Archives September 2009

Archives

September 2009

ARTICLES

Turbines must meet certification requirements

NREL and AWEA collaborate with industry professionals to align international wind-turbine certifications with U.S. regulations, both local and national.

Almost all large wind turbines available on the market today have been certified by an international certification body through a comprehensive design evaluation, testing, and quality-manufacturing review process. When these turbines are introduced into the U.S. market they must also satisfy local requirements for items such as structural and electrical permits. As offshore wind plants […]
Sandy Butterfield

A look at preventive maintenance

The generator is the heart of the windmill power generation system, so developing an ongoing maintenance program will help protect your investment.

With the increasing investment into the development of wind farms, preventive maintenance takes on an important role in ensuring the reliability and cost-effectiveness of this energy business. The reliable operation of the drive train requires the preventive maintenance of key components such as generators and gearboxes. The generator is the heart of the windmill power […]
Garnik Haghverdi, V. Anton Soldo, Sumit Singhal

Micropiles are versatile foundation systems

Micropiles are versatile enough to function either as a new foundation, or as a remedial solution for an existing foundation. This installment provides insights.

Many deep foundation systems are available for support of wind turbine tower foundations, including driven piles, drilled caissons, augercast piles, and micropiles. Of these systems only micropiles are versatile enough to function either as a new foundation for a planned structure, or as a remedial solution for an existing foundation. Also known as minipiles, pin […]
James D. Hussin

Understanding the entitlement process with small wind

The more you know about how to go about winning planning approvals and assisting your customers, the more successful your small-wind projects will be.

There are over 25,000 individual planning commissions in the United States, and each has the potential to promote the adoption of regulations hostile to the growth of distributed generation small wind systems. In order to effectively market home and commercial small wind systems, installers need to understand the entitlement process and be able to guide […]
Michael Miller

Making sense of small wind

For those with creative minds and spirits, small wind offers an amazing opportunity for designing systems to fulfill a growing market demand.

In the small wind industry you will often encounter the sentiment that you should buy the biggest tower you can afford in order to maximize the total energy harvested from the system. This is true, in a sense, and I personally believe that every homeowner with enough space and wind should be allowed to erect […]
Michael Miller

NEWS

Five-Axis Laser Services from Byers Precision

Byers Precision Fabricators offers highly skilled full-service five-axis laser processing to help reduce costs for manufacturers in the wind turbine and other alternative energy industries. The company provides extraordinary results and exciting new engineering, design, and production opportunities. Byers Precision operates with current laser technology and has the experience necessary to most effectively and efficiently […]
October 31, 2009

New High-Tech Lab at PRUEFTECHNIK Alignment Systems

Having recently inaugurated a newly-built high-tech lab in Ismaning, Germany, PRUEFTECHNIK Alignment Systems—LUDECA’s principals—strengthens its technological prominence and abilities in measurement technology. The lab includes two large granite tables (20 ft. x 6-1/2 ft. and 36 ft. x 1½ ft.) weighing 12 and 11 metric tons, respectively, and a 1½ ton 3D motion simulator. The […]
October 31, 2009

Enertech Launches Wind Project Development Services Subsidiary

Enertech, Inc., announces the formation of Rio Viento Development Corp., a wholly-owned subsidiary offering multidisciplinary development, consulting, and O&M services. The new venture compliments Enertech’s existing wind turbine manufacturing business by providing customers with the technical and professional services needed to develop wind projects under 20 mw. “Enertech is a ‘one-stop shop’ for community, institutional, […]
October 31, 2009

Two-Phase Cooling System from Parker Hannifin

Parker Hannifin Corporation, the leader in motion and control technologies, has released the first two-phase cooling system to manage the heat of high-power electronics safely and efficiently. Parker’s Precision Electronics Cooling System Technology, developed at Parker’s Climate Systems Division, allows power electronics’ design platforms to have up to twice the power density in half the […]
October 31, 2009

New Line of Turbines from HPM America

HPM America has unveiled its newest product line—wind turbines. In introducing this line the company will be addressing the needs of homeowners, businesses, schools, and universities, governmental institutions, and other applications. The marketing campaign will be utilizing the slogan “1 to 1—Your Total Community Wind Provider.” The new wind turbines will be available from a […]
October 31, 2009

Vestas receives 165 MW offshore order in Belgium

Vestas has received an order for an offshore wind power plant with a total capacity of 165 MW. The wind power plant, Bligh Bank Offshore Wind Farm, consists of 55 units of the V90-3.0 MW wind turbine and will be located 46 km off the coast of Zeebrugge, situated in the zone dedicated by the […]
October 31, 2009