North American Windpower: IEC Publishes New International Standard For Wind Turbine Gearboxes

IEC Publishes New International Standard For Wind Turbine Gearboxes

by NAW Staff on Friday 07 December 2012

The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) has published a new international standard: IEC 61400-1, which covers the design requirements for wind turbine gearboxes.

According to the new standard, gearboxes must have a design lifetime similar to that of the wind turbine. For wind turbine classes I through III, this means 20 years.

The standard has been prepared by IEC TC 88 in cooperation with ISO TC 60: Gears. This first edition constitutes a technical revision of ISO 81400-4, which it cancels and replaces. The content has been extensively expanded and includes the following significant technical changes:

extension of the scope to wind turbines above 2 MW;
considerations for converging differing approaches to reliability in gear, bearing and wind turbine standards;
new clause on wind turbine loads specific to drivetrains;
new clause on testing and validation of new gearbox designs;
updated bearing selection tables for different locations in a wind turbine gearbox;
expanded design considerations on the use of bearings based on avoiding standard failures;
new clause on considerations and requirements in the design and analysis of gearboxes’ structural elements; and
updated considerations and requirements for lubricants and lubrication systems.

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