Ricardo Inc, a U.K. based engineering firm, says that its reliable analysis techniques can improve the power, performance, reliability, and cost effectiveness of wind turbines. Hence, the company is developing its commercial software for wind turbines. The mix of commercial and proprietary software, called Wind.Drive, will provide, the company says, a complete assessment and optimization of…
Hydraulic pitch control for wind-turbine blades
Generating steady shaft speed on a wind turbine means constantly adjusting the pitch of each blade to accommodate wind variations. The blades connect to a huge hub mounted to a shaft that turns a gearbox and a generator. Best turbine efficiency calls for a continuous pitch control on the blades. Blade pitch is powered by…
Storage for Excess Windpower
One nagging problem with electrical power is that excess quantities of it generated during low demand periods can’t be stored without huge and costly batteries. But electricity can be stored indirectly through pumped hydro storage and compressed air. The Ireland based engineering firm Gaelectric thinks it has a solution in compressed air energy storage (CAES). It…
Composite coupling handles high-power misalignments
The Ixilflex link coupling absorbs misalignment of power transmission shafts through bushes linked to alternate flanges. The bushes are made by vulcanizing rubber to metal parts under high compression. The coupling can be run in either direction without reversing the coupling. Other features include high misalignment and torque capability, torsional damping, low restoring forces, silent…
Laser inspection boosts blade production
Fiberglass and epoxy-based composites have replaced aluminum and steel as primary materials in the large blades of recent wind turbines. Production of large blades, some of which reach over 50m, also requires increased precision. To improve accuracy and production rates, Carter Products, Grand Rapids, Mich., has introduced its CPS 3D laser alignment equipment. “Hand measuring…
Airless sprayers handle many wind-tower coatings
Protective coatings are essential to save wind towers from corrosive atmospheric effects. At least three Industrial sprayers from Graco, Minneapolis, Minn., are used in paint booths at wind-tower manufacturers to apply protective coatings to interiors and exteriors of wind-tower sections. For example, the company’s Xtreme Sprayers with NXT Technology are air-operated yet airless sprayers built…
New player enters U.S. wind-energy market
Relight, an Italian company in renewable energy, is entering the U.S. market to invest in the wind and photovoltaic sector. Relight U.S., New York City, has set a target to reach at least 2,000 MW installed capacity in wind power in the U.S. in five years, mainly in the south-west and central states. To hit…
Gearbox, generator, and controls in one package
GE Drivetrain Technologies, a unit of GE Transportation, Erie, Pa, says the company has launched a wind generator and control systems division to serve wind turbine owners around the globe. The new company will immediately offer doubly-fed induction and permanent magnet generators in the 2 to 6 MW power range. The company produces more than…
ABB wins $20 million order for voltage compensators
ABB, a power and automation technology group, has won an order worth about $20 million from Oncor, Dallas, TX, to supply a Static VAr Compensator (SVC) unit to support the transmission grid in North Texas. SVC devices provide fast-acting reactive power compensation in high-voltage networks, which ABB says, enhances stability by countering fluctuations in the…
Biz magazine ranks manufacturer in 100 best
A designer and producer of a wide range of electromechanical power transmission products was named in Forbes Magazine’s “100 Best Small Public Companies in America”. Altra, headquartered in Braintree, Mass., was one of 27 newcomers to the 2011 list. The company, listed at #90 overall, had sales of $520 million in 2010 and has over…