3TIER, a global leader in renewable energy risk analysis, announces the release of new 90 Meter Wind Prospecting Tools. The Web-based service gives wind project developers and financiers immediate access to 90 meter resolution wind resource data across the continental U.S.—the highest resolution data currently available on demand. Such finely detailed data reveal how even small terrain features will affect wind power generation, enabling anyone with a financial stake in a project to better manage spatial risk during the earliest stages of project development.

“This low cost offering provides wind project developers and financiers with an unrivaled ability to pinpoint promising sites and begin the process of assessing their long-term potential,” says Scott Eichelberger, director of resource assessment. “It lets them more quickly and accurately evaluate sites before deciding whether to invest in more costly on-site observational campaigns and in-depth resource assessments that are required to generate ‘bankable’ production estimates.”

3TIER developed the 90 Meter Wind Prospecting Tools as a direct result of client interest in affordable access to high-resolution wind resource data. Clients can now purchase instant, online access to the entire continental U.S. or just a specific region of interest. The tools provide high-resolution wind resource data at multiple hub heights via an online interface that allows clients to view annual and monthly mean wind speed data, Weibull distribution parameters, and wind direction data. In addition to viewing the data online, clients will be able to download data in GIS format for a small incremental cost.

To produce an accurate and cost-effective 90-meter resolution dataset, 3TIER used a combination of mesoscale numerical weather prediction modeling and its own proprietary downscaling technology. Blending the two approaches achieves a commercially desirable balance between cost and accuracy, giving clients an affordable tool to effectively manage their wind resource risk during the preliminary stages of project development.

“We have created a very affordable point of entry into a suite of services that help our clients manage the risk of wind resource variability,” Eichelberger says. “At each step, we balance the accuracy we can achieve with the cost of achieving it, providing a laddered approach that ultimately yields the level of certainty each client requires to effectively manage their wind resource risk.” To learn more go to www.3tier.com.

The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) will hold its 2011 customer support seminar September 26-28, 2011 at the Intercontinental Hotel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Presentations will follow the theme of “Tapping Into Your Potential” and include manufacturer case studies, a dealer panel discussion, technology-use sessions and plenty of networking opportunities.

This AEM seminar will help attendees offer a full “customer support experience” to their product buyers, and it reinforces the bottom-line importance of superior product support in customer satisfaction. The seminar is targeted to equipment manufacturing professionals in areas including product support, service and parts sales and marketing, customer support training, technical publications, warranty administration, parts distribution and parts inventory management. During the seminar, AEM will reveal results of its biennial surveys on parts policies and practices of whole goods manufacturers as well as companies involved in attachments, components and supplies.

“The History of Harley” is the opening keynote presentation, emphasizing the important connection between sales and its iconic customer experience, and the seminar includes a tour of the Harley-Davidson Museum. Noted regional author and historian John Gurda will provide insights into the role Milwaukee played in the growth of AEM’s industry sectors and the people and products that “made Milwaukee famous.” Topics in the AEM 2011 customer support seminar include:

• Marketing and the customer experience (AGCO case study)
• Offshore or reshore – an objective look (Harry Moser, U.S. manufacturing advocate and  
   chairman emeritus, Agie Charmillles)
• Dealer panel on key issues, needs
• Customer value-loyalty models (Dressta)
• Contact centers/call support and customer service (Manitowoc case study)
• Telematics and interactive surveys shaping the customer experience (JCB case study)
• Tier 4 impact on training, safety, maintenance (Caterpillar)
• Parts and service – understanding and meeting customer expectations (CNH case study)
• Social media in product support (Miller Electric case study)
• Technical training – Internet advances (Stihl case study)
• Animation and e-learning in the future of interactive training (Almon, Deere & Company)

AEM education programs offer CEUs (Continuing Education Unit credits). Complete seminar information and registration details are posted online in the “education” section of www.aem.org.

In the quest for more efficient supply-chain operations, wind energy manufacturers are devoting more and more time to managing their relationships with suppliers. So what is the key to maintaining a long-term supplier relationship, and how can suppliers ensure they live up to their clients expectations?

