WE DEVELOP Plug and Play: Using Wind Energy more flexibly
The wind energy sector is growing. At the same time, the turbines are getting bigger. This brings new technological and economic challenges into focus. Modularization and standardization create opportunities for optimizing supply chains and logistics. With this in mind, Rothe Erde has developed the Pitch Bearing Unit (PBU). We present the module.
What is it about?
We present the Pitch Bearing Unit (PBU), a completely installable plug-and-play component for wind turbines.
What’s the point?
Wind turbines are getting bigger and bigger. This poses new challenges for the robustness and performance of the individual assemblies and system components. At the same time, the costs for component procurement, transportation and installation of the turbines are becoming increasingly important.
What’s the benefit?
With the PBU, the development team at thyssenkrupp rothe erde is providing a future-proof solution for onshore and offshore wind turbines. It simplifies the hub design and thus reduces manufacturing and assembly costs.
The wind energy sector has been developing very dynamically for years and a further rapid increase is planned in order to achieve the climate targets. Offshore wind farms in particular are considered attractive because they promise a high energy yield when equipped with robust components.
“A key challenge for wind power is the further development of the technology, particularly in light of the growth in turbine size,” explains Dr. Daniel Becker, Head of Bearing Calculation & Tools. He has been working as an engineer at Rothe Erde for 13 years and, together with his team, deals primarily with calculation issues and corresponding development projects.
Size brings new challenges
“These challenges apply in particular to the high-performance facilities off the coast. The focus here is not primarily on the logistics or transportation of the individual components or assemblies, but rather on the technological growth in the size of the components,” continues Becker. This is the case, for example, with the rotor hub or the rotor blade itself, which in turn poses additional challenges for the blade adjustment or pitch bearing at component level.
Compact module prevents deformation
This is where the team came in. Together with HAWE Hydraulik SE and ITH Bolting Solutions, the engineers developed a new integrated concept for the next generation of wind turbines: the Pitch Bearing Unit, or PBU for short. This is because current development trends in multi-megawatt wind turbines show that deformations on the rotor hub and rotor blade side can have a significant impact on the performance and therefore the service life of the pitch bearings during operation. This is precisely where the Pitch Bearing Unit can help.
“The PBU also acts as a stiffening element between the hub and pitch bearing,” explains Dr. Martin Neidnicht, Group Manager FEM Applications in the Bearing Calculation & Tools department at Rothe Erde. “It significantly increases the structural stability and rigidity in this area of the wind turbine, which is particularly evident in large and therefore potentially soft hub bodies.”
3-in-1 function simplifies transportation and assembly
What's more, the module is completely ready to install. And it combines three key functions in a single component: conventional blade mounting, hydraulic or electric blade adjustment and optimization of the mechanical system stiffness. This allows the blade adjustment system to be integrated directly into the PBU without a connection to the hub. The advantage: The supply chains of the hub and pitch drive can be specifically separated. This saves logistics costs as well as processing and assembly work for the hub manufacturer. The blade adjustment system can already be set and tested during the assembly of the PBU. This “plug and play” concept simplifies final assembly and reduces the time required.
Potential for cost savings
Another advantage of the Pitch Bearing Unit is the possible standardization and modularization of the hub component. This means that standard hub designs could be used for certain sizes of wind turbines in the future. Initially manufacturer-specific, i.e. platform-dependent, and in a further step even manufacturer-independent. Such standard hubs could be adapted to different rotor blade diameters and pitch concepts using different PBUs. “By standardizing the hub and modularizing the pitch unit, optimizations and cost savings in the supply chains of wind turbine manufacturers are conceivable, similar to the automotive sector,” says Dr. Becker.
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