Next Generation Drivetrain

Development and Test Program

Drivetrain Concepts for Wind Turbines

6th International Conference

Jonathan Keller, NREL

Bill Erdman, Cinch, LLC.
Doug Blodgett, DNV GL
Chris Halse, Romax Technology, Inc.
Dave Grider, Wolfspeed
Bremen, Germany
November 30, 2015
NREL/PR-5000-65497
NREL is a national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, operated by the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC.
Agenda
• Next-generation drivetrain architecture
• Drivetrain technology development and testing
o Gearbox and inverter software
o Medium voltage inverter modules

• Summary

2
Next-Generation Drivetrain (NGD) Architecture
The NGD is an integrated, medium-speed, medium-voltage drivetrain,
featuring advances in the gearbox, generator, and power converter
that increase efficiency, reliability, and annual energy production
(AEP) while reducing operation and maintenance (O&M) and cost of
energy (COE). Similarities to:
• Winergy HybridDrive
NREL's research on the NGD has two phases: • Moventas/The Switch FusionDrive
• ZF Wind Power etc.
• Phase I - Investigated NGD benefits; found 5% AEP increase
and 13% COE decrease at 5 megawatts (MW)
• Phase II - Designed, built, and tested key technologies.
100%

Next Generation
95%
Drivetrain
Drivetrain efficiency (%)

90%
+5.6%
85% +10%

80% Three-stage,
doubly fed
75% drivetrain

70%
0% 50% 100%
Rotor Power (%)

Comparisons of drivetrain cost and efficiency at 5 MW. NGD wind turbine concept.
Illustration by Al Hicks, NREL Illustration by Al Hicks, NREL
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NGD Design – Main Bearings
• Double tapered roller bearings (from WindPACT Program)
o Support rotor axial loads and moments
o Support planetary carrier
o Oil lubricated

NGD wind turbine concept.

NGD gearbox and generator. Illustration by Josh Bauer, NREL Illustration by Al Hicks, NREL
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 NGD Design - Gearbox
• Single-stage planetary gearbox†
o Mechanical simplicity and journal bearings increase reliability
o Multiple planets, flex pins, and premium steel‡ increase capacity
†Two-stages may result in lower drivetrain capital cost
‡Not part of Phase II design, build, and test program

NGD gearbox planetary section. Photos by Chris Halse, NREL 33353 and Jon Keller, NREL 33341
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NGD Design – Power Converter
• Medium-voltage, 3-level neutral point clamp design with
hybrid Silicon/Silicon-Carbide (Si/SiC) modules
o Increase efficiency and energy production
o Lower temperatures increase reliability
– May reduce or eliminate tower cooling

o Decrease pendant cable size and cost

• Inverter utility control algorithms
o Increase drivetrain reliability and support voltage and frequency

Medium-voltage hybrid module.

Photo by Powerex
Silicon Carbide diodes.
NGD wind turbine concept.
Photo by CREE
Illustration by Al Hicks, NREL
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NGD Design - Generator
• Permanent Magnet (from WindPACT Program)
o Medium-speed and medium-voltage†
o Concentrated windings decrease manufacturing cost
o Segmented stator decreases O&M cost
†Not part of Phase II design, build and test program

Uptower stator extraction.

Illustration by
Global Energy Concepts

Uptower rotor extraction.

Generator rotor. Illustration by Edge-wound concentrated winding.
Photo by Jon Keller, NREL 33343 Global Energy Concepts Illustrations by Global Energy Concepts
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Agenda
Next-generation drivetrain architecture
• Drivetrain technology development and testing
o Gearbox and power converter software
o Medium voltage hybrid modules

• Summary

8
Dynamometer Testing
• Gearbox journal bearing and flex pin robustness
o Validate load sharing behavior
o Determine wear in rotor start-stop and dither conditions

• Inverter utility fault control effectiveness

o Use Controllable Grid Interface (CGI) to emulate grid faults
o Validate torque oscillation reduction

Next generation drivetrain. Controllable grid interface.

