Wind Turbine Drivetrains: A Glimpse of Existing Technologies

This paper provides an overview of three major wind turbine drivetrain technologies as gearbox, direct drive and hydrostatic. Gearbox drivetrain complexity has increased over years to suite them for large-scale wind turbines. However, competitor drivetrains have reached a point that their functionality and performance may exceed that of the gearbox. Several companies have introduced concepts and prototypes that show promising future for a variety of drivetrains. It is expected that the future wind industry benefits from a plethora of options in the design of drivetrains in various geographical regions. The purpose of this paper is to provide a glimpse of these technologies for better awareness and acceleration of future explorations.