MTS Systems Corp., a supplier of test systems and position sensors, says its Non-Torque Loading (NTL) system has been installed and accepted at the National Renewable Energy Centre's (Narec) 3 MW drivetrain testing facility in the U.K.
The MTS NTL system is designed to apply complex, real-world loads to full-scale tidal and wind turbines in order to gain critical insight into their reliability and durability.
"With the NTL systems from MTS, we can replicate a one-in-100-year tidal event or a one-in-100-year wind event at will," explains Tony Quinn, director of operations at Narec. "We can recreate wind or tidal forces in three orthogonal axes, and we can apply a force along any axis or a bending moment around any axis in three dimensions simultaneously. We can use a time history to subject turbine designs to 10 years' worth of real-world events in just six months."
A second drivetrain testing facility, which will have a 15 MW input capacity, is scheduled to open at Narec this summer. The facility will test larger offshore wind turbine drivetrains and will employ an even larger NTL system from MTS than the one currently running at the 3 MW facility.
