With the increase in megawatt output, turbines and associated components pose maintenance challenges
This month we continue our conversation about safe practices for wind technicians. Inarguably, one of the more demanding tasks of a wind technician is...
Offshore floating turbines offer a compelling means of harnessing the massive resources available in...
Most utility-scale wind turbines look the same: three blades, tapering in spanwise chord and twist from root to tip, rotor located upwind relative to...
Planning and preparation are critical to any successful project
The contract is finally signed, and everyone lets out a sigh of relief. Six months of hard negotiations hammered home an agreement. The only...
With the increase in megawatt output, larger turbines and associated components pose maintenance challenges
As the MW output of modern wind turbines continues to scale upward, the components of these machines increase in size. Maintenance tasks associated with...
For logistics experts, years of experience in the field leads to an in-depth knowledge...
With the New Year comes new resolutions, and like many of you I have made a resolution to lose some weight. My quest led...
SKF’s new high-capacity cylindrical roller bearings are designed for gearbox applications
SKF has introduced a new version of its high-capacity cylindrical roller bearings in a separable design that enables the separate mounting of inner and...
A post warranty preventative maintenance program, coupled with predictive maintenance, will reap benefits for...
One of the leading reasons why wind energy development is such an attractive investment opportunity today is that if developed, operated, and maintained appropriately...
Proper maintenance procedures will prolong the lifespan of your wind turbines and related components
In the wind power industry, the sheer diversity in the design and size of wind turbines represents a challenge for the growing number of...
Variability is the ‘ghost in the machine’ when it comes to supply chain efficiency
I was attending a supply chain networking event recently when the discussion turned to problems within supply chains. Several of the senior executives at...
Understanding the importance of field tiles and identifying ways to mitigate issues
Nothing is simple when dealing with tiling issues on wind facilities in certain portions of farm country. They are almost never surface located as...
Insights on how to safeguard personnel during the long winter months
In the October installment of this column we discussed various ways to prepare the wind turbine for winter operations. We continue our conversation by...
Conversion factors are needed in order to navigate the relative interpretation of time-averaged extreme...
The U.S. coastal environment offers challenges to widespread offshore wind development compared to projects installed in Europe. The prevalence of hurricanes along the Eastern...
Logistics planning requires factoring in the interaction between weather and the terrain
As the seventh consecutive day of rain was drenching me in the middle of a project, causing delays and running up costs, I thought...
Anyone approaching a turbine under icy conditions needs to know how to protect themselves...
Blade icing is a unique safety challenge on wind farms that occurs on both existing and new facilities still under construction. Understanding and preparing...
Cold weather can affect the reliability of a wind project, as well as the...
Leaving behind the memorable heat wave of 2011, it won’t be long before our offices at 300 feet off the ground become standing popsicles....
A new concept for designing blades is through adaptive blade technology
What if a wind turbine could change its shape with varying wind conditions to optimally capture the most power from the wind at each...
Successful logistics planning benefits from understanding border rules
Companies often forget seemingly simple things while handling the logistics of wind components within North America. What is assumed within U.S. borders doesn’t necessarily...
Lack of proper planning during crane walks results in schedule issues and unexpected costs
Tracked cranes perform nearly all of the new wind farm construction in North America. One challenge is moving the nearly 1,000,000-lb machines between turbines...
A predictive program will include an assessment of the failure mode for each event
Surprisingly, maintenance practices in the wind industry are still guided mostly by time-based activities. Meant to be a proactive approach to servicing multimillion-dollar equipment,...
Turbine technology is rapidly evolving to meet the stringent demands of grid stability, reliability
The 2010 annual Wind Technologies Market Report by Ryan Wiser and Mark Bolinger, both of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, was released in June 2011....