With the increasingly trans-national nature of manufacturing and supply chain activities, many suppliers must now also prove that they possess the infrastructure capability to roll out components, modules or products on a global scale, while also providing assurances over its on-going financial stability. “OEMs look for short and flexible reaction times. Suppliers must also support improvements in the yield of customers products,” says John Kop, Commercial Director at Netherlands-based Advanced Tower Systems. Jaime Anso, from Acciona Windpower, says that “We consider that supplier relationships must bring value to both companies, as we understand that that is the only way to build long lasting relationships.”

Reflecting the importance of forging industry relationships, leading manufacturers and suppliers have committed to meeting this September to address the most crucial issues of key selection criteria and inter-company requirements.

With 14 turbine manufacturers, more than 10 suppliers in addition to offshore owner/operators, the Global Wind Turbine Supply Chain Conference—to be held September 7-8, 2011, at the Hotel Kempinski in Hamburg, Germany—is set to be the premier forum for suppliers to connect with their customers and determine how to move forward in establishing key relationships and securing long term contracts. Learn more at www.windenergyupdate.com/supply-chain. Also contact Will Broad, director of Wind Energy Update, at +44 (0)207 375 7516 or will@windenergyupdate.com.

Capital Safety announces that Joe Reimer has joined the company as president of the Americas region. He has more than 25 years of experience in the global personal protection equipment industry. For the past 15 he has been president of the fall protection division of Dalloz and senior vice president of the height safety group within Sperian Protection and Honeywell. Reimer will be based at the company’s Red Wing, Minnesota, facility and have responsibility over the business in North and South America.

Reimer has a long history as a strong advocate for height safety and the expansion of fall protection standards, including serving as a board member on the International Safety Equipment Association. “Joe’s background in fall protection and drive toward true globalization makes him an ideal leader for the growth of the industry and our company,” says Anders Pettersson, Capital Safety CEO. “He joins Capital Safety on the heels of a record year, with some phenomenal opportunities ahead of us in 2011 and beyond. With Joe on our team we will continue to strengthen our leadership position in the U.S. and Canada and increase our aggressive expansion within Latin America.”

Capital Safety is the world’s leading manufacturer of fall protection, confined space, and rescue equipment, with 20 operating sites worldwide and a passionate commitment to quality, innovation, and safety. Capital Safety is home of the DBI-SALA, UNILINE and PROTECTA brands. All of Capital Safety’s fall protection and rescue systems are backed by extensive training, knowledgeable technical assistance, and professional customer service. For more information call (800) 328-6146 or visit www.capitalsafety.com.

To further boost the productivity of the wind farm design process, GL Garrad Hassan presented an updated version of its WindFarmer software at AWEA Windpower 2011. The software facilitates the layout of wind farms to maximize the power produced while minimizing the environmental impact. The new release of the software offers project planners and developers an even more powerful tool for wind farm design and energy yield calculations.

Users of Geographic Information System (GIS) systems benefit from WindFarmer 4.2 now supporting a wider range of Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) Shape files, giving more options for importing object locations (turbines, houses, viewpoints, etc.), boundaries, and terrain contours. The new version provides developers with new tools for the design and optimization of regular turbine layouts, and improved modeling of array effects between large wind farms. The environmental engineer will find an updated shadow flicker analysis that uses map projection information to automatically detect longitude and latitude and True North-Grid North deviation. Met data analysts will benefit from its expanded MCP+ Module that provides more versatile data displays and analysis, for example allowing a choice of the number of direction sectors and the scaling of TAB files.

WindFarmer previously supported 10 languages—Chinese, English, German, Greek, French, Italian, Japanese, Spanish, Turkish, and Portuguese—to which the 4.2 release adds Arabic and Polish language versions. GL Garrad Hassan provides not only the software but training and technical support in all 12 languages.

Professionals around the world work with WindFarmer to design both onshore and offshore wind farms of all sizes. This software tool integrates wind farm energy and environmental assessments with wind farm layout design and data handling. It is acknowledged not only for its user-friendly interface and the speed and accuracy of its calculations, but also for the transparency of its data models. For more information visit www.gl-garradhassan.com/windfarmer.