Photo by Jon Keller, NREL 35206 Photo by Mark McDade, NREL 29069
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Flex Pin and Journal Bearing Tests
• Planetary loads
o Generator torque
o Ring gear tooth load (4 locations, 8 tooth gauges)
o Flex pin bending strain (4 pins)
o Gearbox vibration
• Journal bearing operations
o Oil supply pressure and temperatures
o Oil particle count and oil analysis NGD instrumentation. Illustration by Romax Technology
o Journal temperatures and wear inspection
• Dynamometer and grid conditions
o Speed, torque, etc.
o Active and reactive power
o Grid frequency
o Inverter phase voltages and currents
Flex pin stresses. Illustration by Romax Technology

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 Journal Bearing Temperature
Journal Bearing Temperatures Nonload Zone
62
Load Zone
60
Non-Load Zone Manifold
Temperature (°F)

58 Manifold

56
Rated
54 Load Zone
52 Journal Temperatures.
Illustration by Romax Technology
50
0 100 200 300 400 500 ∆T Between Load Zone and Nonload Zone
Torque (kNm) 1.0

∆Temperature (°F) 0.8

Temperature equilibrium point at higher
torque where loaded and nonloaded sides 0.6 Rated
maintain a temperature differential.
0.4
Temperatures are the steady-state average
of all four pins. 0.2

0.0
0 100 200 300 400 500
Torque (kNm)

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 Planetary Load Share
• As torque increases, flex pins balance loads
Torque = 21 kNm Torque = 250 kNm Rated torque = 417 kNm
Relative Load

Relative Load

Relative Load
Ring Locations Ring Locations Ring Locations

Measured planet pin forces

correlate with design values,
especially at higher torque.

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Upcoming Gearbox Tests
• Start-stop tests
o 5,000 cycles from
0 to 10 RPM in 10 seconds
• Rotor dither tests
o Unlocked: 14,400 cycles
over ±5° at 1/6 Hz
o Locked: 86,400 cycles
over ±¼° at 1 Hz
Rotor dither test setup.
• Post-Test Teardown Inspection Illustration by Lambert Engineering

o Spindle and journal bearing surfaces

o Sun, planet, and ring gear contact patterns

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Utility Faults
• Grid interconnection requirements reviewed
o Eastern and Western U.S. Interconnections, ERCOT, HECO, and PREPA
• Requirements impacting drivetrain selected for mitigation
via power converter control algorithms
o Symmetrical and asymmetrical grid fault responses
o Frequency deviation response
o Main shaft torsional mode active damping

Interconnection areas and fault types.

Illustrations by DNV KEMA

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 Asymmetrical Fault Control
• Traditionally via Positive Sequence Current (PSC) regulator
o Reference currents that are sinusoidal and balanced (BPSC)
o Results in 120 Hz power oscillations under unbalanced voltage conditions
o Power oscillations result in gearbox torque oscillations
• New Positive-Negative Sequence Current (PNSC) regulator
o Unbalanced currents reduce 120 Hz power and torque oscillations
Simulation of Phase-to-Phase Fault at High Side of PadMount Transformer

Phase Phase
Voltages Currents

Generator
Torque BPSC – 120 Hz Oscillations
PNSC
0.25 0.30 0.35 0.40 0.45 0.50
Time (s)
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Example Asymmetric Fault Test
• 2-phase faults, PNSC damping not enabled yet
9 cycles

Gearbox & main shaft

natural frequency
30 cycles

99 cycles
cycles Drop of 20% voltage = ±20% torque
Drop of 50% voltage = +117% torque
Drop of 80% voltage = ?? torque
IEC 61400-21, Table 1, Case VD1-3

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Fault Control Comments and Caveats
• Fault torques highly dependent on drivetrain technology
o Full conversion, passive rectifier (NGD topology)
– Probably least severe fault torques
– NGD measurements made for validation and commercialization purposes

o Full conversion, active rectifier

Worthy of
o Partial conversion, doubly-fed induction generator future study
– Probably most severe due to direct utility connection of stator circuit

• Implementing PNSC with non-unity power factor may be

complicated with certain (European) standards.

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Agenda
Next-generation drivetrain architecture
• Drivetrain technology development and testing
 Gearbox and power converter software

o Medium voltage hybrid modules

• Summary

18
 Hybrid Si/SiC Inverter Module Testing
• Manufacture 4.5kV SiC barrier diodes
• Install SiC barrier diodes in commercial Si modules
o Hybrid diode module in clamping location provides largest
reduction in converter switching losses
o IGBT module reduces losses to a lesser extent
• Test hybrid Si/SiC modules in 5 kV test stand
o Validate switching loss reduction

Medium-voltage hybrid module.

