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May 2016

Editors Desk

Anna Claire Howard
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Editors Desk

Having grown up on the Gulf Coast only two hours from New Orleans, I’m excited to make the trip down to the Big Easy for this year’s AWEA Windpower Conference & Exhibition May 23-26. Sure, I’m looking forward to having my fill of praline bacon and fresh-caught Gulf shrimp, but I’m most excited about spending four days with all of the industry members who have traveled near and far to attend Windpower 2016.

Last year’s show was my first wind industry event, and it was certainly one to remember between meeting so many of our readers and industry leaders and attending live demonstrations at various booths. This year, I’m looking forward to all of that and much more.

AWEA’s conference organizers have made it easier for attendees to see everything they want to over those four days with the exhibit hall and educational sessions all located at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. Windpower 2016 will feature more than 100,000 square feet of exhibitor booths and an additional 32,000 square feet of space set aside for the educational programs, as well as an exhibit hall dedicated to the Department of Energy’s Collegiate Wind Competition.

Additionally, with this year’s theme being Generation Wind, the tone has shifted from past Windpower events that focused on the instability within the market to explore policy issues beyond the long-awaited five-year extension to the federal Production Tax Credit (PTC) and focus on the global wind energy industry’s bright future.

Following the recent PTC extension, the U.S. wind energy industry is experiencing a major a growth spurt in terms of new wind farms being built and contracts being signed, meaning more and more companies are wanting in on the action. With this issue’s focus on Windpower 2016, I spoke with Chris Shroyer from North Dakota-based EdgeData LLC to learn more about the company’s innovative BladeEdge technology — an automated software portal that utilizes drones to analyze the condition of wind turbines through big-data collection. Founded just last year, EdgeData will be exhibiting for the first time at this year’s Windpower conference and exhibition. To learn more about BladeEdge and what it can offer your wind farm operations, stop by Booth #2719, and while you’re there, register to win your very own drone.

We’ve also included a complete list of exhibitors (and booth numbers )who will be at Windpower 2016, and we hope this comes in handy while you’re navigating the show floor.

While you’re exploring the show floor, be sure to stop by Booth #3013 to say hello to us here at Wind Systems.

As always, thanks for reading, and I’ll see you in New Orleans!

U.S. Wind Power Jobs Hit New Record and Are Up 20 Percent in 2016

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U.S. Wind Power Jobs Hit New Record and Are Up 20 Percent in 2016

American wind power supported a record 88,000 jobs at the start of 2016 — an increase of 20 percent in one year according to the U.S. Wind Industry Annual Market Report, Year Ending 2015, released by the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA). Strong job growth coincided with wind ranking No. 1 as America’s leading source of new generating capacity last year.

“Wind power benefits more American families than ever before,” said Tom Kiernan, CEO of AWEA. “We’re helping young people in rural America find jobs close to home, while others are getting a chance to rebuild their careers by landing a job in the booming clean energy sector. With long-term stable policy in place and a broader range of customers now buying low-cost wind-generated electricity, our workforce can grow to 380,000 well-paying jobs by 2030.”

Congress passed a long-term extension of the wind energy Production Tax Credit and alternative investment tax credit with bipartisan support in late 2015. With the extension in place and the recent industry growth, wind energy is on track to meet the United States Department of Energy’s (DOE) Wind Vision scenario of supplying 20 percent of U.S. electricity by 2030.

“Made-in-the-U.S.A. wind power will help keep our economy competitive and our air clean for generations,” Kiernan said. “Our wind energy will never run out.”

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Chris Brown, president of Vestas Americas and incoming AWEA board chair, recently hosted an event at Vestas Americas Wind Systems’ Brighton, Colorado, manufacturing plant that assembles turbine nacelles, which house the gearbox and electrical generator at the top of a wind turbine. Vestas employs nearly 3,700 Colorado workers, and the state is home to two of the nation’s top wind technician training programs.

“Innovative turbine technology has cut the cost of wind energy by two-thirds in just six years,” Brown said. “Our job growth and cost-cutting is showing state policymakers and utilities how zero-emissions wind turbines are the economical and environmental solution for cutting carbon pollution cost-effectively.”

State-by-state job growth and economic benefit rankings

The job growth in 2015 is primarily attributed to more wind project development and construction, requiring more than 38,000 employees. The industry also experienced a stabilization of its manufacturing sector, which now supports over 21,000 well-paying jobs across 43 states, an increase of more than 10 percent in a year. Additionally, more than 8,800 jobs are currently held by wind turbine technicians — the fastest growing profession in the U.S. according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Texas leads the nation with over 24,000 wind energy employees. Wind project construction propelled Oklahoma to second place with more than 7,000 jobs. Rounding out the top five are Iowa and Colorado with over 6,000 jobs, and, after moving up 11 spots, Kansas ranks fifth with over 5,000 wind workers. Maine gained the most in the state wind employment rankings, rising 16 spots.

Jobs at wind farms, wind-related manufacturing facilities, or both, are now located in 70 percent of U.S. congressional districts.

Across the U.S., wind has attracted $128 billion in new wind project investment over the last 10 years. Texas ranks number one with the most capital investment at more than $32.7 billion, followed by California over $11.9 billion, Iowa at $11.8 billion, Oklahoma at $9.6 billion, and Illinois at $7.7 billion.

Also, 70 percent of wind farms are located in low-income counties, supplying them with an economic boost. Wind developers pay a growing total of $222 million a year in land lease payments to U.S. farmers, ranchers, and other rural landowners.

Rapid growth fuels hiring boom

The wind rush grew stronger in 2015 as the American industry installed 8,598 MW of electric generating capacity across 20 states. That’s the third most in a year and a 77-percent increase since 2014. Wind’s first-place finish in new power plant installations represented 41 percent of all new capacity that came online in 2015, ahead of solar at 28.5 percent and natural gas at 28.1 percent.

An additional 9,400 MW of wind capacity was under construction as of the start of 2016, with another 4,900 MW in advanced stages of development.

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Two Colorado wind projects alone are expected to save consumers $231 million over 20 years and have already saved the state more than $20 million in fuel costs. Additional data shows that consumers in the 10 states with the most renewable energy pay less on their electricity bills than the 10 states with the least renewable energy. Growing wind energy to 35 percent of the U.S. electricity supply by 2050 will eventually save American consumers $14 billion per year with cumulative savings on their electric bills of $149 billion.

Upgrading the nation’s grid and adding new transmission is expected to deliver more clean energy and savings to densely populated U.S. cities that need it most. The Upper Midwest grid operator, for example, found $50 billion in net benefits from such projects, equaling $1,000 per customer.

Transmission taps more affordable energy sources at all hours for major cities and big brands like Google and Microsoft. Major brands and other emerging non-utility customers signed 52 percent, or 2,074 MW, of the wind power capacity contracted through power purchase agreements (PPA) in 2015. Low-cost wind energy increasingly appeals to organizations with goals to lower emissions and to protect their bottom line.

States expand wind energy use, which opens greater access to clean air

Wind energy supplied more than 31 percent of Iowa’s in-state electricity production in 2015, making it the first state in the U.S. to surpass the 30-percent mark. Altogether, 12 states generated at least 10 percent of their electricity with wind energy.

Xcel Energy, the main utility in Colorado, has satisfied over 66 percent of its demand for electricity with wind at times. In the last several weeks, wind provided more than 48 percent of the electricity on the main Texas grid and on the Southwest Power Pool.

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“We have cultivated wind as our most cost-effective renewable energy option because we recognize that this source of energy is not only a benefit to the environment, but also a major economic driver for the state,” said David Eves, president of the Public Service Company of Colorado, an Xcel Energy company. “Our plan is to expand our wind offerings to provide hundreds of new jobs for Coloradans, make a billion dollars in new investments, keep energy costs low for our customers, and improve the environment.”

As a result, Americans can breathe easier due to pollution-free, renewable wind energy displacing harmful emissions from other energy sources.

Each new wind turbine typically avoids over 4,200 metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) per year, equal to approximately 900 cars’ worth. U.S. wind energy avoided 132 million metric tons in total CO2 emissions last year, equal to eliminating all electric power sector emissions from Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Colorado.

Wind energy also greatly reduces a variety of health-harming air pollutants, including smog-causing sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx), which helps reduce asthma attacks and other respiratory issues. That displaced an estimated 176,000 metric tons of SO2 and 106,000 metric tons of NOx in 2015, representing $7.3 billion in avoided health costs last year alone. 

— Source: AWEA

For more information, go to www.awea.org.

Profile: EdgeData LLC

Anna Claire Howard
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Profile: EdgeData LLC

In North Dakota, a team of data experts, software developers, and wind energy industry veterans have joined forces to advance the state of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS, or more commonly known as drones) used in the operations and maintenance of industrial wind farms.

With the help of a $450,000 matching grant from the North Dakota Centers of Excellence Commission that was administered by the University of North Dakota (UND), EdgeData was founded in early 2015 by CEO and Chairman Lonnie Bloomquist, CTO Jeff Thorsteinson, and President Chris Shroyer. The company is working in conjunction with LM Wind Power, the world’s leading independent blade manufacturer, and other wind farm owners and operators to develop a system that utilizes UAS data-collection technology from cameras and sensors to inspect and monitor wind tower blades, thereby decreasing worksite safety risks, minimizing annual energy production (AEP) losses due to poor blade conditions, identifying necessary repairs prior to costly service, and extending the life of the turbines.

