Master Thesis: Design and Modelling of a 15-MW Drivetrain for an Offshore Wind Turbine

The Chair for Wind Power Drives researches the behavior of drive systems in modern multi-megawatt wind turbines. Research topics are increasing the availability, robustness and energy efficiency of wind turbines as well as decreasing levelized cost of electricity. A combination of software development tools and modern system test benches are used for this.

The need to increase renewable energy’s share in global energy production and to exploit offshore wind resources is moving wind farms further offshore and into deeper waters. The design and modelling of detailed drivetrains are essential for the research and development of Floating Offshore Wind Turbines (FOWTs).

In this thesis, you will design a drivetrain for the IEA 15MW FOWT and model it in MBS. An initial potential gearbox design layout will be proposed based on the design loads and criteria that are recommended, then the selected layout will be optimized with considerations of its weight, volume, and load sharing performance. A high-fidelity drivetrain dynamic model will be established using an MBS modelling approach. It will be verified that the resonance does not occur in this model within the normal operating range.

Tasks:

• Familiarization with the multibody software Simpack
• Design and optimization of a drivetrain layout according to the relevant international standards
• Modelling of a high-fidelity numerical multibody simulation (MBS) model of the drivetrain
• Comparison of the developed model with the pre-existing simplified model and evaluation of the resonance

Prerequisites:

• Motivation to work autonomously and responsibly
• Previous knowledge of multibody and its software (Simpack) are desirable, but not required
• Programming skills (MATLAB) are advantageous

We offer:

• Professional supervision and collaboration in a dedicated team
• Immediate start and rapid progress of the thesis
• Thesis can be written in English
• Possibility to publish the results in a paper depending on the quality of the thesis

We look forward to your application by email:

Jinqiu Pan, M. Sc.
Chair for Wind Power Drives

Campus-Boulevard 61, 52074 Aachen
jinqiu.pan@cwd.rwth-aachen.de