The new Revo drive concept marks a technological milestone for the industry: it is the first solution to achieve a torque density of 300 Nm/kg. This enables more compact and efficient wind turbines, lowers energy production costs and creates a competitive edge through globally integrated engineering teams.
As the global wind turbine market will continue to grow in the coming years, the size and output of turbines—both onshore and offshore—are steadily increasing. Amid ongoing public and political debate about the future of energy supply, manufacturers in the wind sector are striving to enhance the efficiency of their systems and reduce the cost of wind energy. A milestone in this effort is the introduction of Revo, a new drive concept launched by German drive specialist Flender under its wind energy brand, Winergy. For the first time, a turbine drive has achieved the coveted threshold of 300 Newton meters per kilogram (Nm/kg) in torque density.
Revois a validated design concept that offers 300 Nm/kg for new turbine developments. The result is a significantly more compact drive system. For the same power output, the required outer diameter can be reduced by up to 25 percent. Andreas Klein, Vice President of Drive Systems and Gear Engineering at Flender’s wind segment, explains: “Torque density—sometimes also named power density—refers to how much torque a drive can transmit per kilogram of material.”
A Collaborative Effort of a Global Team
Revo is the product of Flender’s global setup and strong engineering capabilities. Flender creates a competitive edge by utilizing the close collaboration within its global engineering team. By advancing existing technological trends and introducing new gear materials, the team has created a unique prototype. Key element of this design is the unique combination of new technologies, that result in an unprecedented torque density. These include an optimized combination of planetary stages and gears per stage, as well as space-saving, noise-reducing second-generation journal bearings. Enhanced gear materials and induction hardening further improve drive reliability. Validated through extensive testing, Revo sets a new benchmark for torque density and represents a new generation of wind turbine technology.
Source: Flender