EdgeData is based at the university’s Tech Accelerator, a facility that supports UND’s mission of economic development and where the company houses a flight laboratory and hangar to conduct UAS flights and training indoors.

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“EdgeData has been able to do what it said it would do through the many partnerships established with the state of North Dakota, the University of North Dakota, and LM Wind Power,” Thorsteinson said. “We are on a clear path to commercialization.”

According to Shroyer, EdgeData’s mission to the industries it serves is to build big data applications and, in turn, all of the data that is being produced these days through UAS into usable business intelligence.

“It becomes obvious that inspecting wind turbines from the air is advantageous to wind farm owners and operators and that you can do it more quickly and gather more data that is also more accurate,” Shroyer said. “The physical demands of scaling that turbine are also eliminated. There are companies in the industry that are focused on flying drones to inspect the wind turbines. However, the top objection we hear is that they just take thousands of pictures, videos, or 3-D images and the client needs to know how to make that information usable. EdgeData takes all of that data and turns it into the three or four images that you as an end user need in order to make an informed decision that will bring value to your business.”

Shroyer and his team will take that innumerable amount of images or videos captured by UAS and input the data into its innovative software — BladeEdge.

BladeEdge is the first analytical software that transforms raw data from aerial inspections into actionable intelligence, improving wind farm safety and efficiency and ultimately extending infrastructure lifespan and minimizing revenue losses.

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Degraded blade condition can lead to a 10- to 25-percent efficiency loss and substantial losses in revenue from faulty components. According to Bloomquist, BladeEdge is a dashboard where wind farm owners or operators will be able to bring other maintenance records into a single portal application and better manage their assets.  

“We offer in-depth knowledge of the industry and its components in the field, and we’re going to solve the big-data issues by creating automated software that will take all of that information and break it down into three parts: capture, compute, and consume,” Bloomquist said.

The obvious “capture” here is the UAS technology that flies around the turbine to collect data in the form of images and videos as well as GPS information. Shroyer said that BladeEdge is designed to also capture information relating to manufacturing and maintenance processes, creating an entire life-cycle of data.

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The “compute” stage consists of stitching images, automatically assessing conditions and computing the data with ROI calculators on how much the leading edge erosion could be affecting the performance output and the total repair costs now versus what they could be in the future should the issues not be addressed.

“The computed data will allow you to make better business decisions regarding maintenance and repairs,” Shroyer said.

The last factor is “consume,” which Shroyer said means presenting the collected data in a way that will allow you to use it most efficiently. The system is color coded in red, yellow, and green — with red being the most severe and green being the least. BladeEdge also aligns and compares the data it collects with the EPRI blade condition industry standard.

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“We’ll provide our client with a dashboard presenting the issues in red that should be addressed immediately and could otherwise cause disastrous or costly problems, followed by any in the yellow or green categories, which have a lesser sense of immediacy,” Shroyer said. “The client is able to make an informed decision at that point as to where their resources should be invested and which problems should be fixed and when. We’ll do a color assessment that will utilize alphanumeric codes to tell you if it’s a trailing edge crack or leading edge erosion.”

A major aspect of the BladeEdge that sets it and EdgeData apart from other image-capturing data assessment providers in the industry is that all of this data collection and analysis is done automatically in the software and then presented in the portal rather than being collected manually.

“We’re using software development that will turn this into an automated process,” Shroyer said. “We’re also utilizing machine learning at some layers. So, rather than writing code for each individual step, the computer begins to learn what it’s doing and you won’t need to tell it every time. The algorithm will be more efficient and in time, more effective than a human.”

At this year’s AWEA Windpower Conference & Exhibition in New Orleans, EdgeData will demonstrate its BladeEdge analytical software for the first time at Booth #2719, after which the product will be commercially available to the wind energy market.

“We are currently in our research phase, so we are still flying and funding our flight operations with our research grant, but we’ll move into commercial operations at the end of the Windpower show,” Bloomquist said. “As we continue to build BladeEdge, it will become a company of its own to address needs specific to the wind energy industry.”

EdgeData will also have its UAS airframes that are used to capture images and data on wind turbines as well as a drone that it will be giving away in a prize drawing. To register for the drawing, stop by Booth #2719 or follow @BladeEdgeLLC on Twitter.

“The BladeEdge analysis portal will be an industry differentiator as we move forward, and it will bring maturity to the wind industry by presenting big data in an easily consumable way,” Shroyer said. 

For more information, go to www.edgedata.net and stop by Booth #2719 at the AWEA 2016 Windpower Conference & Exhibition.

Data-Driven Main Bearing Maintenance Strategies To Reduce Unplanned Maintenance Costs

Jason Shapiro
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Data-Driven Main Bearing Maintenance Strategies To Reduce Unplanned Maintenance Costs

Main bearing failures can wreak havoc on a wind farm’s annual operating budget. Operators are experiencing high numbers of main bearing failures resulting in unplanned operating costs. Reference data from seven sites over four years shows that annual failure rates of 3-6 percent are not unusual. As bearings age and damage accumulates, that rate of failure is expected to increase.

Although replacement costs can be as high as that of a gearbox, main bearings are usually not maintained with the same rigor. Effective maintenance and life extension strategies exist that can be easily incorporated into a wind farm’s overall maintenance plan to reduce downtime and unexpected expenses.

Root Cause Analysis Findings

The majority of main bearing failures are occurring on three-point mount turbine designs. This arrangement has one main bearing to support rotor weight and thrust and two gearbox mounts that support rotor weight, bending loads, and torque. Double row spherical roller bearings (DSRBs) are selected for the main bearing due to cost, their ability to handle a large amount of radial load (supporting the weight of the rotor), and their self-aligning capability — a requirement in this arrangement (see Figure 1).

Figure 1: Main bearing failures predominantly occur on three-point mount turbine designs, which utilize a single double-row spherical roller bearing. (Courtesy: Romax Technology)

The drawback in the three-point design is that the thrust loads are often too high for DSRBs. This results in a ratio of an axial-to-radial load that is too high and leads to undesirable roller skewing and sliding as the bearing rotates. The bearing already operates under poor lubrication conditions, as the rolling speeds are very slow, making it difficult to generate the needed lubricant film thickness in the loaded zone between rollers and raceways. The skewing and sliding exacerbates the issue, and the end result is micropitting, which generates debris. The debris is trapped in the bearing and causes three body abrasions and surface-initiated spalling, which generates more debris and an accelerated failure cycle (see Figure 2).

Figure 2: Main bearing failure cycle of roller and raceway surfaces, accelerated by trapped debris.

Romax InSight has performed numerous root cause analyses on this three-point mount turbine design, which have confirmed the primary mode of failure to be surface-initiated fatigue (see Figure 3):

Figure 3: Fishbone diagram reduces in-root causes to confirm that the likely cause of failure is excessive axial-to-radial load ratios causing load to be carried exclusively by downwind row.

– Metallurgical, measurement, and visual investigation of the bearings have ruled out material, assembly, and heat treatment issues

– Teardown and inspection of the bearings confirm the wear is consistent with excessive axial-to-radial load ratios.

Condition-Based Maintenance Tools

Many wind farm owners are only aware of main bearing failures after SCADA temperature alarms alert them to the issue, which usually corresponds to the final stages of bearing deterioration. Figure 4 provides a case study where advanced vibration fault detection algorithms provided more than one year’s warning on a main bearing failure when the first debris dents appeared on the inner race. Temperature warnings often occur at a very late stage, even when using advanced algorithms to correct for environmental fluctuations.

Figure 4: Romax InSight Fleet MonitorTM software tracking main bearing damage provides over a year’s leadtime on the failure using advanced algorithms applied to the raw vibration data feed.

Combining SCADA temperature data with vibration data and grease analysis gives owners a more comprehensive toolset to detect main bearing damage and degrading lubrication conditions early on. With this information, repair costs can be better forecasted, prioritized, and ultimately reduced through minimizing downtime and sharing the cost of crane mobilization with other planned repairs (see Figure 5 and Figure 6).

Figure 5: Main bearing data-driven inspections; combining vibration, SCADA, and grease analysis data allows better forecasting and prioritization of main bearing maintenance and repairs.
Figure 6: (Below) Early detection of main bearing damage using condition monitoring results in significant cost savings through scheduling simultaneous repairs.

Additional cost savings exist by preventing secondary damage to the gearbox that can occur when running a main bearing to failure. The gearbox is mounted on rubber mounts that principally react the thrust, but, together with the main bearing, also support rotor-bending moments. When the main bearing is run to failure, the internal clearance is increased (due to wear) and can eventually result in the thrust load being transferred to the gearbox. The planet carrier bearings take this thrust load on the bearing shoulder (outside its design intent), and the carrier may also become cocked to the ring gear, affecting planetary alignment.

Life Extension Strategies

While identifying main bearing damage early reduces the costs associated with unscheduled maintenance, the service life of the damaged component is still finite. To address this, a number of strategies exist for extending the life of damaged main bearings, including grease purging, manual grease removal, and grease flushing. The objective is to remove the old, hardened, and contaminated grease, which can cause surface fatigue on the raceways of the bearing and the rollers and lead to accelerated failure. Grease flushing is distinct to the industry norm, where only a partial volume of the grease is manually removed or pushed through by purging for an inadequate clean. A significant life extension requires that almost all the grease must be removed.