Winergy Drive Systems exhibited its latest innovation in products, including its new 3MW HybridDrive and a new 2.75MW gearbox, at this year’s American Wind Energy Association WINDPOWER Conference and Exhibition. The 3MW HybridDrive combines a gearbox and a permanent magnet generator into one product. The direct linkage of the two-stage gearbox and the permanent magnet driven generator shortens the drive train by approximately 35 percent. This design allows for a significant reduction of the nacelle size and minimization of the overall weight, both important factors for on and offshore applications. This solution makes for an easy fit into any nacelle configuration.

The new HybridDrive complements the company’s existing portfolio of gearboxes, couplings, generators, and converters for the wind industry. “For 30 years, Winergy has been developing innovative products and solutions for our wind industry customers,” says Stefan Tenbrock, CEO. “With our new HybridDrive we have developed a compact product that offers exceptional power efficiency and great serviceability.”

The HybridDrive has a modular design, featuring single elements for assembly/disassembly, and can therefore be serviced through the nacelle internal service crane. “This represents an essential advantage compared to other existing integrated solutions which require removal of the complete nacelle in service cases,” Tenbrock says.

The new 2.75MW gearbox will be installed in more than 300 wind turbines as part of a wind farm being developed in Oregon, according to Terry Royer, CEO of Winergy’s American operations. The project is considered to be the world’s largest land-based wind farm, covering 30 miles and generating an estimated 845 megawatts of electricity, or an estimated 2 billion kWh annually—enough to provide electricity to 235,000 homes.

“We take much pride in all of our products, and our 2.75 MW gearbox, assembled in our Elgin, Illinois, production facility, presents a new benchmark for our team,” accoreding to Royer. “We anticipate a strong interest from companies looking for the next generation of wind energy solutions.” To learn more visit www.winergy-group.com.

NRG Systems, manufacturer of wind measurement equipment for the global wind energy industry, announces the introduction of its new IceFree Hybrid™ XT turbine control sensor designed to provide longer bearing life and improved vane response characteristics. Suitable for all weather conditions, including offshore, this sensor meets industry demands for reliability and performance while helping wind farm operators deliver more power more of the time.

“For wind farm owners, operators, and turbine manufacturers, getting more power from the wind and extending the life of their assets is of primary importance,” says Larry Jacobs, marketing manager. “Turbine control sensors help them do just that. They are essential devices that operate in turbulent, harsh conditions and help control some of the most critical functions of a turbine.”

The IceFree Hybrid XT incorporates protected bearings to guard against dirt and dust, a twin-tail vane design for better performance in off-axis winds, patent-pending magnetic damping for improved stability and accuracy, and enhanced heating properties. “The Hybrid XT represents the next iteration of our turbine control product line,” he adds. “Ease of use, durability and accuracy were primary drivers for NRG Systems in developing this new sensor.”

NRG Systems is an independently owned company that has served the global wind energy industry for 29 years. Its wind measurement systems and turbine control sensors can be found on every continent in more than 145 countries, serving electric utilities, wind farm developers, turbine manufacturers, research institutes, government agencies, and universities. For more information call (802) 482-2255, e-mail sales@nrgsystems.com, or visit www.nrgsystems.com.

Dow Formulated Systems announces the introduction of the COMPAXX™ 700 foam core system for wind blades, the first in a line of new core materials that will help manufacturers extend blade life through the creation of high performance sandwich composites. Extensive sandwich panel fatigue testing following the latest Germanische Lloyd requirements showed COMPAXX 700 exhibits long-term dynamic behavior and shear strength properties yielding lightweight composites with excellent mechanical strength and fatigue resistance. These properties, coupled with peel strength about three times higher than the historical reference of core material PVC 60 kg/m3, create the intimate core-to-skin bond necessary to achieve blade durability. In addition, COMPAXX 700 offers a high run-to-run consistency leading to predictable mechanical properties that structural engineers can use to create more precise blades.

“The COMPAXX 700 foam core, AIRSTONE™ epoxy systems, and our ongoing innovations and capital investments, reflect Dow’s strong commitment to meeting the needs of the global wind power market with industry leading technology, reliable product supply, and consistent high quality,” according to Jean Luc Guillaume, global business leader for Wind Energy Systems for Dow Formulated Systems.

