GE to supply advanced wind turbine test facility to LORC
14 March 2013
GE has signed a turnkey contract with the Danish Lindoe Offshore Renewables Centre (LORC) to supply one of the world's most advanced facilities to test wind turbine nacelles.
The Lindoe Nacelle Testing project (LNT) will be located in the Lindø Industrial Park on Funen, Denmark's fourth-largest island. It will be ready for first tests on wind turbine nacelles with an output power of up to 10MW by 2014.
The function tester will incorporate GE’s drivetrain, grid simulation, control systems and foundation work. It comprises medium voltage switch gear, transformers, inverter system DDPM (direct drive permanent magnet) motor, human-machine interface and foundation.
GE will carry out the installation, commissioning, and remote service for the project. The medium voltage inverter system is a further development of GE’s existing MV7000 series, and is believed to be one of the most compact medium voltage inverters on the market.
The new nacelle tester will enable LORC to test the functionality and performance of wind turbine nacelles by using a specially designed adapter that enables the turbine hub and all field operational software and hardware—including pitch control—to be included in the test. It will open up a wide range of opportunities to test wind turbine controllers inside the nacelle, using highly realistic test conditions at 33kV.
The test bench has a modular design that will enable it to be adapted to future needs. For example, its grid simulator power can be increased at a later date and thereby increase its functionality to carry out extended FRT (Fault Ride Through) tests - simulations of wind turbine systems to remain connected to the supply during grid malfunctions and to help stabilise it.