Photo by Powerex
10 mm x 8 mm 4.5 kV/40A SiC barrier diodes. 2.3 MW medium voltage module test stand.
Photo by CREE Photo by DNV KEMA
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 Switching Waveforms and Losses
Single Phase of Two-Level Inverter Substitute SiC Diode for Si Diode Only
Q1 Gate Si/SiC Hybrid
Si Module
Drive Module
Vge 1 - 3 kHz

Diode Reverse Time

Recovery Current
IGBT Carried by IGBT
Waveform

IL sin ωt

8000 IGBT Tail

Switching Losses Current
7000
Power Loss (Watts/Cell)

Conduction Losses Diode

6000
5000
IL Waveform
4000
3000
2000
Diode Reverse Switching
1000 Recovery Current Interval
0 Carried by Diode
Si Hybrid Si/SiC SiC 1.0 PU Switching Losses 0.6 PU Switching Losses*
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Switching Waveform Results
• IGBT Turn-On, Diode Turn-Off at 1,200 Amps
Diode Reverse Recovery Current Si

Diode Reverse Recovery Current SiC

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Switching Energy Results

Inductive Load, 3-Level NPC Circuit

Test Conditions:
Vcc = ±2,500 V, Vge = +15/-7 V
Rgon = Rgoff = 2 Ω
Tcase = 85 °C

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Inverter Loss and Efficiency Estimates
• Switching losses reduced up to 12.6 kW with hybrid modules
o 2.1 kW per cell for 6 cells sized for 2.3-MW inverter
• Conduction losses essentially the same
Inverter Losses1 Inverter Efficiency
Si Switching Medium Voltage, 3-Level, Hybrid Si/SiC Module

SiC Switching Medium Voltage, 3-Level,

6th Gen Standard Module

x x
x x Low Voltage, 2-Level,
4th Gen Standard Module
x
Conduction Losses Equal x

X – Inverter Efficiency Data Taken at NREL in 2007

100% Corresponds to 400 A, 3.3 kV, 5 kVDC, fs = 1 kHz, Unity Power Factor, and 2.3 MW
1Tomta,G., and Nielsen, R., “Analytical Equations for Three Level NPC Converters”,
9th European Power Electronics Conference Proceedings, EPE 2001.
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 Module Reliability
• Increasing efficiency reduces inverter and module temperatures
• Reducing module temperatures increases their reliability
• Module reliability related to 3 factors:
o Junction average temperature, Tj Higher Tj
o Junction temperature change 125 °C 100 °C
over power cycle, ∆Tj
o Case temperature thermal
cycle change, ∆Tc

∆Tj
Base Plate Solder
∆Tc

Module Cross Section

∆T (°C)
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Agenda
Next-generation drivetrain architecture
• Drivetrain technology development and testing
 Gearbox and power converter software

 Medium voltage hybrid modules

• Summary

25
Summary
• Medium-speed, medium-voltage drivetrain developed
o Main bearing, gearbox, generator, and inverter innovations
o Paper study showed reductions in CAPEX, OPEX and COE
• Technology test program is assessing key innovations
o Gearbox flex pin load sharing and journal bearing performance
o Inverter utility fault control algorithm effectiveness
o Hybrid Si/SiC module efficiency

Jonathan Keller
jonathan.keller@nrel.gov
+1 (303) 384-7011
NGD Video Link
Next generation drivetrain. Photo by Jon Keller, NREL 35206
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 Acknowledgments and NGD Project Team

U.S. Department of Energy

Funding
FOA # DE-FOA-0000439

Prime contractor, National Wind Technology Center

testing and (NWTC) at NREL
COE Analysis

Gearbox and Journal Hybrid Power Converter Utility Fault Control

Bearings Modules Algorithms

Technology design, Romax CREE The Cinch

manufacturing, Technology
engineering analysis Wolfspeed DNV GL
and licensing
Miba
Powerex
Interested Cost Share Partner

Vattenfall
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