On design, modelling, and analysis of a 10-MW medium-speed drivetrain for offshore wind turbines

Abstract

The design of a medium-speed drivetrain for the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) 10-MW reference offshore wind turbine is presented. A four-point support drivetrain layout that is equipped with a gearbox with two planetary stages and one parallel stage is proposed. Then, the drivetrain components are designed based on design loads and criteria that are recommended in relevant international standards. Finally, an optimized drivetrain model is obtained via an iterative design process that minimizes the weight and volume. A high-fidelity numerical model is established via the multibody system approach. Then, the developed drivetrain model is compared with the simplified model that was proposed by DTU, and the two models agree well. In addition, a drivetrain resonance evaluation is conducted based on the Campbell diagrams and the modal energy distribution. Detailed parameters for the drivetrain design and dynamic modelling are provided to support the reproduction of the drivetrain model. A decoupled approach, which consists of global aero-hydro-servo-elastic analysis and local drivetrain analysis, is used to determine the drivetrain dynamic response. The 20-year fatigue damages of gears and bearings are calculated based on the stress or load duration distributions, the Palmgren-Miner linear accumulative damage hypothesis, and long-term environmental condition distributions. Then, an inspection priority map is established based on the failure ranking of the drivetrain components, which supports drivetrain inspection and maintenance assessment and further model optimization. The detailed modelling of the baseline drivetrain model provides a basis for benchmark studies and support for future research on multimegawatt offshore wind turbines.