More from the wind

Chapdrive has developed a patented, hydraulic gearbox for wind turbines. The gearbox will contribute to providing cheaper and more effective windparks. The technology is already in use in wheelchairs and offshore cranes and in mining, for example, but it has never before been made in such a large format.

The company has recently received NOK 14 million from StatoilHydro, North- zone and Hafslund. The company’s founders are Peter Chapple, Ole Gunnar Dahlhaug, Per Olav Haarberg, Bård Brandåstrø, Åsmund Furuseth and Jan Biti. Chapdrive was established in 2006; the concept is based on research conducted at the Department of Energy and Process Technology at NTNU.