Dow Formulated Systems, a global business unit of The Dow Chemical Company, is a global industry leader in the development and formulation of fully-formulated polyurethane and epoxy systems, focused on providing its customers worldwide with innovative tailor-made solutions through its Energy Efficiency, Alternative Energy & Composites, Infrastructure Life Preservation, Leisure & Lifestyle, and Industrial Castings and Adhesives businesses. Dow Formulated Systems manufactures and markets custom formulated rigid and semi-rigid, flexible, integral skin, and microcellular polyurethane foams and fully-formulated systems as well as coatings, adhesives, sealants, elastomers, and binders used in applications ranging from residential and commercial construction, infrastructure repair, wind energy solutions, oil and gas, automotive, appliance, furniture, and shoe soles to decorative molding and athletic equipment. Striving to meet the specific needs of its customers in their local geographic regions, Dow Formulated Systems operates a global network of 30 system houses. More information can be found at www.dow.com. 

The Molded Fiber Glass Companies (MFG), announces that the company’s plant in Gainesville, Texas, celebrated the shipment of their 1,000th set of 37-meter composite wind blades. Located 60 miles north of Dallas in the wind farm hotbed of the United States, the 155,000 square-foot facility has been manufacturing wind blades since 1997 and employs approximately 200 skilled workers. The shipment marking the milestone was comprised of 37-meter blades, for 1500kw turbines. This factory has also produced another 500 sets of other blades ranging from 24 to 34 meters.

MFG Texas is part of the Molded Fiber Glass Companies, which has been manufacturing wind turbine components since the 1988. Today wind turbine components comprise one of MFG’s largest business segments. With two factories building wind blades, two factories building nacelles, and one factory building spinners, MFG is one of North America’s leading supplier of composite components for the wind industry. They currently have wind component manufacturing facilities in Ohio, South Dakota, California, Alabama, and Texas.

“What’s interesting to consider is that collectively these blades have generated on the order of 4,234,000,000 kwh of electricity—enough power to supply 1,154,000 average households,” according to Gary Kanaby, director of sales for wind energy. “Our team is gratified to be part of an industry that is poised to make a meaningful contribution to cleaner, independent energy generation for North America.”

MFG is unique among suppliers of composite components to turbine equipment manufacturers, both in output capacity and in composite manufacturing technology. Well known around the world for pioneering the mass production of commercial products out of composites, the company’s internal R&D center is still at the forefront of innovation for composite materials and processes. For example, MFG’s newest 325,000 square-foot blade facility in Aberdeen, South Dakota, opened in 2007, is the most advanced facility of its kind with an automated spray booth and robotic root drilling.

Molded Fiber Glass Companies is a leader in the field of reinforced plastics and composites, serving diverse markets with a variety of composite material systems. The company has 16 operating entities in the United States and Mexico, strategically focused to supply high value, high quality products and manufacturing services for applications such as wind energy, automotive, heavy truck, defense, and construction. For more information on the company’s wind component manufacturing capabilities e-mail Kanaby at gkanaby@moldedfiberglass.com or visit www.moldedfiberglass.com.

Mortenson Construction will soon break ground on the 44 megawatt Oak Glen Wind Farm, located on a 3,000-acre agricultural site located in Blooming Prairie, Minnesota. The project’s owner is the Minnesota Municipal Power Agency and its 11-member utilities. Avant Energy, a leading Minneapolis-based energy supply management company, is the developer and the overall project manager.

Mortenson’s scope of work will include the erection of 24, 1.8MW turbines and the construction of foundations, access roads, underground collection, and a 69kV substation. The project is expected to be operational by the end of 2011. “We’re delighted by the opportunity to partner with Minnesota Municipal Power and Avant Energy on our first project together that will help promote the continued growth of  wind energy in our state,” says Tim Maag, a vice president and general manager of Mortenson Construction’s Renewable Energy Groups.

According to the American Wind Energy Association, Minnesota installed 2,192 megawatts of wind energy in 2010 and is ranked as the fourth largest wind market in the United States. Mortenson has installed 1,466 megawatts of renewable energy in Minnesota through the first quarter of 2011, which represents approximately 55percent of the total megawatts throughout the state. Oak Glen is Mortenson’s 19th wind project built in Minnesota.

Since entering the renewable energy market in 1995, Mortenson Construction has become a leading builder of wind power facilities in North America, having built more than 100 wind projects throughout the United States and Canada. In addition to wind power, Mortenson’s Renewable Energy Groups also constructs facilities that generate solar power and other renewable resources, and it is a leading provider of transmission and distribution infrastructure. Go online to www.mortenson.com/wind.

At the WINDPOWER 2011 conference, Moog Industrial Group—a division of Moog Inc.—unveiled a new electric pitch system that offers wind turbine operators higher performance, reliability, additional safety, and lower maintenance costs to address key challenges faced by wind turbine manufacturers and operators. The Moog wind turbine pitch system is equipped with Moog’s new AC synchronous electromagnetic brushless servo motor, which meets the requirements of onshore and offshore wind turbines. The pitch systems also include Moog’s pitch servo drive and backup systems.

Pitch control systems are responsible for the precise positioning of blades, which enable wind turbines to operate at optimum speeds to ensure the highest availability and safety. The harsh conditions that turbines operate in require the pitch system and its components to face, among other things, low and unsteady wind speeds and ambient operating temperatures ranging from -30° C up to +50° C (-22 to +122° F).

“Striking a fine balance between parameters like performance, reliability, safety, and costs are key challenges facing wind turbine OEMs and operators,” says Mauro Gnecco, business development manager, wind energy. “When compared with conventional DC pitch systems, the AC brushless technology is designed to be a very high performance system with lower maintenance costs.”

“A key challenge for wind turbine manufacturers is the selection of a motion control supplier who is capable of providing a pitch control system that maximizes reliability and minimizes mechanical complexity,” according to Sal Spada, research director at ARC Advisory Group. “Pitch control systems combined with synchronous servo motors harness advanced technologies that deliver reliable and consistent performance enabling wind turbine manufacturers and operators to maximize productivity and ROI.”

Moog designed its new wind turbine pitch servo motor to withstand extreme temperatures, vibrations, and humidity. When coupled with the associated Moog wind turbine pitch servo drive, the motor has a very high peak power density and also has the capability to be controlled in sensorless mode, which enables the servo drive to control the motor in situations where position information is lost from the servo motor’s encoder or resolver.

Moog built its pitch servo motors to meet the requirements of corrosion class C5M (according to DIN 12944 standards) and with wind-proof connector technology. The motor is suitable for Hot Climate Versions (HCV) as well as Cold Climate Versions (CCV) in both onshore and offshore environments. For more information please visit www.moog.com/wind.

What is the level of customer acceptance and understanding of the smart grid? How can utilities further drive understanding and encourage significant and permanent changes in customer behavior? The Association of Energy Services Professionals (AESP) will delve into these topics with national experts at their Fall Conference in Dallas October 3-6, 2011. The conference titled “Customer Behavior & The Smart Grid” includes a keynote address by Dr. Julie M. Albright from the University of Southern California whose latest research focuses on the social and behavioral aspects of energy efficiency and smart grid technology adoption. Most recently Albright was instrumental in securing a $121 million grant from the Department of Energy (DOE) for a smart grid demonstration project.

Oncor is the Dallas-based host utility for this event that will draw industry professionals from across the country. The conference will feature a series of comprehensive educational discussions delivered by industry thought leaders. Attendees will also be able to take advantage of numerous networking opportunities, and have the chance to learn about the latest products, services and solutions from 30 exhibitors and industry innovators.

AESP provides professional development programs, a network of energy practitioners, and promotes the transfer of knowledge and experience. Its members work in the energy services industry and represent electric and natural gas utilities, public benefits associations, regulatory and non-profit entities, vendors, manufacturers, and consulting firms. For a detailed agenda or additional information about the conference, and for sponsorship opportunities, visit www.aesp.org or call (480) 704-5900.

With 30 N100/2500 wind turbines and a total capacity of 75 MW, the Germinon wind farm located to the west of Paris is currently the largest Nordex wind farm in France. On April 6, 2011, the customer GDF Suez officially inaugurated the wind farm. Germinon features the first Gamma Generation series turbines, which Nordex launched in spring 2010. In developing this high-efficiency class, Nordex drew on its 10 years of experience in the operation of multi-megawatt turbines. The Gamma Generation combines proven technology with specific enhancements derived from the latest research and meeting current market requirements.

