D3 - Drive train design

Drive trains and generators are required to meet two competing requirements: to operate efficiently over a wide range of input conditions but also have sufficient resilience (thus low maintenance requirements) including sustaining occasional extreme loads. They typically consume a significant proportion of CAPEX and OPEX and impose constraints on the rest of the systems due, for instance, to their weight.

Conception, design and validation of novel drive trains for ORE devices including hydraulic drives, direct drive generators and devices to couple multiple prime movers into single generators. Designs should aim to provide a large dynamic range, with increased lifetime and reduced CAPEX and OPEX.

To reduce LCoE, particularly for wave and tidal energy, lower cost drive trains and generators which combine efficiency and robustness are required. To allow scaling up of wind requires drive trains and generators with lower weight, lower maintenance requirement, and with reduced reliance on rare earth materials.

• Novel direct drive generators included within New Partnership in Offshore Wind (EP/R004900/1), 2017-2022
• Hydrostatic transmission wind turbines are studied in Passive vibration control of a floating hydrostatic transmission wind turbine and theoretical extensions, (EP/R015120/1), 2018-2020.