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Innovative Gearboxes
for Wind Turbines
The Drive & Control Company
2 Rexroth Wind Turbine Gearboxes | Experience
A Wind of Change is Blowing
through the Wind Energy Market
Wind energy technology is developing at a breathless pace; customer requirements in this innovative area are
diverse. Finding the optimum solution calls for profound knowledge of the different requirements. We know
what your needs are: Since the early eighties – then operating under the name of Lohmann + Stolterfoht –
we have been at the forefront of this development. Today we are a member of Bosch Rexroth AG and a desirable
partner for all major wind turbine manufacturers.
Rexroth offers you from a single source all the gearboxes you need for a wind turbine: Generator gearboxes,
yaw gearboxes for permanent wind tracking and pitch gearboxes for optimum utilization of wind velocity.
Benefit from our unique know-how.
3
Tradition and Competence Long-term Reliability
Today our company can boast Erecting a wind turbine means
more than 100 years’ experience in investing in the future. For compa-
drive technology. Our know-how, rison: While a car is designed for
combined with the market position 2,000 operating hours, a wind tur-
and the technological competence bine with a life of 20 years may clock
of Rexroth, makes us a desirable up as many as 175,000 operating
partner for wind turbine manu- hours. That’s why it pays to make
facturers. the best choise for each component.
Rexroth supplies all gearbox types Our know-how in engineering, pro-
used in wind turbines: generator, duction and testing protects you
yaw, and pitch gearboxes. from unfavourable downtimes. Be-
From the very beginning, we have fore a component is manufactured,
played a major role in the develop- its 3D design has undergone exten-
ment of wind energy technology. sive virtual testing. The result is an
In the early nineties, for example, optimized component.
we designed the main drives for The standards we set ourselves are
the 3.2 megawatt AEOLUS power imposed also on our subsuppliers.
plants. Wind turbines of that series, We use exclusively high-quality
named after the Greek god of winds, materials from reputable manu-
are still in use today, for instance facturers and we convert and ma-
AEOLUS-turbine – since 1993 operating reliably
in the “Jadewindpark” at chine them using the most modern with Rexroth gearboxes
Wilhelmshaven, Germany. Alt- equipment. For example, the inter-
hough the smaller plants of today nal helical gearings of the ring gears
operate more economically, the gi- nitrogen-hardened in our heat
ant treatment shop are also ground
AEOLUS power plants remain an in-house. Perfect control of all pro-
impressive pioneering example. duction processes makes sure that
So far they have produced more we achieve the high product quality
kilowatt-hours than any other that our customers expect from us.
type of wind turbine in the world.
4 Rexroth Wind Turbine Gearboxes | Energy Yield and Engineering
Wind force is our forte
Erect a wind turbine and yield energy – that’s the expectation of any wind
farm operator. The longer a plant runs trouble-free, the higher the energy
yield and the return on investment will be. High-quality components from
Rexroth are an essential prerequisite for achieving this goal.
Rexroth gearbox under full-load test
in test bench
Continuous improvement in gear- technologies in combination with Using our own measuring instru-
box technology is part of Rexroth’s a meticulous quality management. ments, we take field readings, such
business philosophy. Thus our We have five test benches on which as air-borne and structure-borne
company pioneered hardened and we conduct full-load tests for main sound readings and torque- and
ground gear teeth as well as the use drives with rated powers of up load measurements, as part of
of planetary gearboxes for general to 5 megawatts as well as specific our design and development vali-
engineering applications. Our con- tests as requested by customers. dations.
stant dialog with leading univer- We run for instance accelerated
sities and reputable manufacturers lifetime tests to analyze gearbox
of antifriction bearings contributes service lives.
to the continuous improvement We also have vast experience in
of our products. The result is measuring various conditions of
reliability achieved through steady prototype gearboxes installed in
further development of proven actual wind turbine drive trains:
5
Our Lead is Your Advantage
The wind energy industry is undergoing rapid development towards more
powerful ratings. The turbines built today have rated powers of up to
5 megawatts and are equipped with gearboxes from Rexroth – for a reason.
Offshore wind farm Horns Rev –
80 turbines with Rexroth gearboxes
Higher wind turbine capacity
means larger rotor diameters and
higher input torques for gearboxes
at the rotor shaft. The gearboxes
must be more efficient without
adding unacceptable weight. What
is important here is finding the
optimum power-to-weight ratio.
