Windpower Engineering & Development FEBRUARY 2016

February 2016

www.windpowerengineering.com

The technical resource for wind profitability

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T A S L O TO IGHT: HE E T I S K R O -DROP W

O R E Z A G ENSURIN

e e Nois n i b r Tu ealth?

Does H n a Hum 30 Affect PAGE

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Control Torque Loads, Control Turbine Life!

New Bearings? New Gearbox?

Now is the time for AeroTorque!

Don’t let this happen to you again. Computer models show TM that an AeroTorque Wind TC can conservatively increase the life of new bearings by 46% by limiting torque extremes.

Don’t wait... protect your investment from the start!

www.aerotorque.com 330.590.8105

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HERE’S WHAT I THINK

Senior Editor | Windpower Engineering & Development mfroese@wtwhmedia.com

|

Living the life of leadership

M

2015

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any of us can only imagine the life of a wind tech: waking at the crack of dawn to gather tools and equipment for the day ahead before hitting up an onsite safety briefing. Afterwards, it’s time to carefully suit-up in the necessary fall-protection gear for an 80-meter-plus climb up a turbine tower. Only then, atop a nacelle, does the 10 to 12-hour workday really begin.

For Ontario-based Meredith Smith, the day might entail repairing damaged or missing turbine components, cleaning equipment, painting, or installing new hardware or software. She works construction as a wind technician, and until a few years ago didn’t believe she could (or should) work in that capacity, particularly as a woman.

But today she’s working atop 124-m high Enercon turbines in the Chatham-Kent area and, despite a moderate fear of heights, has fallen in love with her job. Friends call her brave and dedicated. But Smith simply wants to serve as an example to other women contemplating a similar career.

“As a woman, leadership is important. To me it means encouraging and empowering other women to take the leap and work in construction. I spent a long time thinking I couldn’t or shouldn’t, and I couldn’t have been more wrong!” she shared. Smith credits other women working in renewables for her decision to follow suit. She also credits organizations such as Women of Wind Energy for their support and promotion of a safe and welcoming working environment for women.

At an American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) conference late last year, CEO Tom Kiernan noted the significance of strong leadership, and maintained it’s what’s need for the wind industry to become great on a national scale in the U.S. He referenced the book Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies, and encouraged

industry personnel to set what the authors labeled as “Big Hairy Audacious Goals” or BHAGs. A BHAG (pronounced bee-hag) encourages organizations to set ambitious goals that are strategic and visionary.

The Department of Energy’s Wind Vision sets one example that includes far-reaching objectives where wind power could supply 10% of the country’s electricity in 2020, 20% in 2030, and 35% in 2050.

Kiernan wants to meet those goals while setting even greater ones: “Our ultimate purpose is to be the number one electric generator in the country,” he said.

Thanks to his leadership, a strong AWEA team, and the dedication of countless industry workers and technicians (like Meredith Smith), wind energy is slowly but surely becoming a North American energy leader.

A few milestones to note: U.S. wind power has passed the 70-GW mark, meaning enough wind-turbine capacity is now installed to supply over 19 million typical American homes with low-cost electricity; Canada hit seventh in the world for total installed wind-power capacity with 11,205 MW; Congress recently passed a five-year extension of the Production Tax Credit and alternative Investment Tax Credit in the U.S.; and the cost of wind-generated electricity has fallen 66% in six years.

We’d be remiss in this leadership issue to leave out an important upcoming first in the U.S. — offshore wind. It is a tribute to the dedication of developers at Deepwater Wind that construction has begun on the five-turbine Block Island project in Rhode Island waters.

“We are proud of the work we’ve accomplished so far,” said Deepwater Wind CEO Jeffrey Grybowski in a recent press statement. “But we’ve only just begun — 2016 will be a year to remember.”

We second that comment. Kudos to all of those who work hard and set a high bar (through notable BHAGs) to support a nation powered by clean energy. W

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WIGG

HOHMANN HEIDENREICH

WALLS

SADLER

HARTY

ROJAS

FORD EATHERTON

BUCKLEY

MOROZ MCCUNNEY

BREWER

LUTAT

CO NT R I BUTORS RYAN BREWER is the Vice President of Engineering at Poseidon Systems. He oversee engineering activities relating to the development and commercialization of fluid diagnostic sensors.

TIM BUCKLEY is the Director of Energy Finance Studies, Australasia, for the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis. He is a toprated analyst with 25 years of financial market experience, specializing in equity valuation.

SCOTT A. EATHERTON has worked in the wind industry since 1984 and has held positions including field technician, construction QC manager, technical trainer, gearbox rebuilder, warranty sweep manager, and root-cause analyst on wind sites from Texas to Bulgaria. He joined the AGMA 6006 WTG gearbox standards committee in 1994. scott.eatherton@icloud.com ANDREW FORD is Professor Emeritus, School of the Environment, at Washington State University. His research advances the use of computer modeling to anticipate the impact of policies to increase renewable generation and reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

Professor Ford’s most recent research uses system dynamics modeling to better understand the value of electricity storage.

