Schaeffler, in partnership with the Lindø Offshore Renewables Center (LORC), has commissioned a new large-scale test rig for rotor bearings in Lindø, Denmark. Developed together with LORC and R&D Test Systems, the installation will be used by Schaeffler to test rotor bearing arrangements for the next generation of wind turbines in collaboration with turbine manufacturers.
The facility is located at Odense Port in Munkebo, where LORC operates several renewable energy test sites. At the centre of the new test facility is a 560-ton test load unit measuring 16 metres in length, 9 metres in width and over 8 metres in height. It was designed to reproduce the extreme forces acting on rotor bearings, particularly in offshore environments where rotor diameters can reach 300 metres.
Schaeffler contributed to the technical specifications of the rig and will be its first user. The company plans to test components for turbines with outputs of up to 25 MW. The facility will enable the company to validate bearing systems under realistic operating conditions and advance development work in cooperation with its industry partners.
Images: Schaeffler (craft/Jochen Weltz)
