Merging ZF’s extensive experience in developing innovative designs with advanced digital technology, results in a modular gearbox solution approach for geared wind turbines.
With more than 55,000 gearboxes shipped, ZF’s installed base exceeds 100 GW covering 25 percent of the globally installed base. This makes the company a leading partner in the wind-power sector.
ZF powers more than 50 percent of the global 3-MW onshore installations and is the first supplier with a serial production of more than 8-MW gearboxes for offshore installation. A 9.5-MW upgrade is being developed.
ZF Wind Power officials said they are convinced that in the future wind energy will become even more pivotal than it is today. “We will need bigger, better, and more powerful turbines to provide the world with affordable electricity.”
ZF’s Modular Gearbox Solution
“With the development of our modular gearbox solution, ZF can now cover new turbine platforms in the 3- and 4-MW range,” said Jan Willem Ruinemans, head of ZF Wind Power Business Unit. “We assure that new generation wind turbines can grow significantly in torque requirements, within the same nacelle dimensions. And thanks to our integrated intelligent performance solutions, our gearboxes can automatically sense the best way to optimize energy generation and improve turbine economics for any wind-site condition.”
Service for Wind Energy in Motion
ZF offers a strong, global partnership and enhanced multi-brand full service for wind turbine gearboxes and drivelines, enabling its customers to successfully stand ground amongst the competition.
“Our full offering combining on-site, ZF and non-ZF mechanical drive-train repair, and insight engineering partnership is fundamental in leveraging our global knowledge base to reduce costs and downtimes,” said Antti Turunen, head of Global Wind Power Service. “As a further evolution in service, ZF sees an important role for connected devices to actively control gearbox performance and health status during operation. As part of this vision, ZF offers an intelligent gearbox retrofit as a new method to reduce service bills.”
Source: ZF Wind Power
For more information, go to www.zf.com
