The new RENK Multifunctional Test Facility for Propulsion Systems and Components was Launched
In the beginning of 2016 one of the biggest and most modern test facilities in Europe for gear units was put into operation at the RENK AG headquarters in Augsburg. Whether for the shipbuilding, automobile or industrial sector: The multifunctional test facility is especially suitable for the testing of prototypes or special equipment. The 40 x 60m building with a height of 20m was never destined to be used for testing only the special gearboxes and propulsion systems produced by RENK. It is also available for external producers of propulsion systems or propulsion components. The test facility offers the highest performance: It allows for example for a power capacity of up to 12 megawatt at 10 revolutions per minute and can take a torque of up to 11 million Nm. Around 100,000 liters of oil are available for testing the equipment. The cooling system contains about. 300,000 liters of water. The pumping capacity alone is 1,450m³/h. There are 10 motors integrated into the test facility which can be used as generators and in a bidirectional way as well. Due to their variable configuration they can be used in testing combinations. The smart mechanical facilities allow for the testing even of complex and high volume propulsion systems with short installation or set-up times.
The test facility is built as a multifunctional test bed and designed to test a multitude of parameters on different loads. The testing installations are set up in a way so that propulsion systems can be tested. Testing of the complete ship propulsion systems including power switching station, frequency converter, compensation plant, motor, gearbox at low or medium voltage in every configuration can be easily handled.
Maximized functionality- precise configurations
The equipment of the test facility allows a variety of tests: From functional and capacity tests to measurement of process parameters and acoustic behavior of structure- and airborne noise. The 1,250 square meter test area is subdivided into 2 large and 2 smaller testbeds in different rooms of the building. The two large ones measure 37 x 15 m and 37 x 13 m, the small ones have a size of 15 x 6 m and 20 x 6 m. This area is covered with 30 cm thick slabs and is anchored to a reinforced concrete foundation up to 3 m thick for loads of up to 1,000 tons. The cranes in place can lift weights of up to 200 tons.
To be used for motors and generators in arbitrary combinations
The multi-functional test facilities deliver top performance in terms of other parameters as well. They have the option of a power intake of 12 MW at 10 rpm (e.g. a wind turbine gearbox in back-to-back- operation) which results in an operating torque of 11 million Nm.
With the aid of intermediate gears, test specimens can be subjected to torques of up to 500,000 Nm and maximum speeds of up to 20,000 rpm under load of up to 12 MW.
For this purpose there are five AC motors with an output of 6 MW each and five DC motors with outputs of 1 MW and 600 KW. Each motor can also be used as a generator, thus feeding the braking energy back into the system. Hence, load tests of 12 MW simply consume the actual losses caused by the tested objects and are therefore highly efficient.
Less input, maximum results
The test facility is adapted to the specific needs of manufacturers of complete drive and propulsion systems as well as their components such as motors, brakes, compressors, gears and, for every sector—marine, automotive or industrial. The multi-functional test facility is especially suited for testing prototypes and pre-production assemblies. In this way manufacturers save the time and costs that would be caused by setting up the test equipment themselves.
Cost and time savings are particularly high whenever complete marine propulsion systems need to be tested. By outsourcing such work, contractors have the possibility of thoroughly testing the propulsion system in its entirety before the commissioning stage and not having to wait for it to be installed onboard. This translates into significant savings in time and costs otherwise involved in onboard testing.
Another advantage: the systems are installed in the test field completely with including all electrical infrastructure. This means that the signals and interfaces can also be tested. Such an all-inclusive test set-up provides a high level of validation reliability even before commissioning.
Close to the action yet safe
The Augsburg multifunctional test facility is one of the few worldwide to allow customers to personally experience the testing in close proximity of drive systems and their components while safely protected from potential hazards. To make this possible theywe provide observation rooms in a gallery around the test fields. There they can follow the testing of their products in every detail, either on a monitor and through camera installations safe from noise or live from the viewing platforms.
The four pillars of the RENK test facility
The following four pillars neatly sum up the testing procedures and options available on the four test beds of the multi-functional test facility.
Asset „Oil“
In order to have the right amount of oil available throughout operation, eachof each of theour four test beds has an integrated lubricating oil system for closed loop lubrication. The oil volume of each is 14,000 liters, and they can each deliver up to 4,500 liters/min during which the incoming oil passes through a filter with a nominal mesh size of 10 µm. For the purpose of heat discharge, four oil heat exchangers (3 x 1,000 kW, 1 x 600 kW) are available per oil unit.
There are two oil filling units for test specimens which have their own oil reservoir with a capacity of 24,000 liters each. In total RENK stores about 100,000 liters of oil at its test facility.
Asset „water“
The cooling systems require vast volumes of water. At present, the available cooling capacity is 8 MW which, if and when needed, can be raised to 12 MW. Added to this are three refrigeration units with a capacity of 600 KW each, by means of which the oil temperature of the hydraulic systems can be lowered all year round for special tests. The complete cooling system contains around 300,000 liters of water, distributed by 30 pumps along various circuits for cooling the test specimens, oil units, and other components. The aggregate pumping capacity is 1,450 m³/h.
Asset „Electric power“
Another essential element of a test facility is the electrical system. The RENK facility has 10 motors in total which also work as (bi-directional) generators. Configured adjustably, they can also operate in test combinations.
The five 6-MW AC motors run at maximum speed of up to 2,400 rpm and develop a torque of 38,000 Nm each, while the five 1-MW DC motors run at 2,100 rpm and develop a torque of just under 12,000 Nm. In each case, two motors can be connected in series. This way two 6-MW AC motors can be combined into a12-MW power package with two additional motors acting as brake generators. This means that high-load test cycles are possible without extensive set-up preparations.
All our motors are adapted to the high requirements placed on the test specimens in terms of airborne and structure-borne sound emissions. Therefore the five AC motors each feature additional stiffening elements and special insulation. They also have a connecting flange at either end as well as low-noise water coolers underneath.
With the aid of matching transformers, various levels of voltage ranging from 690 V (4 MVA) to 11 kV (8 MVA) can be provided for the test beds. These are used, for example, during the testing of complete propulsion systems. With the aid of a motor-generator set, these voltage levels can also be used with frequencies varying between 5 and 80 Hz, for example, when testing motors. Thanks to the perfect sinusoidal current created, motors to be supplied both by frequency- converter and mains can be tested at various voltages, speeds and power levels.
Asset „Mechanics“
From high torque to high-speed transmission: covering an area of 1,250 m², theour test beds feature state-of-the-art mechanical equipment throughout to allow the testing of even complex and bulky drive and propulsion systems, with very little assembly and set-up time required and equally uncomplicated dismantling of the system elements. Crane capacities of 200 t make sure that assembly/dismantling work can be carried out quickly from start to finish.