With the N100/2500 turbine, utility GDF Suez selected a wind power system that makes optimum use of the mean wind speeds of 7.4 m/s prevailing at the site. As a result, the wind power systems will deliver a combined total of some 226,000MWh of clean energy each year, sufficient to cover the electricity requirements of around 265,000 people. Nordex handed over the wind farm to GDF Suez back in autumn 2010. Briefly after connection to the grid, the majority of the turbines achieved a reliability of over 97 percent.

During the execution of the project last year Nordex organized more than 360 heavy-load hauls to transport the turbine components to their destination. In fact, if all the towers segments were to be laid out end to end they would have a total length of three kilometers. For more information go to www.nordex-online.com.

GL Garrad Hassan’s new power market analysis services utilize state of the art simulation software to evaluate the short and long-term risks to renewable development projects associated with external power market influences. These include assessing the impacts of energy curtailment, policy changes, and infrastructure development and quantifying the financial ramifications that they have for a specific site or project. The new services support investors and developers of renewable energy projects in North America at all stages of the project lifecycle. The power market analysis services complement GL Garrad Hassan’s existing independent engineering portfolio, which has helped to deliver 45 percent of all U.S. and 39 percent of all Canadian wind farms.

As wind power has matured and the volume of projects connected to the grid has risen, there are an increasing number of geographical areas where projects experience curtailment issues. Accounting for the risk related to reduced opportunity for energy delivery, and the corresponding revenue loss, is now an essential factor in determining the value of a proposed site for project development, and it forms a key element of any technical due diligence process associated with a project. Once a project is developed, the opportunity for its extension—as well as its long-term financial viability—can be impacted by factors such as future grid limitations, decisions affecting the design of future energy markets, and changing government policy in relation to renewable energy as part of the broader energy mix.

GL Garrad Hassan is one of the world’s largest dedicated renewable energy consultancies and a recognized technical authority on the subject. It offers independent technical and engineering services, products, and training courses to the onshore and offshore wind, wave, tidal, and solar sectors. Although the GL Garrad Hassan name is new, the company has a rich heritage (see profile in September 2010 issue of Wind Systems at www.windsystemsmag.com). It is born of the integration of specialist companies that, united, form the renewable energy consulting division of the GL Group. GL Garrad Hassan is a consulting company; it has no equity stake in any device or project. This rule of operation is central to its philosophy, something that sets it apart from many of its competitors. For more information contact Gary Moland—GL Garrad Hassan Independent Engineering, San Diego—at (678) 691-5063 or gary.moland@gl-garradhassan.com. Go online to www.gl-garradhassan.com.

MidAmerican Energy Company has selected Mortenson Construction to build the 443.9MW Rolling Hills Wind Project in southwestern Iowa, one of the largest wind projects in the nation. MidAmerican Energy—which is number-one in the U.S. in ownership of wind-powered electric generation among rate-regulated utilities—selected Mortenson, North America’s leading wind power contractor, to build the project.

MidAmerican Energy also selected Mortenson to build the 119.6MW Laurel and 29.9MW Pomeroy IV wind projects. The construction of Rolling Hills marks the 100th wind project built by Mortenson’s Renewable Energy Group in North America.

“The Rolling Hills Wind Project is truly a landmark project for Mortenson and the wind industry,” according to Tim Maag, a vice president and general manager of Mortenson’s Renewable Energy Groups. “Having entered the renewables industry in its infancy, Mortenson is proud to achieve such a significant milestone. This is our largest wind power project to date, and it is a testimony to the strength of our industry partnerships and the depth of experience our team members bring to wind power construction.”

Together the Rolling Hills, Laurel, and Pomeroy IV wind projects span more than 150 square miles over six Iowa counties: Adair, Adams, Calhoun, Cass, Marshall, and Pocahontas. MidAmerican Energy has 1,393MW of owned and contracted wind generation facilities in Iowa. According to the American Wind Energy Association, Iowa ranks second in the nation for total number of installed megawatts of wind power and first in the nation for the percentage of electricity generated by wind power. The Rolling Hills Wind Project is the 13th wind power facility built by Mortenson in Iowa, and the sixth wind project built by Mortenson for MidAmerican Energy. During construction of the Rolling Hills Wind Project, Mortenson will erect 193 2.3MW Siemens wind turbines. This is enough electricity to power approximately 190,000 average American homes. Mortenson also will install access roads, underground collection, and tower wiring. The project will become operational by late 2011.

