Matching seal, shaft, and lube saves wind seals

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Excerpt: An ideal combination of radial shaft seal, shaft surface, and lubricant can increase seal life three-fold and reduce friction at the sealing lip by up to 30%.   Nacelles become oily places when wind seals don’t work well. To find better seals, our companies developed a way to work i …

Light-weight tradeoff: Polymer for steel

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Excerpt: Victrex Peek (polyaryletherketone) polymers is said to be a good choice when replacing metal wind-turbine components. The high performance and light-weight material allows up to a 70% weight reduction. This can lower stress on the components and reduce energy needed to power the turbine. The tri …

Seals 101

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Excerpt: Component design often overlooks the importance of well-engineered seals. Properly engineered seals increase the mean time between component failures, reduce manufacturing costs associated with the use of exotic coatings, and reduce power consumption due to unnecessarily high friction. Data required …

The big impacts of small components

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Excerpt: In July 2008, the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Department of the U.S. Department of Energy published a document 20% Wind Energy by 2030 that included wind-energy volume projections. The projections were based on many factors and assumptions, including justification of capital, improvem …

PTFE seal wins 2011 innovation award

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Excerpt: Turcon M12, a PTFE-based material launched in 2011 by Trelleborg Sealing Solutions, has received a 2011 Innovation Award from Flow Control Magazine. According to the company, the PTFE-based sealing material has unrivaled performance in key hydraulic sealing characteristics such as friction, wear …

Special polyurethane improves abrasion resistance

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Excerpt: The Timken UltraWind P1 Seal is a significant wind-turbine bearing seal with a polyurethane design that provides increased resistance to abrasion for longer wind-turbine service life and more reliable performance than most other commonly used sealing materials. “Seals have an integral role in …

Magni celebrates 10 millionth gallon

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Excerpt: In early May, gallons of coating rolled off The Magni Group’s Detroit production line, just like any other day. But what made this day special was that one of those cans would be deemed the the company's 10 millionth. The company even held a party in anticipation of this momentous occasion. Wha …

Seals to keep grease and ozone out

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Excerpt: To meet the extreme demands of the evolving windpower industry, one company has expanded line of nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) sealing materials. Simrit’s two NBR developments are part of its Ventoguard line of materials specifically designed to offer grease and ozone resistance, low compressio …

Why are seals important in wind turbines?

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Excerpt: Component design often overlooks the importance of well engineered seals. A properly engineered sealing system increases the mean time between component failures, reduces manufacturing costs associated with the use of exotic coatings, and reduces power consumption due to unnecessarily high friction. …

Seal material now rated for wider temperature range

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Excerpt: The manufacturer of the sealing material Isolast J9440 says it has been improved with a higher operating temperature—up to +240°C —and it’s accredited to the USP Class 6 standard for use in medical and healthcare industries. Isolast J94440 has a continuous operating temperature range (from -7 …