JIM HARTY is the Global Market Manager for Energy for Bal Seal Engineering, Inc. He serves a worldwide customer base, working with design engineers and the Bal Seal sales force to help OEMs create connecting, conducting, and sealing solutions for next-generation power, T&D, and alternative energy equipment.

DAVE HEIDENREICH has 50 years of experience improving drive systems in industrial machinery. He founded PT Tech in 1978 and has developed unique torque control solutions, dramatically improving the reliability and productivity some of the world’s most extreme machinery. Dave has 27 patents and, since 2010, has focused on solving transient load problems in wind turbines. dheidenreich@pttech.com FRANK HOHMANN, General Manager of ITH Bolting Technology, developed and holds about 200 national and international patents in bolting technology. He managed the development and launch of the IHF Stretchbolt and RoundNut, and was the Head Engineer in a project to retrofit the bolts on gas and steam turbines so they are in pure tension and free of friction and torsion.

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DAN LUTAT is the Director for Sustainable Energy Resources and Technologies at Iowa Lakes Community College. A 28-year Air Force veteran, he oversees development of programming in five-degree tracks, including Environmental Studies, Electrical Technologies, Engineering Technologies, HVAC, and Wind Energy.

DR. ROBERT MCCUNNEY is the Director of Environmental Medicine at MIT and a physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. He evaluates and treats occupational and environmental lung disease and other exposurerelated health problems.

EMIL MOROZ has a strong understanding of wind energy from a system perspective, derived from roles in Research, Industry, Development, Operations, and Consulting since 1992. He developed the site suitability evaluation process for two OEMs, played a key role in the definition of the GE1.5sle, and is author on seven wind-turbine technology related patents. emoroz@att.net LUIS ROJAS is an Industrial Marketing Advisor at ExxonMobil.

With more than 22 years of experience, he has held a number of technical positions, including Chief Engineering Manager for Mexico, Caribbean, and Central America; Equipment Builder Engineer; and Lubrication Engineer where he was able to provide industrial customers and OEMs with lubrication solutions to support their productivity goals.

DUSTIN J. SADLER has 16 years of mechanical design engineering experience and is co-inventor of AeroTorque’s WindTC RTD device. He brings knowledge from multiple industries to the FMEA application and project management to help develop this technical document. dsadler@aerotorque.com LIZ WALLS is the Developer of the Continuum wind-flow software and Co-Founder of Cancalia Engineering & Development. She has studied and worked in the wind sector since 2005, and assisted in bringing a new SODAR technology to market. She worked alongside wind-energy pioneer, Jack Kline, as a wind consultant for over three years. She holds a Master’s of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Massachusetts Amherst where she studied at the Renewable Energy Research Laboratory (now the Wind Energy Center).

ROSS WIGG is the Vice President of Renewables at Lloyd’s Register (LR). Having founded the Renewable Energy business for LR in 2010, Wigg has led the development of this sector across Europe, Asia, and in America. After completing a degree in Mechanical Engineering at Plymouth University, he joined the LR Graduate training program in 1997. Within his time at LR, Wigg has held a number of different roles, including Field Surveyor, Design Approval Engineer, and Project Manager.

www.windpowerengineering.com

FEBRUARY 2016

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E D I T O R I A L EDITORIAL Editorial Director Paul Dvorak pdvorak@wtwhmedia.com @windpower_eng Senior Editor Michelle Froese mfroese@wtwhmedia.com @WPE_Michelle Managing Editor Nic Abraham nabraham@wtwhmedia.com @WPE_Nic

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Nothing beats a Bronto aerial for safety when inspecting,cleaning and servicing turbines.

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3 Photos courtesy of TGM Wind Services

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FEBRUARY 2016 • vol 8 no 1 www.windpowerengineering.com

CONTENTS

D E PA R T M E N T S 01

Editorial: Showing leadership in wind

06

Windwatch: VariLoad, Fugro trenching, 2015

14

Components: How a coil spring improves lube seals

18

Reliability: Building a framework for better

22

Bolting: Is a maintenance-free bolt connection

26

leadership winners, Wind work around North America

floating wind systems

possible on wind turbines?

