Skip to main content
×

GE.com has been updated to serve our three go-forward companies.

Please visit these standalone sites for more information

GE Aerospace | GE Vernova | GE HealthCare 

Press Release

GE Renewable Energy to Test Cypress Onshore Wind Turbine Platform at IWES Lab in Germany

April 03, 2019
  • Tests will validate the Cypress platform by subjecting the machine head to loading consistent with real world conditions
  • Testing demonstrates GE's commitment to drive rigorous validation as turbines scale in size
  • IWES Lab can validate prototypes up to 10 MW

April 3, 2019 Bilbao - GE Renewable Energy (NYSE: GE) today announced that it has contracted with Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy Systems (IWES) to test the machine head of its new Cypress onshore wind turbine platform. The test campaign, the first collaborative effort between the two groups, will start in August 2019 and last for one year. The campaign will utilize the full capacity of IWES´s Dynamic Nacelle Testing Laboratory (DyNaLab) to validate capability in face of everyday operating situations as well as extreme wind conditions.

The test campaign will evaluate the machine head architecture that has been selected based on GE’s experience of 30,000+ installed base. The Cypress architecture combines the best of the existing 2MW and 3MW platforms, and the Cypress architecture will be tested under different dynamic loading conditions. As a result of these and other tests, the new platform will be fully verified under realistic conditions. Peter Wells, Onshore Wind CEO for Europe and SSA at GE Renewable Energy said, “We chose to test our Cypress platform at IWES Fraunhofer so that we can accelerate the validation of the drive train integrated within the machine head in the most realistic way possible. Fraunhofer has the extensive experience and best-in-class technology that will enable us to validate our models and drive this platform forward while ensuring our products in the field perform as promised to our customers.”

The Cypress platform enables significant AEP improvements, increased efficiency in serviceability, improved logistics and siting potential, and ultimately more value for customers. It is designed to scale over time, enabling GE to offer a wider array of power ratings and hub heights to meet customer needs throughout the 5MW range. The IWES DyNaLab offers a combination of mechanical tests and a grid emulator to test wind turbines up to 10 MW. To date, the lab has a track-record of seven nacelle tests in a range of turbine sizes from 2 to 8 MW. Andreas Reuter, Managing Director Fraunhofer IWES, said, “Testing a drive train under laboratory conditions provides a thorough understanding of the mechanical and electrical system behavior, leads to a substantial reduction of the prototype field-testing period, and, ultimately, provides a more reliable product to the customer. It will clearly be a standard in the future advanced turbine design process.”

GE Renewable Energy announced in March that the prototype for its Cypress platform, the largest onshore wind turbine for GE in the field, has been successfully installed and is fully operational, producing power at a rated level of 5.3 MW in Wieringermeer, Netherlands. In addition to the testing work being done with IWES, GE Renewable Energy will continue to operate the prototype during the months to come as part of the process of obtaining a Type Certificate, a key step in commercializing the product.

###

About GE Renewable Energy
GE Renewable Energy is a $15 billion business which combines one of the broadest portfolios in the renewable energy industry to provide end-to-end solutions for our customers demanding reliable and affordable green power. Combining onshore and offshore wind, blades, hydro, storage, utility-scale solar, and grid solutions as well as hybrid renewables and digital services offerings, GE Renewable Energy has installed more than 400+ gigawatts of clean renewable energy and equipped more than 90 percent of utilities worldwide with its grid solutions. With nearly 40,000 employees present in more than 80 countries, GE Renewable Energy creates value for customers seeking to power the world with affordable, reliable and sustainable green electrons.
Follow us at www.ge.com/renewableenergy, on www.linkedin.com/company/gerenewableenergy, or on www.twitter.com/GErenewables

Sebastien Duchamp
GE Renewable Energy, Director External Affairs
[email protected]
+33 6 73 19 59 64

Tim Brown
GE Renewable Energy
[email protected]
+1 302 509 9352


business unit