Foundation ‘gaps’ can prove costly
Wind power companies routinely face performance issues throughout their supply chains. These functional “gaps” often become problems that can prove very costly. Some gaps...
Robust supply chain crucial for blades
A robust, reliable, and high-quality supply chain of wind turbine blades is crucial for the sustainability of the wind industry to ensure growth and...
Avoiding wind farm construction risks
For those responsible for the construction of wind farms, risks literally could be just around the corner. If your project logistics resources do not...
Dealing with a wind tower’s high load
Wind towers are not particularly heavy, but are subject to high lateral loads at a distance high above their base, resulting in a large...
Test rig built to help validate bearing designs
Alternative energy generation is becoming an important part of the power generation mix, and it is likely that the size of individual generating units...
Increasing reliability with condition monitoring
With the growth of wind farms, users are turning to condition monitoring and automatic lubrication systems for increased reliability. The following questions, and answers,...
DOE 1.5 turbine lets NWTC conduct research
The two largest wind turbines ever erected at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s (NREL) National Wind Technology Center (NWTC) towered into the sky this...
Turbines must meet certification requirements
Almost all large wind turbines available on the market today have been certified by an international certification body through a comprehensive design evaluation, testing,...
A look at preventive maintenance
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...
Micropiles are versatile foundation systems
Many deep foundation systems are available for support of wind turbine tower foundations, including driven piles, drilled caissons, augercast piles, and micropiles. Of these...
Making sense of small wind
In the small wind industry you will often encounter the sentiment that you should buy the biggest tower you can afford in order to...
Understanding the entitlement process with small wind
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...
Ground improvement techniques for turbine sites
When the geotechnical exploration at a planned wind turbine tower location reveals that the subsurface conditions are weak and compressible, a deep foundation system...
Maintaining gearbox oil properly
Oil is a key life-cycle driver of a gearbox, and proper maintenance is important. The primary purpose of oil is to provide lubrication and...
Making sure the gearbox stays realiable
Gearbox reliability is a crucial issue for the wind energy industry. The gearbox and its supporting components (i.e. shafts, generator, brakes, and lubrication system)...
