Ternary oxide ceramic functional materials and layers
A research project on increasing the service life and operational reliability of wind turbines through tribological measures has been running jointly by the WOT professorship and the Fraunhofer Institute IKTS since 1 April 2019. The project is funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
The main objective of the project is to significantly increase the service life and operational reliability of wind turbines while minimising friction power (increasing efficiency) and reducing bearing noise by using adapted ternary oxide ceramics in moving (rotating) reference systems of the turbine.
The security of energy supply is one of the central points of economic considerations. The programmes funded by the German government to implement a transition from primary energy production from fossil fuels or nuclear fission to future-oriented renewable energy sources demonstrate the need for secure, reliable and sustainable solutions. With the planned entry into force of the new EEG (Renewable Energy Sources Act) on 1 January 2017, so-called „renewables“ will have to compete with other forms of generation via tendering procedures on the energy market. In order to survive in the highly competitive energy market, wind turbines must generate electrical energy reliably and with low maintenance. To fulfil this requirement, they need robust assemblies (i.e. gearbox, rotor and generator) that are designed to reduce the likelihood of damage and avoid costly, time-consuming repairs. All bearing elements and rotating component groups of the system are subject to particular stress. The generators of such systems are subject to a multiple load regime consisting of vibrations, forces, tribological stresses, changing temperatures and the risk of electric breakdown. The state of the art is current-insulated bearings with standard aluminium oxide-based ceramics or hybrid designs (metal-ceramic). Based on this state of the art, new oxide ceramic functional materials are now being applied for the first time and their resistance to the aforementioned high load regimes tested and evaluated.
The project is subsidised by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
Picture:
Ternary oxide ceramic functional materials: left layer system / right powdered base material
21 Nov 2019 – Projects of the professorship ( gerd.paczkowski@mb… )
