By Maryruth Belsey Priebe IQPC GmbH Offshore substations — the systems that collect and export the power generated by turbines through specialized submarine cables — are an essential component of offshore wind farms, especially at large, multi-megawatt sites. These systems serve an important function: to stabilize and maximize the voltage of power generated offshore, reduce…
GE to provide 5-MW converters to support China’s offshore wind market
Driven by energy security, decarburization and industrial benefit, the Chinese government has set up an ambitious plan to achieve 30-GW installations by 2020 in the offshore wind industry. China’s offshore industry has seen robust growth over the past few years. GE’s Power Conversion business, a sub-business of GE Energy Connections, is set to provide its proven…
Iberdrola awards Navantia new substation for UK offshore wind farm
Iberdrola has awarded Navantia Puerto Real contract worth almost €65 million to build a substation for the East Anglia One offshore wind farm, which the electric utility is currently developing in English water. The 714-MW East Anglia One will be one of the largest offshore wind farms in the world when it is commissioned in the…
Power sector performance still hampered by transformer monitoring inefficiencies, says Vaisala
Advanced dissolved gas analysis (DGA) methods are commonly used for assessing large power transformers in the international power-generation and transmission sector. However, there is still scope for improvement to their reliability and cost-effectiveness. Vaisala, a global provider of environmental and industrial measurement, has highlighted that false alarms from on-site DGA systems and errors during routine oil…
Planning for crises on the balance-of-plant
By Bruce Hammett, President WECS Electric Throughout the life of every wind farm, many challenges arise that will need attention to keep its turbines generating power. What begins with choices concerning turbine size and proper installation leads to decision on O&M and repairs. Typically, the more proactive and organized a site owner, the better. However,…
Ingeteam improves DFIG’s fault ride through behavior with crowbarless solution
The Crowbarless solution presents behavioral advantages in issues related to weak grids or grid fault events, allowing Doubly fed induction generators to overcome previous technical constraints and hence comply with the strictest grid codes.
ABB Transformer Intelligence lets NA utilities boost efficiency, cut costs
Innovative “smart today, smarter tomorrow” solution helps power companies overcome the challenge of aging infrastructure while ensuring the flexibility and scalability required to meet future requirements.
Vaisala launches online monitor for transformer-dissolved gas analysis
Power transformers are critical in the energy generation and transmission, but also one of the key vulnerabilities. This is because any transformer downtime will lead to substantial financial losses and to energy shortfalls for national grids. Repairs and replacements can take months, greatly increasing associated business interruption costs. Efficient condition monitoring is one of the…
Now in the U.S.: MIDEL’s natural, fire-safe ester transformer fluid
MIDEL natural ester-based transformer fluid (MIDEL eN) is a fire-safe, natural, ester-based dielectric fluid that has been specifically developed to offer a cost-effective alternative to traditional fluid and dry-type transformers. The product is now manufactured, sold, and distributed in the United States. “We are delighted to bring MIDEL eN to the United States,” said Alonso Castillo,…
Technology trends in offshore wind farm substations
This Research Note examines the market dynamics influencing substation technology choices for offshore wind projects in Europe.
N.Y. Power authority wins two awards for research on power line failures, worker safety
The New York Power Authority has received two Electric Power Research Institute Technology Transfer Awards for research that sheds new light on how crucial components of transmission lines can fail and on conditions that can jeopardize the safety of workers working on energized lines.
NK Technologies releases 2016 product catalog
The catalog is available in both a printed and electronic PDF version.
GE to provide 1 GW of wind converters and become key technology partner to Sewind
Spinning high off the shores of Jiangsu and Fujian provinces in China stand the avant garde of China’s renewable energy future: wind farms that will enable the country to reach an installed wind-power capacity of 200 GW by the end of 2020*. Outpacing the Chinese government’s own projections, the rapid growth speaks of the immense…
Ingeteam Wind business unit celebrates 20th anniversary
Ingeteam Wind business unit is celebrating its 20th anniversary, marking two decades of growth and success in the global wind industry. Since the manufacture of its first power converter named INGECON WIND in 1995, the company has enjoyed steady growth and managed to consistently stay ahead of the curve. During the first semester of 2015 alone,…
UK’s Collett & Sons Ltd shows how to move a 200-ton transformer
With construction underway on Burbo Bank (wind farm) Extension, DONG Energy required the delivery and installation of two 200-ton transformers at their onshore substation. Once constructed, the substation will allow the 32 turbine offshore wind farm to connect to the national grid. Handling delivery of the transformers into the UK, SDV UK Ltd called upon…
Vaisala tackles transformer downtime with unique monitoring device
Vaisala, a global provider of environmental and industrial measurements, offers a unique in-oil condition-monitoring probe that provides critical early warning information to track transformer faults. The new Moisture, Hydrogen, and Temperature Transmitter -MHT410 device is designed to help power and energy utilities minimize transformer-related downtime. Vaisala has already shipped the first customer orders. High-voltage transformers are…
PowerWindings says its transformer design cuts up to 30% off manufacturing
Greg Waite, CEO of InventionShare, has announced that the PowerWindings transformer design is a significant breakthrough in transformer manufacturing, and so much so that manufacturers can reduce the cost of a transformer by up to 30% using existing tooling and manufacturing processes. PowerWindings designs were developed by two senior inventors with over 30 years of…
Ingeteam hits 30 GW installed wind-capacity milestone
Ingeteam, an independent supplier of electrical conversion equipment, has announced that it reached the milestone of 30 gigawatts (GW) of installed wind-power capacity worldwide. The company hit this important mark after the commissioning of power converters accounting for 2 GW of installed capacity during the first semester of 2015, a 17% increase over the previous…
Friendly fluids: Safe and sustainable transformer technology
By Mark Lashbrook | Senior Applications Engineer M&I Materials Wind turbine transformers pose a unique set of challenges to the designers and engineers who specify them. The transformers are typically of distribution size and rating, but do a job that differs from a standard distribution unit. The schematic Wind turbine grid connection shows a typical…
ABB reclosers meet stringent performance requirements with improved efficiency
As part of its continuously evolving product offering, power and automation technology company ABB has announced a new multiple controller offering for the ABB recloser product line, including the PCD, RER620, and SEL-651R controllers. ABB reclosers have a long history of proven field performance with more than 15 years of installations worldwide. The ABB recloser…