Abstract
Gearbox testing is an important and complex task that will become even more challenging as the wind industry moves towards ever-growing turbines. The burden of this task can be decreased by using reduced-scale models with similar characteristics as its industrial-scale equivalent. This work presents a step-by-step procedure to down-scale a gearbox to different fractions of its rated power while preserving its core properties: structural safety and frequency distribution. The parameters to be scaled are sub-divided according to their relation to the system's integrity and dynamic behavior. After performing an overall scaling, it is possible to fine-tune the scaling factors, according to the user precision requirements. Simulations show that it is possible to down-scale a gearbox to 0.01 % of its rated power while having less than 10 % relative deviation on its pitting safety factor. These preliminary results show that wind turbine drivetrain testing can become more affordable by using down-scaled models in a structured manner.
Export citation and abstract BibTeX RIS
Content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 licence. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI.