Turbines use a wide variety of bearings. Large ones include huge 2-m diameter main-shaft bearings with two opposing rows of cylindrical rollers to handle enormous thrust and radial loads. These support the shaft that holds the hub and rotor. Slew bearings mount between nacelles and towers to let nacelles rotate as needed. These can have…
OEM completes assembly of 1,000th nacelle at Penn plant
Turbine OEM Gamesa Technology Corp. has announced the completion and shipment of its 1,000th nacelle manufactured at its Fairless Hills plant in southeastern Pennsylvania. The finished nacelle is among the 152 G90X-2.0 MW wind turbines comprising the 304-MW Blue Creek Wind Farm in Van Wert and Paulding counties in western Ohio. The project, which is…
R&D lab considers superconducting for 15-MW wind turbine
The technology development arm of a large electrical firm says it has begun work on the first phase of a two-year, $3 million wind project from the U.S. Department of Energy. GE Global Research (ge-energy.com/wind) says it will begin work on a next-generation generator for wind turbines that could support applications in the 10 to…
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…
New thinking in turbine design
A novel turbine design uses two rotors of equal diameter, one each at opposite ends of a nacelle, to capture wind at greater capacity factors than conventional designs can do, say developer Airgenesis LLC (airgenesiswind.com). The developer says the rotors, offset from each other by 60°, will be turning at low speeds of 2.5 to…
Variable speed hard-geared transmission may improve wind power efficiency 5 to 10%
A variable-ratio transmission that uses gears and chains, but no belts, has been introduced for licensing and production by inventor Gary Lee, CTO of VMT Technologies (www.theuniversaltransmission.com). The transmission works by expanding or reducing the diameter of a “moon gear” that drives the chain, thereby changing ratios. It does not rely on friction, which means…
Rugged Encoders Ready for Harsh Wind Work
A manufacturer provides a line of reliable encoders to withstand harsh conditions and monitor them in the nacelle, blade, tower and foundation. The ultra-precise magnetic hollow-shaft encoders mount directly onto generator shafts up to 740-mm dia, and a 27-mm profile works well in limited-space environments. HDMag Encoders provide 17-bit absolute single-turn resolution, which delivers accurate…
Two-phase cooling for warm things in the nacelle
A novel precision-cooled rack is now available for cooling critical wind turbine components. The precision-cooled rack of Parker’s Precision-Cooled Rack Solution features patented two-phase evaporative cooling that uses non-corrosive, non-conductive fluid, as it vaporizes and cools hot surfaces on contact. Parker’s Precision-Cooled Rack Solution can be used to cool critical wind turbine systems, including power…
Trends in cables
The power cable in a nacelle may have a tougher job than the exposed wires on electric lines. In a nacelle, the power cable, from a generator has to tolerate millions of twists, oil, and cold winter temperatures. An improved tolerance to each of these conditions describe cable trends. Wind turbines transmit power from their…
Clear gel coat for blades, colored for nacelles
A commercial coatings group says it will globally market and distribute a new urethane gel coat for the wind energy market. Developed and manufactured by Plasticolors Inc., Ashtabula, Ohio, the gel coat comes in clear for wind blades and pigmented for nacelles. PPG will market that material. The clear gel coat, AGC200, is said to…
Wind turbine couplings deliver 100,000 nm, retrofit and new
An ISO 9001:2008 certified manufacturing firms says of its wind turbine couplings now cover a broad range of wind turbine applications. Zero-Max Wind Turbine Couplings are available as an upgrade replacement for existing wind turbines and for OEM applications. Successfully tested under conditions simulating a 20-year load spectrum of continuous operation, the turbine couplings easily…
Lighter high-pressure hose adds reliability to nacelles
New Compact Spiral hose offers unprecedented 5,000 and 6,000-psi capability in a design that delivers measurably more flexible routing, installation, size, weight and service life advantages compared to conventional SAE spiral hose. New 787TC (5,000 psi) and 797TC (6,000 psi) Compact Spiral hose is available in sizes -8, -10, -12 and -16. Both hose lines…
New ventilation ideas clean the air in plants
The blades on wind turbines, and to some extent nacelles, are now made of composites, often fiberglass reinforced plastics (FRP) and in some cases carbon fibers. When these components come out of a mold, they require a little grinding and milling that put dust and debris into a plant’s air. Although workers wear respirators, some…
Low speed wind power generator could take weight out of the nacelle
The weight of wind turbine generators is a significant issue because weight translates to costs. The structural weight of a direct-drive generator, for example, can exceed 80% of the total weight on the tower. The structure is needed to overcome the force of magnetic attraction between stationary and moving parts. The attraction force, a result…
Vibration Monitoring Tells A Lot About Your Equipment
A small vibration transducer attached to a wind turbine changes the way owners and manufacturers approach maintenance. These sensors, called accelerometers, output millivolt signals proportional to their acceleration vibration. They have a sensitivity range that matches the expected operating conditions in the turbine. Each component in a wind turbine vibrates at a different frequency, letting…
Over 15,000 electrical products in stock
Remke Energy boasts of over 15,000 electrical products in stock to help developers, builders, and owners of wind farms deliver power to the electrical grid. The company offers a diverse selection of electrical connectivity and wire & cable management devices. Here’s where the diverse product offerings for wind turbines work: In the nacelle, electrical components…
How to Get Turbine Gears and Bearings to (Almost) Talk
A gear manufacturer recently confided that a turbine OEM was asking for quotes to repair yaw gears that were failing after just five years in service. Although the mystery of the early failure has not yet been resolved, the tale says that despite centuries of experience with gear designs and materials, turbines have a lot…
How to protect large parts for shipping
Shrink wrap protects anything, says Dr. Shrink, a manufacturer of shrink wrapping in Manistree, Mich. It protects equipment against weather damage because the waterproofing can be sealed around an entire unit. The wrapping comes in 12 to 40-ft widths so even large items are covered in one piece. This includes entire flatbed loads of machinery…