Open AccessProposals for a practical calibration method for mechanical torque measurement on the wind turbine drive train under test on a test bench
Author(s) -
Zhang Hongkun,
Wenske Jan,
Reuter Andreas,
Neshati Mohsen
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
wind energy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.743
H-Index - 92
eISSN - 1099-1824
pISSN - 1095-4244
DOI - 10.1002/we.2472
Subject(s) - torque , test bench , calibration , turbine , process (computing) , engineering , reliability (semiconductor) , power (physics) , drivetrain , wind power , automotive engineering , computer science , control engineering , simulation , mechanical engineering , electrical engineering , physics , quantum mechanics , thermodynamics , statistics , mathematics , operating system
The mechanical torque input into the wind turbine drive train is a very useful measurement for tests performed on a test bench. To ensure the accuracy and the reliability, an accurate calibration of the torque measurement must be carried out and repeated within a certain period of time. However, owing to the high torque level and large structure size, such a calibration is both expensive and time consuming. To overcome this challenge, a new calibration method is proposed here. The method is based on the electrical power measurement, where a high level of accuracy is much easier to achieve. With the help of a special test process, a relationship between the torque‐measuring signal and the electrical power can be established. The process comprises two tests with the drive train running in different operating modes. The calibration is possible by carrying out the same test process on several different torque levels. Detailed uncertainty analysis of the method is presented, whereby the uncertainty can be calculated by means of matrix operation and also numerically. As a demonstration, the implementation of the method on a test bench drive train that contains two 5‐MW motors in tandem with the motors operating in a back‐to‐back configuration is also presented. Finally, some variations on the method and possible ways of achieving better accuracy are discussed.