Wind turbine gear technology

Feanor OÜ will start in 2012 a project to develop single flank measuring systems with a Chinese manufacturer of gear shaping machines, for large internal gears (see picture) of blades (diameter up to 3000 mm). Single flank will use two rotational encoders to detect surface, pitch and runout errors, and carefully designed master gears. The software will include also a gear noise analysis (Fourier), although the noise generated by the transmission system is a small fraction of the total generated noise, mainly due to the turbine blades passing through the air as the hub rotates.Noise from the gearbox and generator is contained within the nacelle by sound insulation, isolation materials and gear design.

We have already great interest from one Danish and one Finnish company involved in gears for wind turbines. The idea for this measuring technology started originally in Estonia a couple of years ago, but was never supported and we decided therefore to work on it with foreign partners with the new R&D center in China. Feanor OÜ has been working on gear technology for radar systems, where pitch control is extremely important.  
In order to keep proposals running within the EU, Feanor OÜ is also planning a R&D office in Bucharest (Romania). We have noted that Romanian agency actively supported national proposals, has a dynamic approach and focuses on automotive and mechatronics companies. This environment could support our research initiatives in future FP7 calls.