Founded in 1954, Mortenson Construction is a U.S.-based family owned construction company (see profile in April 2010 issue of Wind Systems at www.windsystemsmag.com). Ranked as the 24th largest contractor in America according to Engineering News-Record, Mortenson provides a complete range of services including planning, program management, preconstruction, general contracting, construction management, design-build, and turnkey development. Mortenson has offices in Chicago, Denver, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Phoenix, and Seattle, with international operations in Canada and China. More information is available at www.mortenson.com/wind. Also visit www.midamericanenergy.com.

MYR Group, Inc. (MYR), has executed a contract with Cross Texas Transmission, an affiliate of LS Power, to construct approximately 235 miles of 345-kilovolt (kV) transmission line in Texas. The contract is valued in excess of $160 million and is part of the Competitive Renewable Energy Zone (CREZ) initiative, which is being developed to integrate additional renewable energy and increase system reliability throughout the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT). Under the contract, MYR Transmission Services, Inc. (MYRT), an MYR subsidiary, will provide construction management, material procurement, and construction services including right-of-way clearing, environmental controls, foundation installation, structure installation, and conductor stringing. Construction planning has begun, and construction is expected to begin in the fall of 2011 with an expected completion date of spring of 2013.

“We are proud to be playing a significant role on this important project and look forward to working with Cross Texas Transmission in building its part of the transmission system for the Texas Competitive Renewable Energy Zones,” says William A. Koertner, chairman and CEO of MYR. “This project will help move electricity generated by renewable energy resources in the Panhandle of Texas to millions of customers throughout the state, and at the same time provide transmission infrastructure to serve the long-term needs of Texas.”

MYR is a holding company of specialty construction service providers. Through subsidiaries dating back to 1891, MYR is one of the largest national contractors servicing the transmission and distribution sector of the United States electric utility industry. Transmission and distribution customers include electric utilities, private developers, cooperatives, and municipalities. MYR also provides commercial and industrial electrical contracting services to facility owners and general contractors in the Western United States. MYR’s comprehensive services include turnkey construction and maintenance services for the nation’s electrical infrastructure. Learn more at www.myrgroup.com.

The successful O-INSPECT multisensor measuring machine from Carl Zeiss allows the very easy, very accurate, and thus very efficient inspection of complex parts. It can be used in the electronics and plastics industries, for medical and automotive technology, and precision engineering. A chromatic white light sensor is now available for O-INSPECT.

The white light sensor enables the measurement of parts that cannot be captured with a contact sensor or a camera. This includes very small and sensitive workpieces that feature a transparent, glossy, or low-contrast surface. Reflections or lack of contrast, which can impede the correct focusing of a camera, will no longer be a relevant factor. With the addition of a chromatic white light sensor to O-INSPECT, even workpieces such as these can be measured with maximum precision. “Carl Zeiss thus closes the final gap in the O-INSPECT measuring range,” says Dr. Dietrich Imkamp, who is in charge of visual systems at Carl Zeiss in Oberkochen.

The workpiece is illuminated with bundled white light. Special optics with chromatic aberrations in the probe split the light into its spectral colors. A spectrometer analyzes the reflected light and determines which color has the highest intensity. The measuring machine can determine the distance from the sensor to the surface using the spectral color, and it derives the exact topography of the part from this information.

The results are displayed using CAD-based CALYPSO measuring software. It enables extensive size, form, and position measurements with systematic user guidance and makes deviations visible and quantifiable. Furthermore, O-INSPECT features an additional light source on the contact-scanning sensor that can be turned on to illuminate the measuring field when the machine is reprogrammed. With this enhancement to O-INSPECT, not only its range of use improves, but also its user friendliness. Obtain more information at www.zeiss.com.

Power Climber Wind—a division of SafeWorks, LLC—has signed a contract with one of the largest wind turbine generator (WTG) OEMs to supply and install the IBEX® climb assist systems for its Dashuiboluo wind farm located in Linxi, Inner Mongolia. The IBEX climb assist systems will be installed in 25 of the company’s 2.0MW turbines, which generate up to 50MW of wind power in the region.

