Custom fit covers are an alternative to heavy, expensive custom tarps or conventional hand wrapping for various wind-power applications. Transhield covers are made from Shrinkable Fabric and consist of three layers: an outer layer that is UV-resistant and anti-condensation, a middle adhesive layer, and a soft inner layer. The covers install easily and shrinking the…
Yaw brakes keep the nacelle in the right direction
German manufacturer KTR has extended its product range for wind turbines with recent yaw brakes. The KTR-Stop Yaw brake makes sure that the nacelle is held in a required direction. It differs from a rotor brake in that the azimuth system is always active. When the nacelle turns, the Yaw brake is controlled so it…
A motor just for pitch
Pitch motors have a tough job. They spin around in a turbine hub and must work when it’s hot and cold. They are often on six-month maintenance intervals usually to check their brushes. It’s no wonder they konk-out after a few years. Engineers at Moog have recognized the problem and so devised a line of…
University plans to put West Virginia surface mine sites to wind use
Triton Sonic Wind Profiler and SkyServe wind data service provide accurate, versatile platform for documenting wind resources in ‘brownfield’ areas too rugged and isolated for met towers. Coal mined from West Virginia’s mountains has powered this country for decades, and now Second Wind’s wind data collection equipment is helping former and active coal mining sites…
Wind subsidies gone in 10 to 15 years says U.K. study
Offshore wind relies on government support to develop into a commercially viable technology. In Britain, the industry is seen as one of the main renewable energy sources to help meet emission-reduction targets. “Subsidy policies, as well as being a means of delivering carbon reduction targets, are viewed by governments as a foundation on which offshore…
Lightning card tells strength of a hit
As part of a complete line of lightning protection and grounding products, manufacturer ERICO offers a lightning registration system for use on operating land and offshore wind turbines. Part of the ERITECH line of facility electrical protection products, this system consists of: • Lightning card including card holder • Card reader (connects to a computer…
Software helps run the wind farm
WindHelm Portfolio Manager software is says to improve project efficiency while reducing wind farm operational costs. This release also delivers reporting for North American Electric Reliability Corporation’s (NERC) Generating Availability Data System (GADS) analysis. The developer says the software provides a single platform to monitor, optimize, and control of any combination of operational turbines, farms,…
Wind service and distribution center opens in Oklahoma
Need for new service distribution center is a sign of maturation of the U.S. wind power industry, says Siemens Windpower. With a continued focus on providing increased efficiency to its wind power customers, Siemens Energy announced plans to build a new wind service warehousing operation in Woodward, Oklahoma. Construction of two facilities will begin May…
Lift controls go portable
The IBEX 1000P is the latest in a series of climb assists featuring a durable, lightweight and portable control box. The 1000P offers the same intelligent performance of the IBEX climb assist but is more portable. The portable control box, weighing only 8.5 lbs (4 kgs) is easy to set up – just click, plug…
How Spanish nat-gas company forecasts for electrical market
GAS NATURAL FENOSA uses MATLAB software products to develop models that let the company project capacity and demand and optimize generation of asset portfolios. In particular, the company develops optimization and forecasting models that use historical usage patterns, weather forecasts, production costs and regulatory constraints, and other operational factors. As a result, the gas company…
Data logger sports 35 channels, 2GB memory
The Meteo-40 is the first data logger to offer data certification, according to the developer. Meteo-40 can be used for wind site assessment, wind farm monitoring, climate research, as well as solar assessment and solar monitoring. The data logger combines a memory of up to 2 GB to record a complete 1s data measurement campaign…
Acciona unveils a 3-MW turbine for Class IIa wind sites
A 3-MW turbine features a 116-m rotor diameter for IEC Class IIa wind sites. Acciona Windpower says the wind class upgrade on the AW3000/116 turbine delivers a leading power curve and the best cost of energy at sites with medium wind speeds, while also performing exceptionally well at almost any site. ACCIONA Windpower will feature…
Complimentary firms launch training partnership
Tech Safety Lines says it will partner Rope Partner Inc. to provide reliable safety training for wind turbine technicians. Tech Safety is known for a patented SRK-11, a Self-Rescue Kit certified by Underwriters Laboratories that provides immediate and independent rescue capabilities to wind-industry technicians working at heights on turbine towers. The new alliance with Rope…
Custom batteries for wind turbines
A global research and battery manufacturer has introduced a special series of batteries for wind turbines. The LC-WTV and LC-WTP series of batteries are the latest iteration of Panasonic’s Valve-Regulated Lead Acid (VRLA) technology adapted to the specific and demanding needs of wind turbine applications.“These customized batteries provide superior performance in the tough environment of…
Two firms launch enhanced shearography service
After successful field trials, Dantec Dynamics is releasing a new ruggedized shearography system for up-tower inspection. Shearography is an optical inspection technique to find sub-surface defects in material such as wind-turbine blades. In conjunction with Rope Partner, a specialist in rope access services in the wind-energy industry, the capability will enable detection of defects, including…
Two collaborate in coating services
Two wind industry veterans– Hempel USA Inc. and Rope Partner Inc. – are partnering to provide full-service maintenance to the wind turbine market for infield tower coating repair, and maintenance. When coatings repair and maintenance is required on a turbine, Hempel is a ready to supply high-performance, environmental friendly coatings, can provide a complete package…
Plenty of room for wind power as gov expands tall-grass area
Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback’s plan to double the size of the “Tallgrass Heartland” area in the Flint Hills. A voluntary agreement recently worked out with landowners, power companies, and preservationists protects the area from future wind farm development by holding almost 11,000 mi2 of the only remaining expanse of tall-grass prairie in the United States.…
Kansas utility to add 200 MW from wind
Kansas City Power & Light is blowing up its wind power portfolio by more than 65% by agreeing to buy power from a project slated for Western Kansas. The Kansas City-based electric utility signed a power purchase agreement for about 131 MW from the CPV Renewable Energy Co. LLC wind farm in Cimarron, Kan., on…
Kansas City Power & Light Co. gets $34.8M rate increase
KCP&L can’t seem to stay out of the news. The latest is a requested a $34.8 million rate increase which was approved by Missouri regulators. The Missouri Public Service Commission said it has recently granted the utility’s request for the increase, which will add $4.85 a month just more than 5% to electricity costs for…
Where the winds are – in Kansas
The Department of Energy’s Wind Program and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has published a wind resource map for the state of Kansas showing a predicted mean annual wind speeds at 80-m up. It’s presented with a spatial resolution of about 2 km (interpolated to a finer scale for display). Areas with annual average…