Construction of the main bearing test facility at the Lindø Offshore Renewables Center (LORC) is approaching completion. Engineering company R&D Test Systems has successfully lifted and installed the 560-tonne Test Load Unit (TLU), the core component of the new test bench.
The operation required Lindø’s 1200-tonne gantry crane and was completed with just 25 centimetres of clearance on either side as the TLU was lowered through the roof into position.
The system measures 16 metres in length, 9 metres in width and over 8 metres in height. It includes a drive system capable of simulating the extreme loads experienced by offshore wind turbine components. Among the heaviest individual parts is a 260-tonne shaft with a diameter of up to 5 metres.
Once operational, the facility will enable full-scale testing of next-generation main bearings for offshore wind turbines. Schaeffler will be the first bearing manufacturer to use the test bench.