Romax InSight has developed a process to assess and extend main bearing life. Developed in-house, this process allows the majority of the grease from within the bearing to be flushed. The bearing is then repacked with fresh grease and can continue operation as normal. This process has proven to reduce the operating temperature of main bearings with severe wear by up to 20°C, as well as reducing the number of large and small density particles to that of fresh grease, which can vastly improve the remaining useful life of a bearing.

Extending Life for Severely Damaged Bearings

In cases of severely damaged bearings, flushing may be utilized as a tool to allow the operator to continue bearing operation until a replacement can be made. An operational extension of three to six months can be achieved for cases where the bearing was severely damaged prior to flushing. In some cases, 12 months or more have been observed. Figure 7 summarizes a recent case study where an owner had two damaged main bearings in a farm with multi-megawatt wind turbines. Wind Turbine Generator B (WTG-B) was flushed three months after vibration and inspection confirmed damage. Wind Turbine Generator C (WTG-C) went through multiple grease purges (no flushing) to combat turbine shutdown due to high temperature alarms. Recent inspections classified both main bearings as having severe damage, but the turbine that wasn’t flushed progressed to failure at a faster rate.

Figure 7: In cases of severely damaged main bearings, flushing may be utilized as a tool to extend the life of the bearing in order to optimize the time of replacement.

Close temperature and vibration monitoring is required, as a severely damaged bearing may progress to functional failure and require shutdown. Additionally, running a spalled bearing can result in subsequent gearbox damage and needs to be monitored closely to avoid impact to planet carrier bearings.

Preventative Maintenance Flushing

Some owners have taken the proactive initiative of flushing bearings as part of preventative maintenance strategy to remove old and contaminated grease from non-damaged bearings. Over time, even healthy main bearings will accumulate foreign contaminates and degraded grease, which reduces the bearing service life. Auto-lubrication units installed on main bearings help by providing a fresh supply of grease, but these systems are unable to remove contaminates and degraded grease from the bearing. Romax InSight has observed significant reductions in contamination levels in main bearings that have been flushed early (see Figure 8).

Figure 8: Benefits of preventative maintenance flushing; 104 days post-flushing iron content is reduced by 87 percent.

Predictive-Based Maintenance Data

Early detection of main bearing damage and flushing can provide wind farm owners and operators with a more comprehensive toolset to manage main bearing failures. However, a piece of the puzzle is still missing in terms of forecasting the time to failure.

To address this requirement, Romax InSight has developed a database of component failures to provide wind farm owners with an estimate of remaining useful life once vibration and inspections have confirmed damage. RomaxRepair utilizes mathematical models and empirical data along with engineering experience to forecast the time to failure. After detection and the first evidence of damage is determined, the remaining production hours are calculated. Based on the time of year, the production hours are converted to a date range for expected failure to guide an optimized schedule for repairs.

Figure 9: RomaxRepair estimates the remaining useful life once main bearing damage has been detected and confirmed.

Figure 9 shows the RomaxRepair estimates for WTG-B and WTG-C from the aforementioned case study. Turbine B lasted 137 days longer than 75 percent of the main bearings in the database. Turbine C that was not flushed will be replaced with average life after initial signs of failure.

Conclusion

Wind farm owners and operators will inevitably face main bearing failures. Unplanned labor, unscheduled downtime, and additional crane mobilization fees are all factors that can be managed. Efficient analysis of SCADA and CMS data that result in data-driven inspections can be an invaluable way to improve maintenance planning and, when combined with life extension strategies and remaining useful life estimates, equips the wind farm owner with a powerful toolset for minimizing downtime and saving on O&M expenditure.

Dropped Object Prevention: Tools with Engineered Attachment Points Can Increase Safety and Productivity

John Tremblay
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Dropped Object Prevention: Tools with Engineered Attachment Points Can Increase Safety and Productivity

The wind power industry, along with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), has recognized dropped objects as a significant safety and productivity concern. According to the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), dropped objects continue to lead the near misses reported by many wind energy companies, so much so that the association’s first safety awareness month in October 2015 was entitled “Prevention of Dropped Objects.” As the market matures and continues to establish policy and behavioral standards, programs and training opportunities that address this topic are emerging.

While there are federally mandated guidelines for securing people who work on surfaces 4 feet or higher from the ground, there are no such requirements for securing tools. While most organizations recognize the need to prevent tools from falling, identifying and implementing effective solutions has been challenging for a number of reasons. Fortunately, new methodologies are available that not only better secure tools while working at great heights, but also maintain the tool’s full functionality for increased safety and productivity.

GE 1.5 hub hatch tool with engineered attachment point

Old Challenges, New Ideas

Tethered tools are not a new concept. Tethering devices come in many shapes and sizes, but many fall short for one reason or another. Some mount in a way that limits the full use of the tool and are difficult to handle, while some technicians view them as obstructions to productivity. Others work with only a portion of the tools, leaving some unsecured. With that said, the most common complaint related to tethered devices is that they inhibit the functionality of the tool. A tool can be tethered, but if the system inhibits safe and proper use, then the objective of a safer working environment is not reached.

Snap-On Industrial: Soft bag toolkit with engineered attachment points and inventory management system

Engineered Attachment Points

New technologies for drop prevention have emerged that focus on maintaining or enhancing a tool’s functionality. An important development is that these new tethering systems are designed in conjunction with the tool and not looked at as an afterthought. Developing system components independently is what ultimately compromises functionality and inhibits program implementation.

Engineered attachment points must consider a tool’s design and function in order to maintain or improve use when tethered. Rigorous drop testing to certify the design of attachment points should also be in place to ensure safety. Fortunately, there are new innovative offerings that satisfy these criteria. Some examples of such innovation include:

Snap-On Industrial: Hard case toolkit with engineered attachment points and inventory management system

Locking pins: Square drive tools and accessories are designed and manufactured with spring-loaded lock pins in square drives. The lock pin engages with side lock holes drilled in sockets, extensions, and adaptors, ensuring positive retention. A pin-release tool is used to separate components in the system. This method is preferred over using quick-release tools because a quick-release button or collar can be activated inadvertently, causing the drive tools to separate and become dangerous dropped objects.

Rotating tabs: Screwdrivers are fitted with stainless steel tabs that rotate freely 360 degrees so that lanyards do not tangle around the user’s hand or the screwdriver handle. This method also leaves all of the gripping surfaces available so that the tool can be used ergonomically.

Strategic location: Rather than taping a ring on the handle of a plier where it will obstruct the user, engineered attachment points are located away from the gripping surfaces, allowing full functionality.

Turnkey toolkits: Complete toolkits with engineered attachment points and asset management systems are now available as one line item solutions. They arrive fully assembled and ready for implementation. This type of program reduces the cost of the acquisition while improving safety and productivity and reducing the risk of foreign object damage (FOD) or foreign material exclusion (FME).

Training

As with any change, implementing an effective dropped object prevention program requires a culture shift. Training standards are being developed by organizations like the National Coalition of Certification Centers (NC3). More information on NC3 can be found on its website at www.nc3.net. Also, the first dropped object prevention certification program of its kind was offered last year by Iowa Lakes Community College (ILCC). More information on this initiative can be found on the college’s website at www.iowalakes.edu.

For more information, go to www.snapon.com/industrial.

Generation Wind Comes to New Orleans

Tim Morris
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Generation Wind Comes to New Orleans

Last spring, the United States Department of Energy (DOE) set an ambitious goal that, if achieved, would usher in a new era in American energy. The DOE’s target: to generate 20 percent of the country’s electricity with wind energy by 2030.

Today, the U.S. is on track to meet or exceed that target. In 2015, wind was America’s largest source of new electric generating capacity, representing 35 percent of all new energy to come online. That’s more than solar or natural gas. Overall, there’s now enough wind energy in the U.S. to power 19 million American homes, and the U.S. produced more electricity from wind than any other country in 2015.

At the state level, progress is just as impressive. Last year, Iowa became the first state to generate more than 30 percent of its electricity using wind. Overall, wind now reliably supplies at least 10 percent of the electricity in a dozen states.

Reaching these milestones means not only cleaner energy, but significant economic activity as well. More than $128 billion has been invested in the U.S. economy over the last 10 years from the construction of new wind projects, while the country’s fastest growing job is now wind turbine technician.

Cost declines of 66 percent in the last six years combined with the long-term policy stability achieved with December 2015’s five-year extension of the Production Tax Credit mean wind energy is poised for even greater growth in the years to come.

As the U.S. wind industry has matured and gets ready to move to the next level, we at the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) realized it was time for the AWEA Windpower 2016 Conference & Exhibition to do the same.

After gathering feedback from AWEA members on how to best meet the evolving industry needs brought on by increasing demand, we decided that Windpower — the largest annual wind energy conference in North America — needed some adjustments.

One of the biggest changes is to the conference’s education program.

With “Generation Wind” as 2016’s theme, we crafted a program that encompasses the growing demand for wind energy, and for the first time, made it available to all Windpower attendees. We’ve quadrupled the number of sessions, and we’re placing them all on the show floor. Every attendee and exhibitor alike can benefit from the 99 presentations and sessions scheduled across five main stations throughout the exhibit hall.

For a better understanding of how the industry’s leading experts are pushing for a new wave of global wind development, visit the Power Station where attendees will hear about new commercial opportunities, market expansion, and lessons learned and applied. Owners and operators looking for management strategies to address current and future operational life-cycle issues will find everything they need at the Operations Station powered by UpWind Solutions.

At the Technology Station powered by GE Renewable Energy, leaders in business, academia, and government are coming together for a discussion on ways to advance innovations in wind technologies that could fundamentally change the industry. The Project Development Station powered by AWS Truepower is where attendees can examine every step involved in developing a wind project, from siting and wildlife to transmission, integration, and forecasting.

Returning from last year’s conference, the Thought Leader Theater powered by Mortenson will be dedicated to defining the future of wind with more than 14 hours of forward-thinking and thought-provoking content.

Continuing to build a better future is a key aspect for Windpower’s theme, Generation Wind, because today’s youth are tomorrow’s leaders. The next generation of wind leaders is more attune to the positive environmental impacts of wind and the ways in which it can strengthen the economy.

At Windpower 2016, junior high school students will put their talents to use at the National KidWind Challenge. Teams of undergraduates will also attempt to use skills across several disciplines to research, site, market, and build hypothetical wind projects during the DOE’s Collegiate Wind Competition. Local area schools will also have the opportunity to learn about wind energy during the conference’s “Public Day.”

Perhaps most notably, veterans will have the opportunity to connect with up-and-coming leaders during the Emerging Leaders Program. This is a chance for wind’s next generation to absorb wisdom from the old guard, while also providing their more experienced counterparts with new perspectives and fresh ideas.

See what Generation Wind is all about at the AWEA Windpower 2016 Conference & Exhibition May 23-26 in New Orleans. American wind power has turned a corner, and you’ll be able to get all the information you need to make sure you stay ahead of the curve.

For more information, go to www.windpowerexpo.org.

2016 Complete Windpower Booth Listings

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2016 Complete Windpower Booth Listings

3M Renewable Energy Div    5119
3S Lift    3529
ABB Inc.    3439
Acciona Energy    2138
Adolf Thies GmbH & Co. KG    5539
Aercoustics    1640
AeroTorque Corporation    1922
Aggreko, LLC    5412
Aimco    2349
Airway Services, Inc.    4249
AKE Safety Equipment    1825
Alcoa Fastening Systems
& Rings    1334
ALL Erection & Crane
Rental Corp.    4044
Alliance for Clean Energy
New York, Inc. – ACENY    5449
Alltite, Inc.    2455
AL-PRO Wind Energy Consulting
Canada Inc.    3654
Amec Foster Wheeler    2123
American Chemical
Technologies, Inc.    2217
American Wind Energy
Association – AWEA    3800
American Wind Wildlife
Institute    1647
American Wire Group    2238
Amsoil Inc    4713
Anemometry Specialists    2718
Applied Plastics Inc.    2819
Atlantic Bearing Services    2815
Atlas Copco Tools &
Assembly Systems    2423
ATS Projects    1117
August Friedberg GmbH    5539
AVANTI Wind Systems    2029
Avid Controls, Inc.    2729
AWEA New Product and
Innovation Pavilion    2217
AWEA Regional Partners    5449
AWEA Small Business
Pavilion    2317
AWS Truepower, LLC    4823
Axis Renewable Group, Inc.    2723
Aztec Bolting Services Inc.    1329
Bachmann electronic GmbH    4813
Bancroft Contracting Corp    3719
Barr Engineering Co.    2529
BayWa r.e.    4629
Baze Technology AS    2916
BDI    2143
Beckhoff Automation ApS    4738
Beka Max of America Inc.    3049
Bently Nevada    1846
BERDAN-TECH LLC    2448
BGB Technology Inc    3826
Bijur Delimon International    4047
BJA Magnetics    3122
BladeEdge    2719
BNSF Logistics, LLC    5213
Breeze    3755
Bruel & Kjaer Vibro    4638
BS Rotor Technic USA    2818
BSEE    3754, 3756
Buderus Edelstahl GmbH    5539
Bureau of Ocean Energy
Management (BOEM)    3756
BURNDY LLC    3124
Burns & McDonnell Engineering
Company, Inc.    3146
BWS, LLC    4049
C Speed    2221
C.C.JENSEN A/S    4838
California Wind Energy
Association (CalWEA)    5449
Campbell Scientific, Inc.    1217
CAN Equipment Sales
(CAN-USA INC.)    3412
CanACRE    2623
Capps Van & Truck Rental    5429
Castrol    3339
CENTA Corporation    2849
Center for Energy Efficiency and
Renewable Technologies    5449
CG    3625
Cianbro Corporation    3719
Civil & Environmental
Consultants, Inc.    5114
CL Brakes    4448
COBHAM Sliprings    2812
Composites One    3646
Contech Engineered
Solutions    3423
CONTROLLED FLUIDS, INC.    5021
Cooper and Turner
Industries, Inc.    4748
Copperhead Environmental
Consulting    3413
CSI Bonds    2242
CSIC (Chongqing) Haizhuang
Windpower Equipment Co., Ltd.    5146
Customized Energy
Solutions Ltd.    2317
Dachser USA Air & Sea
Logistics Inc.    5539.9
DAFA A/S    4839
Dakota Riggers & Tool    3218
Daktic    5313
Danish Wind Export Association    4439, 4443, 4538, 4539, 4542, 4543, 4638, 4639, 4642, 4738, 4739, 4743, 4838, 4839, 4842, 4843, 4938, 4942
Department of Energy (DOE)
Wind Program    4847
DeTect, Inc.    1203
DEX    3014
DHHI Germany GmbH    1938
Dialight Corporation    2619
DIgSILENT Americas LLC    5349
Distributed Wind
Energy Assoc    5841
DMC Power    5343
DNV GL    3839
Double-k Consulting    3655
Drake Lighting, Inc.    5315
DTBird & DTBat    2047
DTU Wind Energy    4543
Duromar,Inc.    3149
E.ON Energy Services    1839
EAPC Wind Energy/WindPRO    2046
Ecology and Environment, Inc.    3213
EDF Renewable Energy    3139
Electric Power Engineers, Inc.    1710
Electrical Consultants, Inc.    4447
Elk River    1235
EMA Electromechanics LLC    5129
Embassy of Spain, Trade
Commission – ICEX    2047
Emergya Wind Technologies
Americas Inc – EWT    1838
enerG Magazine    3554
ENSA North America    5219
Enviropeel USA    1712
Envision Energy USA    1421
Envision Energy USA Recruiting    5314
Epsilon Associates, Inc.    4613
Equitable Origin    4258
Ernst Schad GmbH    5539.10
Etiflex Corp    3212
EverVest    2513
eWind Solutions    3355
Express 4×4 Truck Rental    4623
Fagen Inc.    1639
FairWind Renewable Energy
Services, LLC    9000
FieldSystems    1208
Firetrace International    3547
First Subsea Limited    2714
Flash Technology, An SPX
Corporation Company    2912
Forterra Building Products    5420
Fritz Schur Energy A/S    4539
FT Technologies    4938
Fuchs Lubritech.    3713
Fusion Inc    3113
G&W Electric Co.    4351
Gamesa    2438
GasTOPS Ltd.    2754
GE Renewable Energy    1728
Gedore Tools, Inc.    3255
Gemini Energy Services    4829
German Pavilion    5539.1, 5539.10,
5539.11, 5539.12, 5539.2, 5539.3, 5539.4, 5539.5, 5539.6, 5539.8, 5539.9, 5539
GEV Wind Power US    3855
Gexpro Services    3519
Global Lightning Protection
Services A/S    4439
GlobalTech Motor &
Controls, Inc.    3214
Goldwind Americas    2825
Goracon Windpower Access
Systems LP    1947
Gradient Lens Corporation    3312
Hailo Wind Systems USA Inc.    2713
Hanes Supply, Inc.    1308
HARTING, Inc. of North
America    1836
Harvest Energy Services, Inc.    1106
Hatch    1238
Hedrich Group    5539.3
Helukabel USA Inc.    4723
HGC Engineering    3350
Hine Hydraulics Corp.    2047
Hontek Corporation    5345
Hubbell Power Systems    3847
Hydac Technology Corp.    1719
Hydra-Grene A/S    4842
Hydratech Industries
Wind Power    4443
HYTORC    2649
ICR Services    3725
IEA – Infrastructure and Energy
Alternatives    3125
IER Fujikura, Inc    2613
IMCORP    3248
Ingeteam Inc.    3039
Integrated Power Services    3613
International Tower
Lighting, LLC    2516
Intertek    3415
Interwest Energy Alliance    5449
Iowa Economic Development
Authority    3512
Iowa Lakes Community
College    5312
IronWolf Manufacturing, LLC    2756
ISN    4450
Italian Energy Products LLC    5839
ITH Engineering, Inc.    5339
ITW WindGroup    3329
Janicki Industries, Inc.    2655
Jasper Electric Motors Inc    5019
JHT Inc./proxSIMity     3012
Jiangsu Jiuding New
Material Co., Ltd    3657
Kansas Department Of
Commerce    3419
Klein Tools    2813
Klingspor A/S    4639
Kluber Lubrication North
America LP    2429
KRACHT CORP.    4718
kWantera, Inc.    1210
Landstar    1823
Landworks, Inc.    2615
LAPCO FR    1309
Lapp USA    2750
Leadernet    2047
Lift-It Manufacturing    1214
Liftra Aps    4739, 4743
Lighthouse Global Energy    3119
Lincoln Electric Company    2417
Lind Jensens Maskinfabrik A/S    4942
LM Wind Power    2739
Logisticus Group    1923
Lone Star
Transportation Co., LLC.    2722
LUDECAwind    3759
Luminate, LLC    5112
LZY Technology, Inc.    5319
M&S Engineering    3215
Mahaffey Fabric Structures    5154
Maine Ocean & Wind Industry
Pavilion    3719
Maine Port Authority    3719
Mammoet    2446
Mankiewicz Coatings    2949
Martin Bencher Group    2050
MAS Field Services    5448
Max Bögl Wind AG    5539.8
Maxwell Technologies, Inc.    3354
MBA Construction    1215
Mersen USA Bn Corp    3319
Meteodyn    4746
Metro Consulting Associates    1741
Mid-Atlantic Renewable Energy Coalition (MAREC)    5449
Midpoint Bearing    4615
Minimax GmbH & Co. KG    5539.12
Mistras Group / Ropeworks    1851
Mobil Industrial Lubricants    5227
Modulift UK Ltd    2913
Moog Inc.    2222
Morgan Advanced Materials    1641
Morton designBUILD    3118
Multigear GmbH    5539.11
NASA’s Michoud Assembly
Facility    4256
National Wind Institute    4855
Natural Power    4747
NAWSA    3612
NerWind An Oak Creek Co    1441
Newpark Mats & Integrated
Services LLC    2555
Nexgen Energy LLC    4712
NGC Transmission (America)    5527
NIBE Wind Components    4843
Nordex / Acciona Windpower    2938
Nord-Lock Inc    3313
North American Clean Energy
Magazine    1951
North American Windpower    1108
Ocean Work Cranes    1041
Oerlikon Balzers USA Inc.    2449
Oklahoma Department of
Commerce    4647
One Source Dist.    1229
One Wind Services Inc.    1847
Opportune LLP    2712
Pacific Northwest Wind Team    3355
Palfinger North America    1338
Pentalum Technologies ltd    1130
Performance Pipe    3447
Petroflex    1300
Phoenix Contact Inc. – USA    2139
Pintsch Bubenzer USA    4038
PNE Wind USA, Inc.    5539.6
Port of Stockton    5212
Port of Vancouver, USA    3148
Portland Development
Commission    3355
Power Climber Wind    2948
Power Consulting Assoc., LLC    5115
POWER Engineers, Inc.    2517
Powergrid Partners Ltd.    1302
Powin Energy    3355
Premier Gear    3355
Proinlosa Energy Corp.    2249
PROLEC GE    3349
Proportional Controls    3250
PSI Repair Services, Inc.    2919
R. M. Young Company    1313
Randack/AS Tech/ESI    4150
Raycap Inc.    1848
RBB Engineering, LLC    2317
Recharge    3254
Reducel, S.L.    2047
Reed & Reed Inc.    3844
Relay Application Innovation Inc.    2625
RENEW Northeast    5449
Renewable Energy World    5549
Renewable Northwest Project    5449
Renewable NRG Systems    2629
RES- Renewable Energy Sys    4039
Resource Environmental
Solutions (RES)    5446
Rexnord Industries, LLC    2320
Richardson Manufacturing Co    4954
Röchling Glastic Composites    4154
ROMO Wind    4538
Rope Partner, Inc.    5028
Rotor Clip Company    3019
Run Energy LP    1408
rupi-Cologne, Inc.    5539.5
S&C Electric Company    3739
S.V.A. Rikkon Lubes Private Ltd    1201
SAE Schaltanlagenbau
Erfurt GmbH    5539.4
Sage Oil Vac    1541
Sargent & Lundy LLC    1101
SCADA International    4056
SEMKRON USA Inc.    2321
Sentient Science    3227
Sentry Electrical Group, Inc.    5438
Senvion    5038
SGC Engineering LLC    3719
SGL Gelter S.A.    2651
SgurrEnergy Inc.    2822
Shanghai Shenguang High
Strength Bolts Co., Ltd    3514
Shell Lubricants    4729
Shenzhen Senther
Technologies Co., Ltd.    3619
Shermco Industries    3029
Shuttlelift    3414
Siemens    4238
Signal Energy Constructors    2523
Sika Corporation    5139
Simplex Aerospace    3355
SKF USA Inc.    2439
Sky Climber Wind
Solutions, LLC    5439
Skycasters, LLC    3155
SKYLOTEC North America LP    3318
Smultea Sciences and
EPI Group    5351
Snap-on, Inc.    3718
Southwire    1209
SparkCognition    1100
Sprague Operating
Resources LLC    3719
Stahlwille Tools LLC    3219
Stantec Consulting    2229
State of Wyoming / UW Wind
Energy Research Center    3513
Sterling Rope Co. Inc    5214
Subc Partner A/S    4642
Superior Essex    4055
Surespan Wind Energy
Services Ltd.    4057
Surveying And Mapping, LLC    5113
Suzlon Wind Energy Corp    2430
Svendborg Brakes    5047
Synergy Cables USA Ltd.    5018
System One    4350
TE Connectivity    5321
Tech Safety Lines, Inc.    3249
Techimp USA    2413
Terma North America    4546
Tetra Tech, Inc.    4829
Texas Controls    2047
The Timken Company    2023
The Wind Coalition    5449
Thrustmaster of Texas, Inc.    3115
thyssenkrupp Rothe
Erde GmbH    5327
Time Manufacturing Co    9010
TNT Crane & Rigging    3449
Torkworx, LP    3023
Totran Transportation
Services LTD    1840
Tower Systems, Inc.    1212
Trachte LLC    3518
Tractel Inc.    3546
Transcat Wind Turbine Tools    5026
Transhield Inc.    4348
TransTech    4155
Travelers Insurance Co    1129
Trench Grader    4349
TrueBlue Energy &
Industrial    2451
TWR Lighting, Inc.    2547
Ty-Flot Inc.    5155
UL LLC    3729
Ulteig    2022
United Equipment
Accessories, Inc.    3348
UpWind Solutions, Inc.    2639
Urbane Innovation LLC
(Propulsion Engine)    2217
USLC Advanced Mfg    2915
Vaisala    1317
Vestas Americas    3539
Virginia Transformer Corp    4149
VORTEX FdC INC    3854
Wanzek Construction, Inc.    5239
WDT WeatherOps    1011
Westlake Consultants    3355
Willbros Utility T&D    2657
Williams Form Engineering
Corp.    3520, 5055
Wind Access Engineering    4146
Wind Energy Foundation    1647
Wind Secure    3047
Wind Systems Magazine    3013
WindEnergy Hamburg    5539
Windpower Engineering &
Development    5418
windtest grevenbroich GmbH    3555
windtest north america, inc.    3555
Windurance    3018
Winergy Drive Systems Corp    1829
Woelfel Engineering GmbH +
Co. KG    3455
Women of Wind Energy    1647
World Wind & Solar    4547
Worldwide Machinery Pipeline Division    4254
WSP    4619
Wuxi Fangsheng Heat Exchanger Corp.,Ltd.    2512
Xtreme Manufacturing    1017, 5739
XUBI High Precision Gears & Renogear Slewing Bearings    2047
ZF Services, LLC    1616

Conversation with Steve Black

Wind Systems staff
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Conversation with Steve Black

Please tell us how Moog Components Group got started and how it made a name for itself in the industry.

Moog Components Group was founded more than 60 years ago by two brothers, George and James Pandapas, in the basement of a building in downtown Blacksburg, Virginia. The first plant was called Electro-Tec, and it manufactured miniature slip ring assemblies. A few years later, the brothers decided to go their separate ways. James started Poly-Scientific where he and his team developed the plating technologies that would eventually lead them to develop high-performance slip rings. The company has grown dramatically since then. What began with some slip rings and a few conductors, the company evolved into a leading supplier in motion control, air moving, electronics, and fiber optics that addresses critical performance applications and has expanded into multiple industries, including wind energy. Moog Inc. acquired the business in 2003.

As Moog Components Group, we started exploring the wind energy market in the mid 1990s. At that time, most of the business pursuit for pitch slip rings was in Europe. As GE, Clipper, and others moved into the wind energy market, we began pursing OEM business in the United States as well. While we had a compelling product and the technology, the unit price we required was too high for the OEMs, and we were unable to secure business. As we watched the market grow, we began to see the opportunity to take our technology directly to the owners and operators of the turbines.

Tell us about your role at Moog and how you got involved in wind energy.

My role as the senior business development manager has been to explore new opportunities, and the wind energy market looked like a good fit because there was a critical application, a demanding environment, and a cost model at the owner/operator level that would support our product price. We made contact with turbine operators, visited sites, and were very pleased with the interest in our company and technology. There was a high level of interest in a high-reliability slip ring that would eliminate routine maintenance and costly downtime. We do not intend to be the lowest cost supplier. We build our market on reputation by providing the most reliable product that ultimately lowers the overall cost of ownership for our customers.

What products and services does Moog offer to the wind industry?

Moog Components Group is recognized as a key supplier of pitch slip rings, as well as other high performance components including alternators, control energy conversion systems, and fiber optic devices.

Our mission is to supply the wind industry with high-reliability slip rings in critical applications where durability, performance, and uptime are demanded.

Our customers in the wind energy market see Moog as a high-reliability product supplier. However, we endeavor to go beyond that to build a solid relationship with them by providing continual support and prompt delivery.

What can industry members expect from Moog in the future?

Our technology continues to be driven by the increased demand for faster data transfer. In combination with data transfer, we also integrate power — all within the same device. With more sensitive data and higher data rates comes the heightened challenge to protect power from interfering with the data stream. We will continue to stay at the forefront of power and data transfer. As an example, Ethernet data transfer in slip rings is now a major feature throughout our various product lines. Our technologies to transfer mass data by optical rotary joints is now playing into our commercial product offerings and will expand substantially as driven by application requirements.

What are some of the challenges associated with harnessing wind energy where working with Moog would be beneficial?

Companies come to us when they need to transfer power and data across a rotary interface with a challenging application in a tough, demanding environment. Moog’s products are known for providing exceptional reliability and performance in applications where our competitors struggle. We strive to build long-term relationships with our customers and support our products long after the sale. We want our customers to see Moog Components Group as a valuable extension of their own business.

What can industry members expect from Moog at this year’s Windpower conference?

Moog is looking forward to meeting with our prospective and current customers at Windpower 2016. We will be exhibiting our high-performance pitch slip ring solutions and highlighting our newest releases for the Suzlon S64 and S88 turbines. You can find us at Booth #2222.

What is your outlook on the U.S. wind energy industry?

The wind market is solid and growing. With the establishment of the Production Tax Credit for a five-year period, the groundwork is in place for steady and consistent growth in turbine installations. Wind energy prices are decreasing and becoming self-sustaining. In my years of working in the wind energy market, it has been exciting to see areas of our country thriving due to the growth of the wind business. It is great to see land being repurposed with wind turbine installations and see once-declining communities now growing due to revenue related to the installation and operation of wind turbines.

  (540) 552-3011

  www.moog.com

  @MoogComponents

  Moog Components Group

Vaisala and Pattern Energy Strike Lightning Data Deal

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Vaisala and Pattern Energy Strike Lightning Data Deal

Vaisala, a global leader in environmental and industrial measurement, has signed a three-year contract with Pattern Energy Group Inc., a leading independent power company, to supply access to historical and real-time lightning data for 10 wind farms in North America. The data will be used by Pattern Energy to optimize blade inspection and repair programs and to combat one of the most common causes of turbine downtime in the wind energy industry — lightning damage to blades.

Lightning damage accounts for nearly one quarter of reported insurance claims in the United States wind sector while turbine blades have the highest failure rate of any single component.

Accordingly, lightning damage to blades is one of the most common threats to the operational performance of a wind farm.

Moreover, the potential financial impact of a lightning strike to a turbine blade is twofold for wind farm operators, combining costly property damage with downtime and business interruption during inspection, repairs, and replacement. While minor blade damage may ultimately affect the long-term performance of a wind farm and drive up operations and maintenance costs, in the eventuality of a total loss, root cause analysis can take a number of weeks to perform, directly impacting project revenues. A full blade replacement could set project stakeholders back $100,000 or more depending on the extent of the damage.

The wind energy market has been slow to follow the example of other sectors in assessing the full effects of lightning damage on its assets by incorporating lightning data into its maintenance inspection programs.

However, Pattern Energy, which operates an expanding portfolio of  wind energy projects in the lightning-prone central U.S. and Canada between Texas and Ontario, has recognized the potential impact of lightning on its sites and has taken proactive steps to minimize the associated operational and financial risk as it works to re-engineer its data systems.

Image 1

For the duration of the three-year contract signed with Vaisala, Pattern Energy will benefit from access to the fault analysis lightning location system (FALLS), a unique tool that allows utilities and project operators to overlay the locations of project infrastructure with correlating lightning activity on an interactive map.

The system makes use of real-time data from Vaisala’s unmatched North American Lightning Detection Network (NALDN) and will allow Pattern Energy to pinpoint the location of recent and historic lightning strikes at its sites in order to determine exactly which turbines have been affected and the extent of the damage that has been done.

In doing so, Pattern Energy will not only be able to spot blade damage early, mitigating the risk of further and more severe damage in the long-term, but it could also reduce inspection and repair costs while keeping project downtime to a minimum. Furthermore, by using Vaisala’s historic data to develop a retrospective awareness of exactly which past faults have been caused by lightning, Pattern Energy can prepare detailed insurance- and warranty-based claims. Ultimately, this information will also enable Pattern Energy to start modeling and anticipating future damage, with applications for optimizing both existing O&M efforts and, potentially, even site design.

“For Pattern Energy, it’s certainly a case of looking back to move forward,” said Remus Zaharescu, global manager of Energy Sales at Vaisala. “By conducting a thorough assessment of historic cases using Vaisala’s extensive database of lightning activity, Pattern Energy’s operations team is setting a new standard for the mitigation of lightning risks.”

According to Zaharescu, by targeting blade failure, Pattern Energy is in turn enhancing the industry’s knowledge of one of the key issues affecting the performance and profitability of wind energy sites globally.

“While there is no way to eliminate the risk of lightning, FALLS has helped us look back and quickly assess turbine damage, enabling us to determine whether lightning truly caused damage and exactly when that damage occurred,” said Ben Rice, operations engineering manager for Pattern Energy. “This saves a great deal of time and effort when it comes to blade inspections as well as huge costs. The repair cost for a blade is tens of thousands of dollars, while replacement is in the hundreds of thousands. By comparison, the annual cost for Vaisala’s data across our entire wind fleet is a small fraction of what we would spend to replace a single blade replacement so it clearly pays for itself and is well worth the investment.”

Vaisala FALLS is used by 80 percent of the top revenue-generating utilities in the U.S. It is also incorporated into the operations of electric utilities in 15 countries worldwide. The NALDN lightning network in the U.S. and Canada is complemented by Vaisala’s GLD360 Global Lightning Dataset, a service that provides real-time lightning data for accurate and early detection of severe weather worldwide. To learn more, download Vaisala’s new case study highlighting Pattern Energy’s use of lightning data from the Vaisala website. 

— Source: Vaisala

For more information, go to www.vaisala.com/energy.

GE and Deepwater Make Progress on America’s First Offshore Wind Farm

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GE and Deepwater Make Progress on America’s First Offshore Wind Farm

GE recently announced that it has made progress with the assembly of the first part of towers that will be used to support the wind turbines at the Block Island Wind Farm, America’s first offshore wind farm. The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2016.

Led by Deepwater Wind, the Block Island Wind Farm will use five 6-MW GE Haliade wind turbines to generate 30 MW of power, enough to produce approximately 125,000 MWh of electricity, thus meeting approximately 90 percent of Block Island’s electricity demand.

The Haliade turbines will be located roughly 3 miles off the coast of Block Island and are some of the largest wind turbines in the world. With a capacity of 6 MW each, they are capable of supplying electricity for the equivalent of 5,000 households per year and can save over 21,000 metric tons of CO2 during the turbine’s lifetime.

This project continues to achieve important milestones with progress being made on the first section of the towers in Providence, Rhode Island, and the assembly of the first direct drive permanent magnet generator in the nacelle assembly line in Saint-Nazaire. The remaining components of the turbines, including the towers, blades, and nacelles, will be shipped from Europe and assembled on site for commercial operation that is planned for the fourth quarter of 2016.

The Block Island Wind Farm is GE’s first offshore wind project since the acquisition of Alstom Power & Grid and the creation of the new GE Renewable Energy business. The project demonstrates the capabilities of the new business by bringing together large-scale project capability with state-of-the-art wind technology and a global supply chain.

“We’re proud to partner with one of the world’s most innovative companies as we launch a new American renewable energy industry,” said Jeffrey Grybowski, CEO of Deepwater Wind. “Together, we’re putting hundreds of local workers to work on this important project, giving them the experience they need to help grow this industry.”

According to Jérôme Pécresse, CEO of GE Renewable Energy, the renewables industry has been able to lower the cost of electricity produced by onshore wind farms by approximately 60 percent over the last six years, making wind energy mainstream and competitive with other forms of power generation.

“Our sights are now set on offshore wind with the goal to do the same,” Pécresse said. “Deepwater’s Block Island project, being the first offshore wind farm in the U.S., is a critical stepping stone to tapping America’s vast offshore resources. At GE, we believe our mission is to make renewable power affordable, accessible, and reliable. We’re proud to be part of the Block Island Wind Farm, strengthening our long-standing partnership with DE Shaw and supporting Deepwater Wind, one of the industry’s leading offshore wind developers.”

