Competitive Edge
Nick Lerner explains how advanced product lifecycle management software is allowing wind energy companies to reap the harvest of an expanding industry
The companies that are leading the field in wind generation are using the most advanced design and production techniques. One such company is London-based quietrevolution, a developer of elegant energy solutions, which has deployed Dassault Systèmes PLM solutions to enhance design and manufacture of its wind energy generators.
Having calculated a mathematically correct shape for its aerodynamically-optimised vertical axis rotor blades, quietrevolution use Dassault Systèmes’ CATIA to design, engineer and manufacture wind energy turbines. “Product development is at the heart of our work,” says quietrevolution design manager, Richard Kingsley. “In the short time that we have been using Dassault Systèmes’ CATIA virtual design solution, it has significantly improved our ability to efficiently complete the design-to-manufacture processes of advanced structures.”
Elegant
The advantage of the quietrevolution design is that the 120o blade twist means that the rotor is always working, this makes the design especially suitable for urban environments where wind direction is often variable. Using CATIA allows the company to not only develop a more efficient and very elegant design, but also to communicate through internal and external supply chains using native CATIA files or data formats that suit the needs of suppliers and sub contractors. “Working efficiently with suppliers is crucial. The Dassault Systèmes data environment ensures that this level of communication is smooth and error free with absolute control over versions iterations and release procedures,” adds Kingsley.
Mike Crow, director of Dassault Systèmes is pleased that a company at the forefront of the wind energy industry is utilising its software. Using best practices developed in conjunction with leading manufacturers from other industries for design and production, wind turbine manufacturers can avoid costly trial and error in the real world and significantly reduce development cycle time while manufacturing stronger products with higher energy outputs by integrating design, testing, and manufacturability analysis in a single environment,” says Crow.
Support
Wind energy consultancy RomaxWIND also aims to be more proficient in the wind energy industry through advanced training and technical support. Based in Nottingham and with facilities across Europe, Asia and the US, RomaxWIND offers its clients design services, technical consultancy and simulation technology. Using its own specialist software coupled with Dassault Systèmes CATIA V5 and a nascent ENOVIA SmarTeam capability, the company provides design and analysis of gearboxes, bearings and drivetrain systems to manufacturers and operators in the wind energy industry.
Key to the company’s work is a strong design capability that produces significantly increased drivetrain efficiencies in wind turbines. This is achieved through understanding gear and supplementary systems and their optimisation through analysis and iterative development. “Equal load sharing between planetary or epicyclic gears is crucial to ensure reliability and low vibration. By taking into account the effects of structural deflections, mounting conditions, gravity, assembly and manufacturing tolerances RomaxWIND uses software simulations to predict load sharing through each planet gear. Add this to gear contact patterns, durability calculations, phasing calculations and noise minimisation and the complexities increase,” says David Reetham, senior project engineer at RomaxWIND.
Once RomaxWIND have optimised the drive train specification and features, CATIA is deployed to develop and refine the concept and bring it to a manufacturable state. Reetham explains that CATIA is also used to evolve the initial design so that production will be as closely related to the 3D digital model as possible. “As the design develops, re-analysis often takes place with the 3D model being transferred through various systems in a design/analysis feedback loop,” he comments.
Assistance
For this complex set of activities to proceed with ease, ENOVIA SmartTeam is being deployed with technical assistance and support from Dassault Systèmes Value Added Reseller, Applied PLM solutions. Applied also provide ongoing support for RomaxWIND’s CATIA installation. “The introduction of ENOVIA SmartTeam will improve design productivity by offering enhanced configuration and release controls as well as providing sophisticated links between parts and assemblies,” says Shaun Clark, managing director of Applied. “Designers will be able to log parts and assemblies in and out while version control ensures that order and traceability are always maintained. This will allow designers to do more designing and also improve overall data security and quality.”
Using CATIA and ENOVIA software in many projects has given RomaxWIND a strong understanding of the methods that deliver optimum results. Subtle alterations to the drive train, blade pitch and yaw, along with highly considered materials choices and their associated manufacturing techniques have positioned RomaxWIND in the forefront of wind turbine design and development while data control and management using Dassault Systèmes software helps maintain this enviable status. “Future developments in wind energy will come from the refinement of existing techniques and methodologies as well as from the use of new materials, control systems and their market acceptance. The situation that RomaxWIND has achieved through deploying Dassault Systèmes PLM and the support that we enjoy from Applied allows us great manoeuvrability and the confidence to work in the knowledge that our fully optimised designs can be manufactured to a standard that matches their ingenuity,” says Reetham.
The business opportunities in the wind energy industry are significant and rely on innovative companies adopting technology transfer and marketing strategies that take advantage of the prevailing energy climate. It is with technology that new energy generation systems can be developed and the reliance on fossil fuels reduced as a consequence.
www.3ds.com/ukisa
www.romaxtech.com
www.quietrevolution.co.uk
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