Articles | Volume 10, issue 2
https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-10-417-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
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https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-10-417-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
10 Feb 2025
Research article |
| 10 Feb 2025
| 10 Feb 2025
On the modeling errors of digital twins for load monitoring and fatigue assessment in wind turbine drivetrains
Felix C. Mehlan
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Jonsvannsveien 82, 7050 Trondheim, Norway
Amir R. Nejad
Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Jonsvannsveien 82, 7050 Trondheim, Norway
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This study presents a new open-access framework for designing offshore wind turbine drivetrains. The method automatically explores different gearbox layouts and component sizes to find lighter and more efficient designs while satisfying engineering safety requirements. Applied to a 15 megawatt offshore wind turbine, the optimized drivetrain achieved a 31.5 % lower mass than a direct-drive reference design while maintaining similar efficiency.
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Wind energy use has been rapidly expanding worldwide in recent years. Driven by global decarbonization goals and energy security concerns, this growth is expected to continue. To achieve these targets, production costs must decrease, with operation and maintenance being major contributors. This paper reviews current and emerging technologies for monitoring wind turbine drivetrains, and highlights key academic and industrial challenges that may hinder progress.
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This paper presents the state-of-the-art technologies and development trends of wind turbine drivetrains – the energy conversion systems transferring the kinetic energy of the wind to electrical energy – in different stages of their life cycle: design, manufacturing, installation, operation, lifetime extension, decommissioning and recycling. The main aim of this article is to review the drivetrain technology development as well as to identify future challenges and research gaps.
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Short summary
A digital twin is a virtual representation that mirrors the wind turbine's real behavior through simulation models and sensor measurements and can assist in making key decisions such as planning the replacement of parts. These models and measurements are, of course, not perfect and only give an incomplete picture of the real behavior. This study investigates how large the uncertainty of such models and measurements is and to what extent it affects the decision-making process.
A digital twin is a virtual representation that mirrors the wind turbine's real behavior through...
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