The historic project is addressing one of the world’s most pressing environmental challenges — providing enough electricity for a growing global population and continued economic growth, while also decreasing greenhouse gas emissions in the energy sector. The International Energy Agency (IEA) recently released a report that stated energy-related CO2 emissions stayed flat for a second year in a row while global GDP grew and cited the critical role renewable energy played in decoupling energy emissions and economic growth with renewables accounting for around 90 percent of new electricity generation in 2015. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that the U.S. has enough offshore wind energy capacity to produce over 4,000 GW of power — more than four times the nation’s annual electricity production.

— Source: GE Renewables

For more information, go to www.gerenewables.com.

Acciona Windpower and Nordex Complete Merger

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Acciona Windpower and Nordex Complete Merger

Following clearance by the competition authorities, the merger of Nordex Group and Acciona Windpower (AWP), all contractual formalities have been completed. The transaction has closed and is now final.

Following the closing of the transaction, the supervisory board of Nordex SE appointed José Luis Blanco as COO and deputy CEO and Patxi Landa as chief sales officer to the management board. Both managers have held top positions at AWP. Lars Bondo Krogsgaard and Bernard Schäferbarthold will maintain their positions on Nordex SE’s management board as CEO and CFO, respectively.

In October 2015, Nordex and AWP announced that they planned to combine their activities to establish a wind energy player with global market presence and a comprehensive product range.

The transaction entailed the acquisition by Nordex of AWP from its parent company, Acciona S.A., in return for new Nordex shares and a cash payment. Alongside Nordex’s acquisition of AWP, Acciona S.A. agreed to acquire additional Nordex shares from SKion-Momentum Capital. Following said steps, Acciona S.A., which is one of the largest owners and operators of wind farms globally, will be the major shareholder in Nordex SE with a total stake of approximately 29.9 percent.

“AWP and Nordex are now one combined company,” Krogsgaard said. “We will direct all our efforts toward ensuring that our customers will benefit from our new setup. With global reach and high-efficiency wind turbines perfectly tailored for all conditions and projects, we are in a good position when it comes to supporting our customers.” 

— Source: Nordex Group

For more information, go to www.acciona-windpower.com.

Company Spotlight: Wanzek Construction, Inc.

Kate Nation
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Company Spotlight: Wanzek Construction, Inc.

With global expenditures for wind turbine operations and maintenance rising due to an increasing number of installations and aging turbines, higher attention is being placed on the value of O&M as it relates to the life-cycle cost of a project. According to GlobalData, one of the world’s leading data and analytics companies, a wind farm’s O&M costs account for approximately 10-15 percent of the total cost of power generation in an onshore wind farm and 25 percent in an offshore wind farm. In an effort to realize more economy through technologies, wind farm owners and operators are beginning to understand the implications of designing and constructing with an eye for long-term O&M. This makes wind construction companies with an internal O&M department highly attractive.

Wanzek Construction, Inc. is one such company. As an engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractor and an established O&M independent service provider (ISP) with an extensive in-house equipment fleet, Wanzek offers solutions that have positive impacts on the life-cycle cost of a project. Wanzek takes an expanded approach to planning and working with owners to map out lean processes and technologies that affect both construction and maintenance costs. The company looks to all aspects of construction and maintenance for opportunities to manage risks associated with degraded wind farm performance to optimize projects in the longterm.

Planning and Lean Processes

As an ISP, Wanzek is in the position to serve both owners and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). Most OEMs aren’t equipped to perform all maintenance services in-house. This means that despite the trend toward longer turbine warranties and supplier agreements, companies like Wanzek have a wide-range of opportunities. 

Jake Nikle, O&M Services Division manager at Wanzek, said that he welcomes the move toward longer supplier agreements. 

“Extended warranties support an owner’s long-term objective,” Nikle said. “The wind power industry is still developing in many ways. Working with OEMs on their maintenance needs gives us insight into new technology as well as what’s in store for the future. Our teams are interested in investing in a site for the life of a project. To us, that means looking at the big picture. Through our lean and quality processes, we focus on the long-term health of a project before construction even begins and continue to look for ways to optimize productivity long after the last turbine has been erected.”

In 2014, Wanzek hired lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt Karen Tucker to lead their Quality and Development Group. Over 130 team members have been trained in methods of lean continuous improvement and are applying those methods to all construction and business processes within the company. Team members can earn a yellow belt in continuous improvement through Wanzek’s Operational Excellence initiative. According to Tucker, this is what sets Wanzek apart in the wind industry.

“Anyone can come in with construction services, but Wanzek also offers lean continuous improvement to assist customers by optimizing the process from beginning to end,” Tucker said. “We can eliminate waste within the process and develop plans to proactively reduce risk and improve the outcome of the process. The modern construction toolbox doesn’t only contain wrenches and hammers, but also software tools like Value Stream Mapping and Failure Modes Effects Analysis.”

According to Nikle, the lean approach is applied to every project Wanzek takes on. 

“If we are able to take two days at the beginning of a project and outline a way to get a 10-hour process down to nine hours, the efficiency that is created over the course of the project is huge,” Nikle said. 

Consulting Services

The company also offers consultations at the onset of both construction and maintenance projects. Wanzek recently used the failure modes effects analysis (FMEA) tool to proactively identify problems that could occur during the grout installation process of wind turbine construction. FMEA is a problem-prevention tool used to anticipate what might go wrong with a product or process and to create plans to mitigate the risk of failure. During the FMEA conducted on a wind turbine generator project, Wanzek identified possible grout installation failure modes and proactively took steps to mitigate the risk. Through this process, the highest ranking risks are addressed first with countermeasures to offset and prevent failure mode from occurring. 

“We’re doing exciting things at Wanzek with the principles of lean continuous improvement,” Tucker said. “We are addressing risks proactively and preventatively rather than relying on inspection and correcting defects at the end of the process.”

Two other areas of construction where close attention to detail is key are the electrical and civil sides of the job because, according to Nikle, cutting expenditures and saving money at the onset of a project can become costly later. 

“Construction solutions such as installing an increased number of circuit breakers and switches can allow the majority of a project to continue generating while maintenance is being performed on part of a site,” Nikle said. “An owner is much better off maintaining 80 percent of operation during maintenance rather than having a full outage.”

Civil work can also minimize future costs. Taking time to plan roadway layouts can make a large impact on maintenance budgets. 

“We offer a focus on civil design that minimizes impact to environmentally sensitive areas,” Nikle said. “We often encounter challenging terrain, such as a curve or bend that directs water flow and can prevent wash-outs or fissures that lead to ongoing maintenance. For a hilly site, this can make a huge impact. Thoughtful placement of catch basins and drainage channels can also save money in the long run.”

Systematically Improving O&M

Wanzek also successfully applied lean processes to O&M projects to identify waste in the maintenance process and took action to reduce required man-hours. These events also serve as a forum for the exchange of ideas and best practices across multiple client-operated sites. Applied at the onset of a job, this approach can result in improved turbine performance, reduced time resources, substantial procedural improvements, and improved daily output. Wanzek put this into practice last year during a maintenance-specific lean event for a client where preparation included a review of the processes and procedures that were in place. Through the use of value stream mapping, Wanzek found that procedures overlapped and that task performance required technicians to move throughout the turbine without regard for the amount of time spent on a task. This led to a focus on the reorganization of crews and responsibilities. With Wanzek’s direction, the client developed a maintenance program made up of four crews performing tasks directly related to the area in which they work. Wanzek followed-up with modifications to ensure standardization of the improvements. The result was a reduction of over 50 percent in man-hours per turbine.

“We’re making processes as efficient as they can be, improving quality, and redefining what excellence is all about,” Tucker said.

Empowering Teams

With the recent surge in wind projects across the country, Wanzek has seen continual growth. In response, the company has implemented an integrated growth and development strategy that facilitates higher levels of communication and distribution of project information. For the wind team, this involves an ongoing, organized assembly of various roles from vice president of the division to estimating, project management, and construction managers. Planning and lean events are core aspects of each meeting. Nikle said that he believes that this strategy is imperative to develop the team mentality that is required to consider the full view of a project.

“This strategy is focused on developing our personnel and procedures to ensure we are continuously evolving and improving as a team,” Nikle said. “As we’ve grown, we have had people who have worked through the ranks, touching various levels of wind projects. Through this program, we consistently review all tasks and training. We get a chance to empower the next generation of crews.”

The company has also expanded and optimized its internal training program. This has seen a gain in productivity as well as employee motivation and retention. The training curriculum has been customized to allow employees to focus directly on specific organizational goals and strategies. 

Applying Technology

An integral aspect of implementing insights gained through planning and lean events, Wanzek’s mobile vision plan (MVP) was developed to optimize performance standards. Driven by core technology goals, the plan has been instrumental in streamlining job-site documentation, enhancing collaboration between corporate and field team members, improving workflow on job sites, and enabling job site mobilization. 

This smart job site initiative has expanded use of mobile devices in the field, establishing daily integration of information with the company’s back-end systems and allowing field and corporate management teams access to real-time information. This has increased interdepartmental collaboration and continually provides team members in the field with access to timely information. 

Nikle said he is enthusiastic about the efficiencies he’s seen as a result of Wanzek’s MVP. 

“I think wearable technology is where we are headed,” Nikle said. “Being able to project procedures on a wearable screen would be valuable as would a wearable pack that monitors specific crews and provides information regarding crew locations and working conditions. Adopting technology in the field is necessary to evolve with industry demand.”

