07/13/2017

INNAS and Hydrautrans develop hydraulic transmission for offshore wind turbines (>12 MW)

INNAS and Hydrautrans are developing an innovative mechanical-hydraulic transmission for offshore wind turbines with a capacity of more than 12 megawatt. The engineering company INNAS and technology company Hydrautrans offer a competitive solution for the next generation offshore wind turbines with this light-weight, cost effective transmission.

This technology has a long lifetime and high efficiency and therefore distinguishes itself from the current direct drive and geared technology in wind turbines. The companies aim to contribute to the cost reduction of offshore wind energy.

The Floating Cup Technology will be used for the transmission, invented and patented by INNAS. The hydraulic pumps and motors operate without internal metal-to-metal contact, which translates into superior system efficiency without wear. This results in an elongated service life of more than 25 years and an efficiency of more than 95%.

Preliminary calculations show that, by implementing this hydraulic transmission in new wind turbine models of existing suppliers, the levelized cost of energy (LCoE) can be reduced significantly. The low turbines price in combination with an elongated service life results in a LCoE reduction up to €6,- per MWh.