SKF recently introduced three new lubrication products for wind energy systems: Lincoln lubrication upgrade kit, Global System for Mobile Communications Lubrication Monitor, and Condition Based Lubrication.
Lincoln lubrication upgrade kits
An extension of SKF’s customized lubrication solutions for wind turbines, this retrofit kit provides a cost-effective, easy-to-install option for upgrading existing turbines to automatic lubrication.
Developed for use on most onshore wind turbines up to 2 MW, the lubrication upgrade kit includes standardized, pre-assembled components, as well as various accessories and fittings. Ordering the kit is simple as it requires minimal information to confirm its suitability.
Installation of the Lincoln lubrication upgrade kit can be completed by SKF service personnel or by the customer’s own maintenance staff. Designed to increase productivity and minimize downtime, this kit reliably supplies lubricant to all connected lubrication points.
GSM Lubrication Monitor
Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) Lubrication Monitor
Developed to avoid damage caused by improper lubrication, the device monitors system pumps that are not connected to control centers and notifies maintenance personnel of an empty reservoir or another lubrication issue by sending an SMS message to one or more cell phones.
Requiring only the device and a cell phone, the GSM lubrication monitor is a cost-effective solution for monitoring lubrication pumps in difficult-to-access locations. The lubrication monitor features a pre-configured, plug-and-play design, and is easy to install. It is set up using free PC software via a serial port or by cell phone using SMS commands.
The low-maintenance GSM lubrication monitor operates continuously and can be set to automatically provide a status report on a predetermined schedule. Up to 10 phone numbers can be synchronized with the lubrication monitor and can send various SMS commands. Alarm and recovery messages are time stamped for convenience.
An optional temperature sensor and internal battery are available for use with the GSM Lubrication Monitor. The GSM Lubrication Monitor is for use with automatic lubrication systems and can be retrofitted to upgrade existing systems.
Condition Based Lubrication
SKF Condition Based Lubrication enables remote and automatic lubrication of a wind turbine’s hard to access bearing system, eliminating the need for an on-site service engineer to perform extra manual lubrication.
It is an interface enabling a connection between the Condition Monitoring (WindCon) and Lincoln Lubrication systems (Windlub). Reacting to the problems detected by the CMS, Condition Based Lubrication allows a lubrication pump to initiate additional lubrication cycles to the existing time-based cycle. A condition monitoring specialist can set the proper alarm settings to trigger additional lubrication cycles.
The new lubrication also allows the WindCon system to monitor lubrication pumps and components, including pump status and grease levels. If failures such as empty or blocked pumps or torn feed lines are detected, operators are notified immediately. This early detection of lubrication failures, working in combination with automatic lubrication, will naturally avoid unnecessary and inconvenient maintenance operations. It will also save on downtime and loss of production while waiting for intervention, lengthen the wind turbine’s life time, and reduce the risk of cascading failures.
“As an inclusion to an already planned investment in lubrication systems and CMS, SKF Condition Based Lubrication is a very cost effective add-on,” says Harry Timmerman, product manager for WindCon. “As such, it brings the two systems together to create new and unique features, allowing the lubrication regime to react to the WindCon CMS’s measurements.”
SKF
www.skf.com
Filed Under: Components, Lubricants, News
