The 2nd International Conference E/E Systems for Wind Turbines will take place May 21-23, 2012 at the Swissôtel Bremen/Germany. This year, the agenda has been expanded to include the region’s leading utilities, who will speak about their expectations and future vision. Also, OEMs will present their findings on the actual developments in wind turbine electric…
Hey buddy, can you spare a machinist?
At a recent conference, a colleague from Chicago-based machine shop Bley LLC showed me pictures of the huge parts his team manufacturers. A gearbox front housing with torque arms, for instance, appeares over 6-ft in diameter. Main shafts are some 6-ft long and 2-ft in diameter with 5-ft diameter flanges on one end. Company manager…
Hall effect series with 4 to 20mA output
The continuous shortage of Hall Effect sensors is trouble for manufacturers. But Premo’s family of Hall effect sensors have an output current with a fixed range of 4 to 20mA. The new series provides a linearity <0.5% with a ±1% accuracy levels. The bandwidth is up to 6kHz with a response time less than 200…
Tough tubing tasks made much easier
The light, portable TurnPro tool can automatically assemble two ferrules and a high-purity-tube fitting to manufacturer recommendations. The tool is easy to handle because controls in the power house (motor body) accurately measure 1.25 turns from “finger tight” and then shut the motor off. The tool provides a repeatable fitting make-up every time. The tool…
Alarm software texts you when things go awry
TopView software lets users configure alarms, monitor remote processes, signal notifications, and more. The software is a comprehensive, cost-effective alarm management and notification program that’s useful when data must be monitored, such as in wind turbines and other non-manned facilities. The software lets users quickly respond to abnormal conditions. Users can customize notification messages and…
Pinned joints assemble tubular transmission poles faster
The arms on tubular steel transmission poles typically attach using as many as 16 bolts. It takes a small crew about a half an hour to get an arm in place, attach all of those bolts and nuts, and then tighten to specifications. Engineers at Thomas & Betts developed a connection using a pinned joint…
Obstruction light runs on 2W
A medium-intensity obstruction light flashes red to mark structures at night that present a hazard to aviation. The L450-864-G has benefits of advanced LED and controls, as well as an effective intensity of 2,000 cd red, 20 fpm night flashing operating mode, horizontal beam coverage of 360°, vertical beam profile of 3° min., and stabilized…
Cooling electronics in a hot nacelle
It’s no secret that wind-turbine capacity, particularly for offshore turbines, continues to grow each year with 6 to 10 MW on the horizon. Even with efficiency improvements, key power generation subsystems —including generators, power-conversion electronics and transformers—are challenged to manage ever increasing heat within limited nacelle space. In addition, even if incurred power losses are…
How ultracaps improve blade pitch drives
On modern wind turbines, each blade is adjusted by an independent electro-mechanical pitch-control unit. The electronic controller checks the turbine’s power output several times each second. Should the power output become too high, the controller signals the blade-pitch mechanisms to turn the rotor blades slightly out of the wind. Conversely, when wind velocity decreases, the…
Polyurethanes build a better bond
The trend toward longer turbine blades means greater energy capture at lower wind speeds. However, with bigger blades comes increased weight and stress on the adhesive bond line. Polyurethane adhesives can improve the long-term performance of future blades while reducing total manufacturing cost. To boost energy yield, rotor blades are becoming larger and heavier. The…
What to consider in a contract
OEMs, such as Suzlon, have a contracts department to handle their many details. “You want to form relationships with carriers,” says the company’s Logistics Director Gary Kowaleski. One route to a good relationship is with a contract that leaves little to no interpretation. He suggests at least these items for a shipping contract: • Description…
When is a barge faster than a truck?
Not long ago, transport company ATS International (ATSI) was contracted to ship 100 complete wind turbines. Nacelles and hubs came from Germany, towers were made in Korea, and blades were transported from a fabrication facility in Little Rock, Arkansas. The units were allocated to multiple projects in the Pacific Northwest. Due to permit and financing…
Two cranes are better than one
The Port of Vancouver, Washington boasts two of the largest harbor cranes in North America. Each has a 140-metric ton capacity. The size allows reaching across a wide ship to unload heavy cargo. A 100-ton crane could have trouble unloading a Panamax-sized (wide) vessel because it cannot reach across the ship and pick up an…
A high-yield turbine for low-wind locations
The N117/2400 from Nordex is the most recent addition to the company’s Gamma Generation of turbines. The model is intended for light-wind sites, creating power generating potential for previously nonviable locations across the nation. The company says that with a 2.4-MW max output, a 117-m rotor diameter, and a rotor sweep of 10,715 m2 (almost…
How predicting failure improves reliability
Engineers working to increase product quality and reliability will find a working knowledge of statistics invaluable. Design teams can use a conventional test-and-improve cycle or a more formal DMAIC (define, measure, analyze, improve, and control) sequence. However, this part of product development is too critical to simply toss “over the wall” to a test-department. Without…
Three ways to improve performance and reliability
There are three methods for monitoring wind-turbine operations: wind-conditions monitoring, performance monitoring, and condition monitoring. The terms are thrown around so much that many in the industry are confused. Although the terms describe different tasks, they have the same goal: performance and reliability of the wind assets. An automotive analogy may be useful. For instance,…
What’s community wind got over those mega farms?
Community wind refers to 100-kW to 100-MW projects owned in part by local community members, often land owners of the site. Though community wind represents only 4% of the overall wind market, it’s the fastest growing segment of the industry. The community-wind development model has several benefits over traditional absentee-owned mega farms. Landowners often have…
Shock-absorbing lanyards can let you down
A quick-acting braking system that arrests falls within inches, not feet, has safety managers retiring conventional shock-absorbing lanyards. Instead, they favor compact, lightweight, personal fall limiters (PFLs), also known as self-retracting lifelines. As manufacturers introduce PFLs with 100% tie-off fall protection (dual or twin legs), workers can move safely anywhere on a job site without…
Clever bolt tells when it’s tensioned
The wind industry recognizes the importance of proper bolt tension. The acknowledgement will challenge some of the industry’s torque-tightening practices as it matures and adopts more sophisticated technology to improve reliability and reduce maintenance costs. To start, let’s review current practices. For instance, bolts on turbines are often tightened in one of two ways: either…
Lowering O&M costs in the Lone Star state
While the wind-swept ridge tops of the West Texas plains are ideal for generating wind power, harsh site conditions can degrade turbine blades due to erosion from dirt, hail, lightning strikes, insects, and other airborne particles. Plus, fatigue from the sun’s UV rays and other natural elements leave hairline cracks and gouges in the leading…