Compact planetary gearboxes from
Rexroth offer a remarkable power
density. With our patented power
flow distribution concept we can
offer you a future-oriented drive
solution.
We develop tailor-made solutions
for any turbine: At the engineering
stage, we work in partnership with
our customers’ engineers. In other
words: customer-specific engi-
neering is a discipline in which we
excel. The reasons for our compe-
tence are evident – several decades
of experience in planetary gearbox
technology and great innovative
power.
6 Rexroth Wind Turbine Gearboxes | Noise Abatement and Service
We Have your Wish for Tranquility at Heart
The available space for wind turbines is getting scarcer with each new turbine built.
Today wind turbines are set up even in the vicinity of residential areas. Low-noise
operation is therefore a subject of ever greater importance. For this reason, noise opti-
mization of our gearboxes is one of our constant concerns.
For noise optimization, gearboxes only in our engineering approach,
are designed on the basis of the but also in the fact that we prefer-
customer’s plant-specific perfor- ably machine our gearwheels using
mance curves. The demand for profile grinding techniques and –
low-noise gearboxes is not new to on a general level – in our constant
us. Even more than 30 years ago, dialog with scientists, conducted
we manufactured large-size gear- with a view to finding technologies
boxes for cruise ships. What then that may improve the noise charac-
helped passengers sleep tight, con- teristics of our gearboxes.
tributes today to the quiet running
of generator gearboxes. The secret
of their low noise level lies not
7
We are there for you around the Globe
The Rexroth sales network covers 86 countries. In addition, we have
our own sales offices and service points in 36 countries worldwide Thus
qualified partners are available to you and your customers at virtually
any place around the globe.
Maintenance and repair work is
performed by skilled and experi-
enced service engineers. We have
vast experience in failure diagnosis,
for which we use for instance
structure-borne sound measuring
technology, which provides instant-
ly precise analysis results. In the
major wind energy markets, such
as Germany, the USA, Denmark,
Spain and Italy, we maintain local
service centers, where you can ob-
tain spares of the same quality and
production standard as the original
parts.
Our services are not limited to re-
pair and maintenance, but include
also upgrading of existing plants.
Upon request, we can provide
upgrading kits for your particular
needs, specified in cooperation
with the Rexroth engineering and
development departments.
8 Rexroth Wind Turbine Gearboxes | Overview
Overview of our Wind Turbine Gearboxes
We supplied the first generator gearboxes to the wind energy industry in
1985 – for wind turbines with a rated power of only 36 kilowatts. Today
we are equipping multi-megawatt plants. With each technology jump,
the efficiency of gearboxes becomes ever more important, as gearboxes
are a significant factor in the economic viability of wind turbines. Below
we provide details of the gearboxes used in wind turbines, all of which are
available from Rexroth.
9
Generator Gearboxes
Generator gearboxes serve to increase the rotor speed to the rotational speed required by generators to produce electricity.
To date we have supplied well over 5,000 generator gearboxes to the five largest turbine manufacturers. Most of these gearboxes
consisted of planetary and helical gear stages, designed to provide optimum transmission ratios.
Gearbox Types Supplied
Gearbox Type/ Generator Power Rotor-Diameter Input Torque Transmission Ratio Gearbox Weight
Size [kW] [m] [kNm] [-] [kg]
GPC 210 300 32 86 34 : 1 2,080
GPV 300 660 47 215 53 : 1 3,850
GPV 306 850 58 350 62 : 1 4,500
GPV 400 1,650 66 865 79 : 1 11,500
GPV 401 1,750 66 865 79 : 1 11,500
GPV 420 1,500 72 910 70/87 : 1 13,800
GPV 441 2,000 80 1,260 92/100/111/120 : 1 14,500
GPV 451 1,500 77 790 73/89/98 : 1 13,900
GPW 545* 3,100 80 1,550 73 : 1 42,000
* Supplied in 1993 for AEOLUS Wind turbines
Technical Characteristics: Generator Gearboxes
Shafts and planetary gears are exclusively carried in high-quality antifriction bearings from reputable manufacturers.
The helical gearing of the sun- and planetary wheels is case-hardened and ground, that of the ring gears is ground and
nitrogenhardened.
