INNOVATIVE FUTURE-PROOF TESTING METHODS FOR RELIABLE CRITICAL COMPONENTS IN WIND TURBINES INNTERESTING This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 851245 LOCATION AND CHARACTERISTICS OF THE WIND TURBINE: CS3 - NOVEL STIFFENING CONCEPT FOR LIFETIME EXTENSION OF EXISTING PITCH BEARING In this case study, a 3.4 MW wind turbine will be installed in 2020, and the pitch bearing will fail at an early stage of the lifetime (<10 years), requiring a reparation and stiffening solution in the pitch bearing to continue operation for the remaining lifetime of the turbine. www /innteresting-eu @INNTERESTING_eu innterestingproject.eu WIND FARM > Burgos, Spain > Size of the wind farm of 68 MW > 20 onshore turbines WIND TURBINE > Onshore wind turbine > 3.4 MW wind turbine > Hub height of 110 m > Rotor diameter of 130 m > Pitch bearing diameter of 2.7 m > REQUIREMENTS - The desired time to implement the idea must be short - The wind farm must remain in operation working with a high confidence level - The new pitch bearing reparation and stiffening solution must fulfil the loading, environmental, cost and structural specifications defined > OBJECTIVE - To verify lifetime extension and reliability evaluation of the new lifetime extension concept for pitch bearings. - To verify the new lifetime extension concept viability for stiffening and/or reparation in pitch bearings. - To verify the suitability of the hybrid testing methodology during validation process of novel lifetime extension concepts for pitch bearings with respect to the current processes. Dykes, (2019) IEA Wind Task 37 The new pitch bearing lifetime extension concept must fulfil the loading, environmental and structural specifications defined for the extension of lifetime in already installed wind turbines. > PROBLEMS - The need of retesting the components for assuring longer lifetimes is a problem for the manufacturers - When there is a failure of the component in use (e.g. Ring structural fatigue (RSF) failure mode) the replacement of the component can be difficult