The market leading IBEX climb assist is designed to retrofit and sets the standard for performance, safety, and ease of installation in any new or existing WTG. It puts complete control over the climbing effort and experience into the hands of the climber, delivering personalized performance, increased safety, and better productivity in any tower. “We work in wind turbines globally and are honored to perform in China for the world’s largest WTG OEM,” says Ruben Bake, vice president and general manager. “Our product provides a perfectly scaled solution for them, by retrofitting the wind turbines and improving the site technician’s safety and productivity, and ultimately the turbine performance.” To learn more call (206) 394-5306 in the Americas, or go to www.safeworks.com.

Sensor Products, Inc., a leader in the field of tactile pressure and force measurement, is pleased to announce it is offering Fuji Prescale pressure film. The film is a mylar tactile pressure indicating sensor film that instantly reveals surface pressure magnitude and distribution between contacting or impacting surfaces.

When placed between the surfaces it permanently turns different shades of red, with the color intensity being directly proportional to the amount of pressure applied. Prescale pressure indicating film shows precisely how bolted joints engage and deform under stress. Pressure variations are shown by the color changes left on the film. These colors can be compared to a color calibration chart to determine the exact pressure distribution.

While no instrumentation is required, the film impression can also be digitalized through imaging. Topaq, an imaging analysis program, assigns colors to pressure values. This graphic reveals pressure variations in a bolted joint interface. The non-uniform pressure distribution may be caused by a variety of factors including dimensional irregularities, surface roughness, and uneven bolt torque.

Since it is difficult to measure the force exerted by the bolts directly, torque values are often assigned for assembly based on trial and error. Prescale speeds assembly by quickly validating and confirming sufficient bolt torque to assure uniform interfacial pressure. To adjust torque values, the film is placed at the bolted joint interface and the bolts are tightened to apply pressure. The film is then removed and reviewed to see if the pressure is uniform. Common applications include measuring the interface pressure of bolted joints, gaskets, clamps, fasteners, connectors, flanges, valves, o-rings, and welding heads, among others. Wind applications include testing the bolted joints used in turbines.

Prescale is thin and flexible, allowing it to conform to both curved and straight surfaces. It may be hand or laser cut to fit unusual shapes and dimensions. It is ideal for invasive and intolerant environments not accessible to conventional transducers. The film confirms FEA predictions and has widespread applicability in research, design and test; assembly and production, quality control, and maintenance. Contact Sensor Products at (973) 884-1755, info@sensorprod.com, or www.sensorprod.com.

On March 31, 2011, the Energy research Centre of the Netherlands (ECN) and Sandia National Laboratories signed a Memorandum of Understanding in which both parties agree on future collaboration in the field of wind energy. Sandia Laboratories focuses on applied scientific research for national security in the U.S., with sustainable energy being one of their key research areas. In the field of wind energy Sandia works on many aspects of wind turbine design, but it has a longstanding history in rotor design with a focus on higher efficiency, reliability, and monitoring technique for optimizing operational management and maintenance to wind turbines.

The joint Sandia-ECN research will focus mainly on scaling up (offshore) wind turbines and developing so-called intelligent blades to further increase the yield of wind turbines, while reducing the mechanical loads. This enables lighter wind turbine designs, longer operating lives, and lower electricity production costs per kWh. Various wind turbine manufacturers have already shown interest in this development. Tests with this type of dynamic blades, which can be adjusted with respect to shape and/or aerodynamic characteristics depending on the operating conditions, can be conducted at the ECN test site in Wieringermeer or at the test site of Sandia in the U.S. Additionally, both Sandia and ECN are already involved in collaborations with Delft University of Technology in this research area. Further collaboration will also be started in the field of aerodynamic wind farm modelling and maintenance and operational management of offshore wind farms. The first concrete projects are expected to start this summer.

The Energy research Centre of the Netherlands (ECN) is the largest research institute in the Netherlands in the field of energy and holds a strong international position. Go to www.ecn.nl. Sandia National Laboratories is managed by Sandia Corporation—a full subsidiary of the Lockheed Martin Corporation—and constitute the most important national laboratories of the U.S. Department of Energy. Next to research on reliable and safe nuclear technology, Sandia’s mission is to secure the future energy system and to make it more sustainable. Visit online at www.sandia.gov.