Gamesa is set to undergo hardware in the loop (HiL) testing in the Dynamic Nacelle Testing Laboratory (DyNaLab) from April 2018 until the end of the same year, Fraunhofer IWES said.  The focus will be on the performance of the generator and the turbine’s grid compatibility.

A pilot project was already launched at the beginning of the year with the aim of specifying the test design, clarifying interfaces, and preparing adaptations of the test infrastructure to the nacelle’s special design.

“The cutting edge testing methods of the DyNaLab are an important addition to our inhouse turbine testing,” said Andreas Nauen, CEO Offshore at Siemens Gamesa

“The combination allows us to shorten testing campaigns and at the same time improve the reliability of the results by comparing field and laboratory data.”

Siemens Gamesa launched the new 8MW direct drive offshore wind turbine earlier this week. The new model is expected to be market-ready by 2020.

“We are very happy to assist SGRE in their development of highly reliable turbine technology. With our unique infrastructure and proven testing methodologies, Fraunhofer IWES will work in close cooperation with the experienced SGRE team to achieve the required project objectives,” said Prof. Andreas Reuter, Managing Director of Fraunhofer IWES.

Images: Fraunhofer IWES