The global market for wind turbines is continuously growing – with increasing demands for performance and dimensions of turbines, both onshore and offshore. Against the backdrop of public and political debates about future energy supply, manufacturers are working intensively to increase the efficiency of their systems and further reduce the costs of wind power. A significant advancement is marked by the new drive concept REVO, which the German drive specialist Flender is presenting today under its wind brand Winergy. For the first time, a turbine drive achieves a torque density of 300 Newton meters per kilogram – a technical milestone.
"With REVO, we are redefining the standards in wind power technology," says Andreas Evertz, CEO of the Flender Group. "The increased torque density enhances efficiency while simultaneously reducing material usage – a crucial step for even greater competitiveness and sustainability in the industry."
More efficiency through higher torque density
REVO is a validated design concept for new turbine generations and offers a torque density of 300 Nm/kg. This enables significantly more compact drive systems: with the same power, the outer diameter can be reduced by up to 25 percent. Andreas Klein, Vice President Drive Systems and Gear Engineering for Flender's wind business, explains: "Torque density – also referred to as power density – describes how much torque a drive can transmit per kilogram of material – a central key figure for the investment costs of a wind farm."
The compact gearbox design addresses several central challenges in the development of new turbines and offers extensive advantages: It lowers transport costs and enables road transport capability, even for current and future power classes beyond 8 megawatts. The compact design opens up new locations that were previously logistically inaccessible and accelerates the expansion of wind energy.
In addition, the reduced material usage decreases the size of the gondola and the mass in the tower head. This saves costs on tower and foundation. Compared to gearboxes of the same power class from 2010, REVO enables a CO₂ reduction of up to 70 percent. Quiet second-generation sliding bearings ensure compliance with European emission regulations and increase operational safety.
Global development performance as a success factor
REVO is the result of close collaboration within Flender's global engineering network. Through the further development of existing technologies and the use of new gear materials, a unique prototype was created that provides competitive advantages. The heart of the concept is the combination of innovative technologies that together enable the extraordinary torque density – including the optimized combination of planetary stages and planetary gears per stage, space-saving and noise-reducing sliding bearings, as well as induction-hardened materials for maximum reliability. Extensive tests confirm the performance capability of the concept.
"We have already doubled the torque density of our drives in recent years," says Tommy Rahbek Nielsen, President of Winergy. "With REVO and reaching the 300 Nm/kg mark, we are opening up new possibilities for our customers: more power in the same installation space or more compact components without sacrificing performance and reliability. Together, we define the right technology package for each project."
Premiere at the Voerde plant
After successful validation, the REVO concept is currently on display at the Winergy plant in Voerde. "The compactness compared to previous systems is impressive," says Nielsen. "The prototype is intended to serve as an impetus to develop the best solutions for upcoming projects with our customers. Our common goal: to make wind energy as efficient and economical as possible."
"With REVO, we offer an answer to the demands of today's and future wind energy projects," adds Flender CEO Andreas Evertz. "This innovation is another step towards supply security – and we are proud to present it."
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