With the guiding theme "Circular Economy", Clausthal University of Technology has committed itself to research and teaching for a sustainable and climate-neutral energy and raw material supply of the future. Tribology is a core discipline in this area, as tribological contacts account for around 23% of the world's total energy consumption. In addition, a large number of solutions to the problems of drive technology required in the future as part of the energy transition can only be found on the basis of the latest findings in the field of tribological contacts.

The ITR team has been researching tribological contacts for modern drive technology for more than two decades. The topics of sustainability and resource efficiency are becoming increasingly important, with the proportion of applications in the field of energy transition growing steadily. The ITR is the only research center in the world with a high-performance plain bearing test bench that enables the experimental investigation of plain bearings used in high-pressure turbo compressors for the industrial compression of hydrogen. Due to the low density of hydrogen, extremely high rotor speeds are required for this, leading to shaft circumferential speeds in the bearing area of up to 150 m/s, which is approx. 30 % higher than existing references. Together with the world's leading companies, the ITR is researching the specific issues of this application in various projects in order to develop solutions for the future with its partners. The knowledge gained at component level can be subjected to a large-scale system test on the rotor dynamics test bench. The complex system dynamics, which are extensively influenced by the stiffness and damping of the journal bearing, are examined in detail on this test rig. The vibration modes of the rotor are identified when passing through several critical speeds. The latest investigations also focus on the axial plain bearings present in these machines, which are examined on the ITR's high-speed axial plain bearing test rig. Based on physical models, the ITR converts the knowledge gained into software that is used internationally to predict the operating behavior of high-speed and highly loaded rotor-bearing systems and allows the digital representation of the real system.

In the field of wind power drive technology, the ITR investigates the operating behavior of various bearing points and their interaction with the overall structure. In addition to the main rotor bearing, one focus is on the bearings in the planetary stages. To this end, the ITR has developed an ultra-modern planetary gear bearing test rig that allows the identification of entire pressure fields in the lubricating film for the first time. This allows the diverse influences of this mechanically highly stressed lightweight application to be realistically mapped. In combination with the results on material technology issues and wear tests, which are obtained in particular on the mixed friction bearing test rig, the ITR is developing plain bearing solutions for the constantly increasing power density in planetary gearboxes, which are required for modern wind turbines in the double-digit megawatt range. The results are also implemented in modern design and prediction software, the high quality of which contributes to the conservation of resources through robust bearing solutions and the reduction of necessary component inspections.

The central philosophy of the ITR is that solutions for the drive technology problems of tomorrow's "circular economy" can only be found under the umbrella of Clausthal University of Technology in close cooperation with industry and through the symbiosis of experiment and theory. The development of physical models plays a central role in generating the necessary understanding of the system. New impulses are also provided in particular by the close networking with the industrial research associations Antriebstechnik FVA e. V. and Energiewandlungsmaschinen FVV e.V.. We communicate our philosophy in courses and present it at scientific conferences and in our publications.

Range of services of the Institute of Tribology and Energy Conversion Machines