The image was generated by a scanning electron microscope. The smooth area around the crack is of white etching and the surrounding area shows the typical grain structure of bearing material. Photo: Argonne National Laboratory.

NREL’s Gearbox Collaborative provides more insight why gearboxes fail – and a solution

April 18, 2013 : 0 Comments

It’s not often that a technical conference leaves attendees with an ah-ha moment, but it happened at the recent Gearbox Reliability Collaborative sponsored by NREL at its offices in Golden, Colo. All presentations were good, but three in particular answered interesting questions raised by those preceding. An early presentation by Aaron Greco from the Tribology

Progress on the 5-MW dyno is as recent as January. The large blue unit is the NTL. To its right is the dynamometer gearbox and behind that, the drive motor. The units mounted on a plane fixed at 5° to account for the nominal inclination of wind turbine drive lines.

NREL gives a first peek at its 5-MW dynamometer

April 17, 2013 : 0 Comments

The National Renewable Energy Lab in Golden, Colo. is getting close to cutting the ribbon on a 5-MW dynamometer that will allow testing new turbine drivetrains and equipment. “The 5-MW dynamometer and drivetrain testing facilities will complement the existing 2.5-MW dyno,” says NREL Senior Engineer, Hal Link. He discussed the progress of construction at a

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Energy-futures study reveals potential for cuts to petroleum use

April 9, 2013 : 0 Comments

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) have released the Transportation Energy Futures (TEF) study, an assessment of avenues to reach deep cuts in petroleum use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the transportation sector. “Transportation is an engine of our economic strength, but it also

A fabric-based turbine blade design by researchers at G.E.

Space frame promises 100m blades, lower wind-power costs

February 22, 2013 : 0 Comments

Researchers have announced a project they say could fundamentally change the design and installation of wind blades, bring the cost of wind energy in-line with fossil fuels and allow for more developments in moderate wind-speed markets. The project hinges on a design that wraps tensioned architectural fabric around a metal space frame, much like early

Paul Dvorak

NREL’s Gearbox Collaborative provides more insight why gearboxes fail – and a solution

February 12, 2013 : 3 Comments

It’s not often that a technical conference leaves attendees with an ah-ha moment, but it happened at the recent Gearbox Reliability Collaborative sponsored by NREL at its offices in Golden, Colo.  All presentations were good, but two in particular answered interesting questions raised by the other. Here’s what I mean: A presentation by Aaron Greco

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NREL looking for a few good execs… for Energy Academy

February 10, 2013 : 0 Comments

Applications are being accepted for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s (NREL) 2013 Executive Energy Leadership Academy. The Executive Energy Leadership Academy, also known as Energy Execs, is for non-technical decision-makers throughout the country to learn about renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies, analytical tools, and financing. Leaders in government, communities, non-profits

Blade Dynamics D49 Launch

Advanced transportable turbine blade successfully tested, GL certified

February 5, 2013 : 0 Comments

Blade Dynamics recently announced GL certification of the new “Dynamic 49″ wind turbine blade. The company says its Dynamic 49 blade sets new standards for wind power generation. Weighing only 13,560 lb (6,150 kg), the D49 is the lightest blade of this scale in the world and leads others in manufacturing accuracy, lightness, quality, and

Users of the Petroleum Reduction Planning Tool can also explore options for fleet improvements by creating "what-if" scenarios based on solid data. For example, what if I replace 10 of my sedans with plug-in hybrid electric vehicles?

How to reduce fleet petroleum use plus website makeover

November 26, 2012 : 0 Comments

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has launched a new tool and redesigned DOE’s Alternative Fuels Data Center Web site to help fleet managers, municipalities, and consumers choose from a wide variety of alternative fuels and energy efficiency strategies for reducing petroleum use, vehicle emissions, and operating costs. The AFDC’s

NREL table Total estimated us tech potential gen and cap by tech 60per

NREL grades renewable energy technologies

October 29, 2012 : 0 Comments

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) routinely estimates the technical potential of specific renewable electricity generation technologies. These are technology-specific estimates of energy-generation potential based on renewable-resource availability and quality, technical-system performance, topographic limitations, environmental, and land-use constraints only. In most cases, the estimates do not consider economic or market constraints, and therefore do not

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Database from NREL makes cost of energy technologies more transparent

September 27, 2012 : 0 Comments

A web application collects cost and performance estimates for electric generation, advanced vehicles, and renewable fuel technologies and makes them available for utilities, policy makers, consumers, and academics. The Transparent Cost Database (TCD) application (an app) provides cost and performance estimates that can be used to benchmark company costs, model energy scenarios, and inform research and development