The schematic is for the Individual Pitch Controls from Insensys Ltd.
Moog Inc. has acquired 70% of the stock of Insensys Ltd. for $15.7 million. Insensys supplies pitch control and rotor-blade monitoring equipment for wind turbines. As part of the investment, Moog has an option to purchase the remaining 30% within a year.
Pitch controls position the blade angles, thus controlling loads and efficiency of the turbine. With this acquisition, Moog will have additional functions in pitch control to improve the efficiency and increase a turbine’s lifetime.
“Real-time data improves turbine performance and lowers its total cost of ownership,” says Moog’s International Group Presient Steve Huckvale. “Insensys’ fiber optic sensing systems add advanced measurement capabilities and data intelligence that will be a differentiator for turbine manufacturers, blade manufacturers, and wind-park operators.”
These individual pitch controls let operators reduce the load on each blade, which optimizes efficiency, improves reliability, and saves material and construction costs.
Predictive maintenance is vital to wind-park operators because of the high cost of shutdowns and turbine repairs. The necessity for predictive maintenance is only surpassed by the need to protect multi-million dollar wind turbines from catastrophic failure. Insensys does both with its rotor-blade monitors. With over 1,000 systems and 20,000 sensors delivered to global and regional wind turbine manufacturers, Insensys’ methods for ice detection, lighting strike, rotary imbalance, and damage detection prevent shutdowns, improves safety, and lower maintenance costs. “The company also has a measurement system for design verification and rotor-blade qualification that fits perfectly with Moog’s current methods for static and dynamic blade testing,” says Insensys co-founder and chairman Martin Jones.
Filed Under: Projects
