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By David Clark, CMS Wind About 50% of drivetrain failures are in the generator, and they are predictable by months with the right detection. The failures are grouped into three specific categories: bearing-related, electrical-related and misalignments. We’ve already discussed electrical fluting, and now we’ll describe misalignments. Misalignment between the gearbox output (or high-speed shaft) and the…

By Gareth Brown, CEO, Clir Renewables The U.S. offshore wind industry is set to take off in the coming years, with more than 5 GW of cutting-edge turbines due to come online by 2025 and take advantage of the country’s high offshore windspeeds. However, in order to make the most of this fantastic opportunity to…

By David Clark, CMS Wind About 50% of drivetrain failures are in the generator, and they are predictable by months with the right detection. The failures are grouped into three specific categories: bearing-related, electrical-related and misalignments. Here we’ll discuss electrical fluting caused by an “ELF.” Stray electrical current is not a problem unique to wind.…

By Paul Dvorak, former editor, Windpower Engineering and Development; and Thomas Schock, Team Leader, Cleveland Power of Wind Action Team  Whose side are unelected officials really on: The general public or special interests? The question came to mind recently as the Icebreaker Wind project neared final approval and was halted dead in its tracks by…

By Kurt Sassmannshausen, product development manager, System Seals While nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) has been a staple of wind-turbine seals for decades, advancements in polyurethane formulas, processing and seal design are quickly sidelining NBR’s place in the industry. The qualities proving most beneficial include abrasion resistance, fluid compatibility, ozone resistance, mechanical strength and the ability…

By Robert Glass, head of marketing, Exel Composites Climate change is arguably the biggest threat to our planet, with its long term effects being variable in magnitude and difficult to predict. Its resultant extreme weather patterns can damage infrastructure, threaten food security, degrade the environment and pose a risk to human health and safety. A powerful…

This webinar was presented live on Wednesday, October 28, 2020. Click below to watch it on demand.     This webinar is about understanding exactly what our oil analysis lab results are trying to telling us. Should we take action or continue to monitor? Are we getting clues about oil condition or machine condition? This…

This webinar was presented live on Wednesday, November 4, 2020. Click below to watch it on demand.      While no one can stop the weather from happening, you can do more to lessen the impact of icing events on wind farm operations. To do that you need a process or plan to address and…

By David Christophe, Director of Utility Solutions Marketing, Nokia As wind power projects continue to increase their turbine size and move further offshore, the importance of industrial-grade private wireless connectivity only increases. A constant, reliable network enables workers to operate safely and in new ways during construction and operation as they remotely monitor, inspect and…

By Dag Kirschke, Wind Energy Segment Owner, Exel Composites The demand for wind energy is increasing. It’s clean, cost effective and sustainable. As environmental and climate change concerns are influencing a greater need for renewable and sustainable energy, wind turbines are a substantial part of the solution — with over 340,000 wind turbines in the…

This webinar was presented live on Wednesday, October 7, 2020. Click below to watch it on demand.     This webinar will focus on the theory and application of electric motor insulation testing techniques. If motors are shutting down your process, or you just want to take the next step toward improved equipment reliability. This…

This webinar was presented live on Wednesday, October 14, 2020. Click below to watch it on demand.     Demand for clean energy sources across the world are growing, and offshore wind generation represents one of the most abundant and economic power generation alternatives available today. As more offshore wind farms are established, however, the…

Windpower Engineering & Development is a growing wind-power resource targeting professionals involved in all aspects of a wind farm’s lifecycle, including developers, engineers, technicians, manufacturers and researchers that work to site, build, maintain, repair and optimize wind-related components, software and projects. The goal at Windpower Engineering & Development is to educate and expand the knowledge…

By Angela Krcmar, Global Sales Manager, Wind, Firetrace International The American wind industry has stayed resilient through a difficult year, with a positive outlook for development in the years ahead. However, in order to continue to grow and thrive throughout this crisis, owners and operators cannot afford to be complacent around fire risk. A high-profile…

By Maria Blais Costello, Clean Energy States Alliance Since 2016, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) has been working to develop offshore wind in the most responsible and cost-effective way possible. Its first procurement of offshore wind power has demonstrated the resounding success of its years of careful study, stakeholder engagement…

This article originally appeared on WTWH Media sister site Design World. See the original version here.  Each year, roughly one out of every 200 wind turbine blades fail. Those failures pose a twofold concern for turbine owners. First, when a blade fails, there’s unplanned downtime and potential insurance issues. Second, how can blade manufacturers and…

By Mark Meyer, Sales Manager, North America at SIFCO ASC It is no secret that the wind turbine market is growing. Seen by many as the long-term answer to the future of power generation, the sector is expected to grow at a CAGR of more than 10% during the forecast period 2020-2025, according to Mordor…

By Hunter Golden, Product Manager, Industrial Tools, Ingersoll Rand Process improvements, operational agility, error proofing and safety are paramount when it comes to manufacturing and the use of tools. Operators and plants reap significant benefits when they effectively address these areas of manufacturing. Innovative products such as cordless torque multiplier fastening tools provide several tangible…

By Steve Dayney, Head of Offshore, North America, Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy Offshore wind originated in the early 1990s when the first project was installed off the shores of Denmark. Fast forward 30 years and offshore wind turbines have at last reached the shores of the United States. Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE) was at…

By Matthieu Boquet, Head of Products & Offering, Leosphere, a Vaisala company Harnessing the wind is not exactly a perfect science. From taller and more efficient wind turbines to the development of wind farms in increasingly complex onshore and offshore environments, the wind energy sector is constantly evolving, and new techniques and technologies are becoming…