Gear meshes and bearings are supplied with oil by a circular lubrication system. Most of the components of the oil supply
system, i.e. tubes and manifolds, are accommodated inside the gearbox. There are connections for measuring instruments
and sensors so that all relevant functions and operating conditions can be monitored.
10 Rexroth Wind Turbine Gearboxes | Overview
Yaw Gearboxes
Planetary gearboxes for mobile and stationary equipment have been part of our range
of products since 1968. In the eighties, starting from this technology, we developed the
so-called yaw gearboxes which serve to properly turn the nacelles of wind turbines in
the prevailing wind direction.
The accuracy of this alignment has a vital impact on the loads to which the components
are subjected and on the overall efficiency of the turbine. To ensure that this operation
is carried out with the greatest possible precision, the MOBILFLEX GFB yaw gearboxes
are equipped with four planetary gear stages, which, together, provide a high gear ratio.
This enables the nacelle to be aligned very accurately. However, the high overall weight
calls for high torques, which can be effected by arranging several gear units around the
yaw bearing. Thus, two to eight gear units may operate simultaneously in one nacelle.
Gearboxes Supplied
Gearbox Type/ Static Output Torque Transmission Ratio Weight
Size [Nm] [-] [kg]
GFB 024 25,000 1,428 : 1 150
GFB 036 31,000 800 : 1 230
GFB 060 76,000 1,235 : 1 330
GFB 080 89,000 1,151 : 1 590
GFB 110 110,000 915 : 1 670
Pitch Gearboxes
The efficiency of a wind turbine is not least dependent on its pitch drives. They act on
the root of each of the rotor blades and turn them into the right position, because the
blade pitch needs to be varied with the wind force for optimum efficiency. Due to the
limited space available, these drives need to be very compact.
Our planetary gearbox design meets this requirement in an ideal manner. Depending
on the given space, the drive problem can also be solved through the use of a bevel
gear stage. Pitch gearboxes turn constantly with the rotor. Therefore they need to satisfy
particular requirements in terms of sealing and lubrication.
Gearboxes Supplied
Gearbox Type/ Static Output Torque Transmission Ratio Weight
Size [Nm] [-] [kg]
GFB 002 3,000 60 : 1 54
GFB 009 7,500 149 : 1 100
GFB 017 14,000 106 : 1 160
GFB 024 25,000 122 : 1 200
Technical Characteristics: Pitch and Yaw Gearboxes
The teeth of the planetary gears are case-hardened and ground, as is standard at
Rexroth. The gearboxes are splash-lubricated to ensure that all gear meshes and
bearings are sufficiently supplied with oil. High-quality materials for all components
in combination with high-precision machining bystate-of-the-art machine tools,
guarantees optimum quality.
11
Generator Gearboxes of the Future
Higher generator outputs call for new gearbox concepts. The weights of the single com-
ponents on the tower must not increase excessively. This requirement is of particular
importance for offshore wind farms.
Rexroth has taken out a patent for an innovative gearbox concept, which makes the gear-
box significantly lighter than conventional designs, thus contributing to reducing the
weight of the tower head without jeopardizing current component safety standards.
This weight reduction is achieved by means of a judiciously designed power flow distri-
bution system. Moreover, none of the gearbox components exceeds a defined weight
limit, thus ensuring that all maintenance and installation work can be performed inside
the nacelle. This saves time and money.
This concept is not tied to a particular power class - a novelty for main drives. This
example – which is only one among many – demonstrates that innovative Rexroth
gearboxes contribute to advancing the use of wind energy. That’s the aim to which we
devote all our energy.
In addition to gearboxes, Rexroth
offers hydraulic control equipment
for wind turbines. For detailed
Plan of main gearbox with power flow distribution information see our brochure
RE 00065, which you can order
from:
Bosch Rexroth AG
Industrial Hydraulics
Tel: +49 (0) 9352-18-12 37
application-centre@[Link]
Bosch Rexroth AG
Mobile Hydraulics
Mannesmannstraße
58455 Witten, Germany
Tel. +49 (0) 23 02-877-0
Fax +49 (0) 23 02-877-148
[Link]-gt@[Link]
[Link]/wind-gears
Printed in Germany
RE 76 110/08.03