Finance: Rise of renewables spells the decline in coal investments

49 ON THE COVER Students at Iowa Lakes Community College learn safe procedures for working at height.

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Health & Safety: Recent study shows no link between turbines and health problems

32

Software: Harvesting technology intelligence and mitigating IP risks

34

Lubricants & Filters: Lubrication is critical to protecting

36

Condition monitoring: Oil debris monitor tells more

38

Energy Storage: Ontario is the first province in Canada

76

Downwind: Floating power station also produces fresh water

turbine components, but so is a balanced formulation

about gearbox lubricant

to introduce compressed-air energy storage to the grid

F E AT U R E S

43 FMEA to show that torque

reversals damage more than wind-turbine gearboxes

xx

This article is the first of a two-part series in which a Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) is used to evaluate how torsional oscillations and reversals can damage many expensive turbine components. It also compares the effects of adding a Reverse Torsional Damping device to mitigate the damage. The FMEA calculates a projected range of cost reductions based on the credibility of evidence, contribution to overall failure mode, and the estimated life extension from the damping device.

Tethered tools stop the drop Goodbye high blade loads, and hello production The problem with recent utility-scale turbines is that they are so darn big. And big blades in strong winds generate high stresses. A recent development lets blades shed loads before they transmit to the drivetrain.

www.windpowerengineering.com

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High Speed Shaft Solutions

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Watch an animation of the Q1400 trencher in action: www.tinyurl.com/Q1400trencher

ADAPTABLE ADAPTABLECABLE CABLE TRENCHER TRENCHERDIGS DIGSIN INSOFT SOFT AND ANDHARD HARDSEABED SEABEDSOILS SOILS A CLEVER ALL-PURPOSE TRENCHING MACHINE intended for burying cables on the sea floor provides interchangeable water jet and chain-cutting skids which can be swapped on board its installation vessel while at sea. The Q1400 trenching system, a collaboration of Frgro Subsea Services and Soil Machine Dynamics, operates in water depths from 10 to 3,000m and uses water jet trenching in soils of up to 100 kPa shear strength, typically sands and softer clays. Medium and harder clays up to 500 kPa call for the mechanical chain cutter. Jetting speeds are usually from 300 to 500 m/h but with chain cutting that drops to 100 to 200 m/h.

“It is important to bury wind farm cables as well as oil and gas umbilicals, and pipelines to protect them from damage, particularly in the crowded, relatively shallow waters off European coasts,” says Mike Daniel, Trenching Business Line Manager at Fugro. A 2009 report by the International Cable Protection Committee suggested that two-thirds of all breaks to telecommunication cables are caused by ship anchors and commercial fishing trawlers. Unburied cables and pipelines also present a serious hazard for trawlers which can lose gear or even be pulled under.

When jet trenching, the Q1400 can use as much as 1,459 hp. Of The method of backfilling this, 1,000 hp is delivered through depends on the soil type. variable-speed electric motors to direct-drive water pumps.

“The jetting tool has twin-legged parallel jet swords and can trench up to 3m deep in soil conditions from 5 to 100 kPa using 2 or 3m jetting swords. The system can work with cables, pipelines, and umbilicals up to 900-mm diameter,” adds Daniel. The jetting system also provides backwashing and eduction (suction) of seabed material at the same time as the jet trenching is being carried out, which uses an additional 300 hp. The trenching machine also provides sidewall backfilling.

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The Fugro Symphony cable-lay vessel also serves as a launch and recovery system (LARS).

It uses an A-frame equipped with cross beam winches and cursor. The LARS is certified by Lloyds to sea state 6 letting operations continue even in a heavy swells up to 3m.

For trenching pre-laid cables and flexible pipes, the Q1400 uses a 150 hp, 2 x 400mm chain cutter and two loading arms which can take flexibles, cables, and umbilicals up to 250-mm dia. With pre-laid rigid pipe, the trenching-jet legs fluidise the soil on either side of and underneath the pipe causing it to sink into the seabed.

“In jetting mode, separate waterpump systems can either backfill or keep the trench open depending on client requirements,” explains Mike Watt, Trenching Project Manager at Fugro Subsea Services. “The method of backfilling depends on the soil. A trench naturally backfills when it is chain cut to bury a cable or umbilical. The trench, which is narrow relative to its depth, normally collapses.”

The vessel’s deck-transfer system was also developed by Fugro and SMD to let the trenching team change between cutting and jetting modes. The cutting or jetting skids are switched by a fixed pallet attached to preinstalled skidding beams, which allows making changes while at sea, without a crane, and in less than 18 hours.

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jetting and cutting operations,” says Mike Watt. “Thrusters can be used for adjusting its position, and lifting the trencher off the seabed to aid movement in soft soil. Thrusters can also be used to hop along the seabed.”

Although the trencher has cameras, they are of limited use while trenching because the process throws up a great deal of sediment reducing visibility to nearly zero. The solution is to equip the Q1400, the ROV, and all other tools with multiple sensors and sonar systems to allow most operations in zero visibility.

The first system cut its teeth successfully in September 2012 at an offshore wind farm on the UK’s east coast.

