Successful Test: Nordex Tests Rotor Blade of The N175/6.X According to IEC Standard 61400

Hamburg, Germany - The international standard IEC 61400 defines the technical requirements for the design of wind turbines. This includes the comprehensive structural testing of rotor blades according to IEC 61400-23, which is one of the prerequisites for the approval and operation of new turbine types.

An independent certification body must confirm that the standards of the IEC norm are being adhered to.

Over the past eleven months, the wind turbine manufacturer Nordex has subjected a rotor blade of the N175/6.X to the required mechanical tests according to IEC standard 61400 at the accredited rotor blade test rig at the Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy Systems IWES in Bremerhaven. The measurements of properties of the rotor blade of the latest turbine in the Delta4000 series, such as natural frequencies and damping parameters, as well as the electrical resistance values of the lightning protection system, were aimed at practically validating the simulations. The measurements were conducted on one of the first rotor blades manufactured at the Nordex Research and Development Center in Rostock.

According to Nordex, the mechanical tests, in which the rotor blade was subjected to static load cases and fatigue tests, corresponded to the previously simulated service life. During the entire testing period, the expected behavior of the rotor blade was successfully confirmed: Critical parameters such as deflections, strains, and natural frequencies consistently remained within the allowable tolerances, Nordex reported on the test results.

Additionally, a 15-meter long rotor blade tip of the N175/6.X, along with its anti-icing system, underwent extensive lightning tests according to IEC 61400-24. The high-voltage impact tests and high-current tests were successfully completed at the accredited lightning laboratory of Polytech in Denmark.

“At Nordex, we know the value of industry standards. These standards define the requirements for the design of wind turbines and also their compliance. This is becoming increasingly important as rotor blades today become longer and longer and rotate at higher altitudes,” said Hendrik Klein, Head of Blade Materials, Design and Test at Nordex Group, about the results of the analyses.

Source: IWR Online, 07 Apr 2025