Archives February 2018

Archives

February 2018

ARTICLES

Extending the life of wind-turbine components

Specialized PVD coatings, nitriding increase the durability and lifespan of turbine components.

With the increasing demand for carbon-free renewable energy, more companies are turning to wind power as a source for their energy needs. Although this presents a good deal of potential for the manufacturers of wind turbines and their components, the technological challenges of providing a reliable product that operates with minimal maintenance or repair is […]
Jeff Elliott

Monitoring wind in cold climates

The ability to keep track of potential ice build up on turbine blades can significantly reduce maintenance costs.

Wind-farm operators in cold-weather climates such as Canada, Sweden, and parts of the United States are confronted with unique operating challenges. When faced with extreme temperatures of -20 degrees Celsius or lower, atmospheric icing becomes the leading cause of a variety of challenges. And in cold-weather climates, where icing is a frequent occurrence for up […]
Michael Clarke

Changing Turbine Gearbox Oil

Technology automatically changes oil in a fraction of the time it would take with traditional methods.

Wind turbines remain a significant component of alternative electricity generation. The traditional design of such turbines includes a rotor, a generator, and a gearbox, which converts rotation of the rotor into generator-shaft rotation. Although a different design of the wind-power units was developed in the 1990s with synchronous generators and frequency converters without the need […]
Frank May

Torque loading: Standards have limits

Part 2: Specific industry standards for wind-turbine drivetrains include gear-failure modes.

(Editor’s note: This article on torque loading is presented in two parts. Part 1 on how drivetrain components are important in analyzing component performance appeared in the January issue of Wind Systems.) The IEC standard 61400-4 (2012) is the latest standard for wind-turbine drivetrains. Although AGMA/AWEA 6006-A03 was reaffirmed in 2016, 61400-4 is one of […]
Paul Baker, Doug Herr

NEWS