For now, Wanzek actively implements the use of job site mobile devices including smartphones, site kiosks, and tablets. These allow employees in the field to capture pertinent information on a daily basis that is integrated with the company’s corporate back-end systems. The Wanzek app, a mobile tool that facilitates the push for real-time data and communication, has just been released. 

Whether it’s employing technology or using a simple spreadsheet to analyze project waste, Wanzek is driving excellence through innovation in methodologies and tools. This is generating enthusiasm both in the corporate office and in the field. Tucker said that she attributes this to working for a company that understands the significance of staying on the leading edge. 

“The modern construction toolbox doesn’t contain only wrenches and hammers, but analysis tools and technological devices as well,” Tucker said. “That is what makes it an exciting time in the construction industry.” 

 

For more information, go to wanzek.com.

How Two of the South’s Most Beloved Eagles Are Making Turbines Safer for All Birds

Anna Claire Howard
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How Two of the South’s Most Beloved Eagles Are Making Turbines Safer for All Birds

Spirit, a 20-year-old bald eagle, and Nova, a 17-year-old golden eagle also known as War Eagle VII, are famous in college football and the SEC for the pregame flights they make around Auburn University’s Jordan-Hare Stadium on game days. Now, they’re making strides in the wind energy industry.

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), one of the United States Department of Energy’s 17 national laboratories, recently partnered with Laufer Wind LLC and Renewable Energy Systems Americas Inc. (RES) to gather data on avian flight patterns, which will help the companies develop technology for the industry to reduce bird collisions with turbines. The two eagles from Auburn University’s Southeastern Raptor Center conducted 25 flights over the course of three days at the National Wind Technology Center (NWTC), a massive test center NREL operates just outside of Boulder, Colorado. The ultimate goal of this research is to detect birds that are flying close to a wind turbine in enough time to stop the blades from spinning and to prevent a collision.

Marianne Hudson spins a lure as NREL’s Jason Roadman and veterinarian Seth Oster release Nova from a lift during the study. (Dennis Schroeder (NREL) / Southeastern Raptor Center at Auburn University)

“While eagles are not endangered species, they are protected by law, and as our nation develops more sources of clean renewable power, we need to continue to protect our natural resources,” said Tom Hiester, the senior vice president of strategy for RES. “We offer the IdentiFlight visual detection system, which detects eagles at great distances so that we can shut down specific wind turbines that might be a risk to the bird. Precise and limited shutdowns protect both the eagles and the revenue from wind-generated electricity.”

Last year, Laufer Wind held demonstrations at NREL to test a radar system that could detect and deter nearby aircraft by turning on navigation lights on wind turbines to forewarn pilots. However, early research was largely dependent on drones, and issues arose because their mechanical movements didn’t sufficiently match the sporadic flight patterns of wild avian species.

This led Jason Roadman, a technical engineer and researcher for NREL, to pursue conducting similar research with a real bird, or in this case, raptor.

The first round of flight tests were conducted with the help of Houdini, a Peregrine falcon, and the Colorado Hawking Club to determine if this type of research was possible. After its success, RES joined NREL and Laufer Wind in a second round of testing and brought with it the IdentiFlight technology.

Unlike the radar technology, IdentiFlight is a visual camera-based detection system. In partnership with Boulder Imaging, experts in machine vision technology, RES developed a system of cameras that detects raptors at up to 1,000 meters, or 0.62 miles, from a wind turbine. At this distance, there is enough time to determine the identity of the eagle and for the wind turbine to come to a slow stop and protect the eagle from colliding with the rotating blades.

“We use stereoscopic cameras so that we can know the distance to the bird and its size, and if the bird is too close to a specific wind turbine, we can order only the turbine that poses a risk to the bird to be shut down,” Hiester said. “In this way, IdentiFlight prevents a bird from striking a rotating turbine blade, and we limit the loss of wind-generated power.”

Each IdentiFlight system consists of eight wide field-of-view cameras that continuously scan 360 degrees to detect eagle-sized objects moving in the environment. Algorithms determine if the moving objects are of interest, like if it’s a bird, or if the object can be ignored, like if it’s another rotating wind turbine blade, a tree, or an airplane. High-resolution stereoscopic cameras pointed at the bird can determine approximately 80 of its characteristics, including its size, color characteristics, and shapes to make a nearly instantaneous determination of location, flight trajectory, and whether or not the bird is an eagle.

“Obtaining permissions to construct new wind projects demands that the projects make maximum efforts to protect wildlife where impacts are likely,” Hiester said. “With IdentiFlight, those impacts on eagles can be minimized and, perhaps, avoided altogether.”

Throughout the duration of this project, Nova and Spirit were each equipped with a GPS logger to gather data before they flew among the NWTC’s 14 turbines, and their flights were conducted at various angles in relation to the two detection systems, according to the DOE. By comparing the GPS data that was collected with the results from the two detection systems, developers will be able to better characterize the behavior of their detection algorithms and improve their analysis methods.

According to Marianne Hudson, the assistant director of raptor training and education at the Southeastern Raptor Center, the research required that the eagles fly from point A where an elevator lift hoisted them and the trainers up 100 feet in the air to point B where Hudson and Andrew Hopkins, another trainer from the Southeastern Raptor Center, were positioned with a reward in the form of food.

“Their flights in Colorado were similar to what is asked of them here at Auburn,” Hudson said. “The location and terrain had changed, but what we asked the birds to do was fly to us over a distance for a reward, just as we do at home and on the football field.”

Hudson said that while the eagles are trained to look for their trainers regardless of the location where they fly, they did have concerns about how they would behave in the snow — something rarely seen in Auburn, Alabama.

“We were worried that they may spook away from the feel of sinking into snow when they landed,” Hudson said. “But we were able to take advantage of an unusual snowfall in north Alabama before we left for Colorado. We took the eagles to the snow and landed them in the snow cover, and they did not react at all. They seemed to know instinctively that snow is not something to be concerned about. We had no issues with landing them in snow, and I think it was us, the trainers, who struggled more with the snow and the cold. In addition to being Alabama birds, the eagles are designed for a Colorado habitat, so they were quite at home in the Colorado skies.”

According to Roadman, the next step depends on the results of the data that was collected at the NWTC.

“While the number of bird strikes stemming from wind turbines is low, we in the industry hope to do everything we can to reduce them,” Roadman said. “For those of us in this industry, I think we all agree if we’re going to be a green industry, we need to be green the whole way, and that means protecting our wildlife.”

For more information on this research, go to www.nrel.gov, www.vetmed.auburn.edu/raptor, or energy.gov. Further information on the avian detection technologies offered by Laufer Wind and RES can be found on the companies’ respective websites.

A Massive Magnet Will Generate Power at America’s First Offshore Wind Farm

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A Massive Magnet Will Generate Power at America’s First Offshore Wind Farm

Offshore wind farms can tap into a bounty of wind that allows them to work twice as efficiently, but that productivity comes at a cost. Like any sea-based technology, wind farms are difficult to build and expensive to maintain with workers fighting against the same weather that makes the farms work so well onshore. As a result, terrestrial turbines have been steadily gaining ground compared to turbines built at sea. But that may soon change.

Engineers at GE’s Power Conversion business in Nancy, France, have designed an innovative 6-MW direct-drive generator — one of the largest ever built — equipped with a permanent magnet rotor. The design allows them to eliminate the gearbox and reduce the number of moving parts that could potentially break down, leading to easier maintenance. The team also split the electrical drive train into three independent electrical channels so that even if two go offline, the turbine can still operate on one channel and produce electricity.

Image 1

Low maintenance and redundancy are important, especially for offshore installations where treacherous waters and high winds can delay a repair trip for days or weeks.

“Support vessels cost upwards of $10,000 per day, sourcing spare parts can take time, and trained engineers have to be found in a hurry,” said Frederic Maenhaut, a renewables executive at GE Power Conversion. “Our direct-drive technology mitigates the main risk to the reliability of a wind turbine — the gearbox. When it comes to maintenance costs, that makes a big difference. We developed it to be ideal for an offshore setting.”

The generator weighs 150 tons, measures 7.6 meters in diameter, and sits hundreds of feet above the waves. It draws rotational energy from GE’s Haliade wind turbine and converts it into electricity. The turbine must be large enough to move the big magnet. 

Image 2

The generator and turbine’s first commercial application will be at America’s first offshore wind farm that’s currently being built near Block Island, Rhode Island. Together, they will produce enough electricity to power 5,000 American homes.

GE manufactures the generators in Saint-Nazaire, France, at the same factory that also produces the Haliade turbines. The first GE nacelle with the permanent magnet generator recently left the plant, which can produce 100 of them per year.

Image 3

The manufacturing process is as innovative as the generators themselves. The machines float down the manufacturing line on an air-cushion system that reduces the need for cranes inside the factory. The site also has its own test bench so that workers can test every generator before it leaves the factory rather than shipping it elsewhere for testing.

According to Maenhaut, the offshore wind market is expected to grow at a rate of 20 percent globally each year through 2020, and he said that he wants GE to be ready.

Image 4

“Offshore wind is gaining increasing competitiveness in the power mix, and GE is well-positioned to serve this industry,” Maenhaut said. 

— Source: GE Reports

For more information, go to www.gereports.com.

 

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