Wind Energy Science
Wind Energy Science
WES
Articles | Volume 11, issue 1
Articles | Volume 11, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-11-89-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-11-89-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Articles | Volume 11, issue 1
Research article
 | 
14 Jan 2026
Research article |  | 14 Jan 2026

Hollow-forged AHD steel rotor shafts for wind turbines – a case study on power density, costs and GWP

Christian Hollas, Georg Jacobs, Vitali Züch, Julian Röder, Moritz Gouverneur, Niklas Reinisch, David Bailly, and Alexander Gramlich

Viewed

Total article views: 2,394 (including HTML, PDF, and XML)
HTML PDF XML Total BibTeX EndNote
1,644 674 76 2,394 63 130
  • HTML: 1,644
  • PDF: 674
  • XML: 76
  • Total: 2,394
  • BibTeX: 63
  • EndNote: 130
Views and downloads (calculated since 17 Jun 2025)
Cumulative views and downloads (calculated since 17 Jun 2025)

Viewed (geographical distribution)

Total article views: 2,394 (including HTML, PDF, and XML) Thereof 2,335 with geography defined and 59 with unknown origin.
Country # Views %
  • 1
1
 
 
 
 
Latest update: 16 Apr 2026
Download
Short summary
Hollow forging and air-hardening ductile steel enable higher power densities for wind turbine main bearing units. For a 2.3 MW base-load-optimised wind turbine, a 37 % increase in rotor shaft power density was achieved compared to a casted shaft. By using green, air-hardening steel, hollow forging achieves a comparable global warming potential to casting. The economic viability of hollow forging is not given for the current surcharges found in small-series production.
Read more
Share
Altmetrics
Final-revised paper
Preprint