GE Renewable Energy to Test Cypress Onshore Wind Turbine Platform at IWES Lab in Germany

GE Renewable Energy (NYSE: GE) today announced that it has contracted with Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy Systems (IWES) to test the machine head of its new Cypress onshore wind turbine platform. The test campaign, the first collaborative effort between the two groups, will start in August 2019 and last for one year. The campaign will utilize the full capacity of IWES´s Dynamic Nacelle Testing Laboratory (DyNaLab) to validate capability in face of everyday operating situations as well as extreme wind conditions.

The test campaign will evaluate the machine head architecture that has been selected based on GE’s experience of 30,000+ installed base. The Cypress architecture combines the best of the existing 2MW and 3MW platforms, and the Cypress architecture will be tested under different dynamic loading conditions. As a result of these and other tests, the new platform will be fully verified under realistic conditions. Peter Wells, Onshore Wind CEO for Europe and SSA at GE Renewable Energy said, “We chose to test our Cypress platform at IWES Fraunhofer so that we can accelerate the validation of the drive train integrated within the machine head in the most realistic way possible. Fraunhofer has the extensive experience and best-in-class technology that will enable us to validate our models and drive this platform forward while ensuring our products in the field perform as promised to our customers.”

The Cypress platform enables significant AEP improvements, increased efficiency in serviceability, improved logistics and siting potential, and ultimately more value for customers. It is designed to scale over time, enabling GE to offer a wider array of power ratings and hub heights to meet customer needs throughout the 5MW range. The IWES DyNaLab offers a combination of mechanical tests and a grid emulator to test wind turbines up to 10 MW. To date, the lab has a track-record of seven nacelle tests in a range of turbine sizes from 2 to 8 MW. Andreas Reuter, Managing Director Fraunhofer IWES, said, “Testing a drive train under laboratory conditions provides a thorough understanding of the mechanical and electrical system behavior, leads to a substantial reduction of the prototype field-testing period, and, ultimately, provides a more reliable product to the customer. It will clearly be a standard in the future advanced turbine design process.”

GE Renewable Energy announced in March that the prototype for its Cypress platform, the largest onshore wind turbine for GE in the field, has been successfully installed and is fully operational, producing power at a rated level of 5.3 MW in Wieringermeer, Netherlands. In addition to the testing work being done with IWES, GE Renewable Energy will continue to operate the prototype during the months to come as part of the process of obtaining a Type Certificate, a key step in commercializing the product.