This involved post-lay trenching of 16 x 120-mm diameter array cables over a distance of around 16 km to a trench depth of 1.2m. The work involved mechanical cutting through 300 kPa soil consisting of cobbles, flints, and chalk with boulder clay, and at speeds from 100 to 150 m/ hr. Despite the difficult terrain, overall performance exceeded expectations with array cables being completed from deck-todeck in less than eight hours. W

Fugro’s Q1400 trenching system readies for launch.

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W I N D W A T C H

Goodbye high blade loads.

Hello production.

THE PROBLEM WITH RECENT UTILITYSCALE TURBINES is that they are so darn big. Their working stresses are high and factors of safety low. Making a turbine bigger to capture more energy provides decreasing returns because as rotor diameters are built larger, everything else in the turbine must be beefed up, from hub to foundation.

But the engineers at Frontier Wind say more production can be gleaned from existing blade lengths with their active load control, a system of blade tabs that can pop out of a blade in milliseconds to take wind load off a blade almost before it is even transmitted to the blade root, not to mention the driveline. CEO Rob Giebel says he has the attention of several OEMs and expects to fly VariLoad on new turbines this year.

It works like this, says Giebel. “Sensors sample pressure on the suction and pressure sides of the blade at 50 times/sec and at multiple locations on each blade.

When a gust or load change occurs on that blade, a series of tabs pop up. The tabs are about 1.5 to 2-in. high and about 12 in. long, depending where they are on the blade. The extended tabs separate the flow off the blade, which aerodynamically stalls the blade almost instantaneously and locally. So if the turbine has wind shear at the 12 o’clock position, only the tabs at those places on that one blade react,” he says. The other blades do not react. And when the load exits a prescribed range, the tabs are pulled back. VariLoad is agnostic to the brand of turbine, type of controller, and blade shape.

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The Zond 750-kW test turbine has been working for several years with Frontier Wind’s VAriLoad system. Several Gustbuster tabs are just visible near the tip half of the blade.

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W I N D W A T C H

The GustBuster unit has its blade in a retracted position.

The Zond 750-kW test turbine has been working for several years with Frontier Wind’s VAriLoad system.

Several Gustbuster tabs are just visible near the tip half of the blade.

a cold-weather package. The turbine controller already knows about temperature and humidity, data that tells when ice might form on the blade and which usually shuts the turbine down for a period. The system can go into a cold-weather mode in which it deploys to break the ice off the blade. So it lets the turbine blade fly slightly longer before it turbine has to stop.”

The problem with pitch systems Most turbines are limited by the same bottle neck – the pitch system. “The lag time – from when the load hits the blade and it is pitched to remove the load – is long enough to let the wind that caused the load to pass the turbine.

Now the blade is in the wrong place of the current wind. So instead of a system that takes three to four seconds to react, VariLoad senses the load, eliminates it, and puts the blade in the perfect flying condition in 100ms," says Giebel.

Furthermore, a tradition system reacts so slowly that by the time the controller reacts, the load has already transmitted through the drivetrain. "It has stretched the blade, the drivetrain, and the tower. And steel never forgets. It does not heal itself,” he explains.

Another problem: The E-stop is absolutely the worst condition for a turbine because of the high-induced stresses from sudden braking. VariLoad can help reduce the e-stop frequency because an equipped turbine will tend not to throw itself upwind as much.

The overall goal is to lower the cost of energy. “Every turbine OEM has built its turbines bigger – more swept area, more energy – and the cost of power has dropped.

There has been a lot of nibbling around the edges of technology changes that lower the cost of energy. For instance, many are working on smarter ones and zeros in their controller. All are working on pitch motors that will twist faster, and many are working on material science to let the blade flex differently,” he says.

In the event loads get too big for a prolonged period, as they would during bad weather, the turbine controller pitches the blades to protect the machine as it normally would. “So the turbine controller only reacts to loads that it must react to. Often, the system will pitch to run and let Variload deal with gusts and turbulence that occurs in day-to-day operations.

“We have made several The system can go into a cold-weather mode in which it million simulations for turbines with rotors up to 150-m deploys to break the ice off the blade. So it lets the turbine diameter, and under the eye of Garrard Hassan. Furthermore, blade fly slightly longer before it turbine has to stop. we have tested it in Minnesota for three years on a Zond 750kW wind turbine with a 48-m diameter rotor,” says Giebel. “Now we 10 to 20% lower COE are engaged with several OEMs.” Garrad Hassan is now part of DNV Giebel says VariLoad will lower the cost of energy. “We think GL and provides wind testing, certification, and advisory services. it is possible to lower the cost of energy by 10 to 20%, and During prototype testing on the Minnesota turbine, the then scale the turbine and reduce complexity of new designs. system operated next to an identical turbine without the load For example, if a turbine is not putting as much load into the control. “That let us develop all the simulations and understand tower as before, it does not need as much steel. This also what happens when mosquitoes clog the pressure port or how gives the OEM an opportunity to introduce a platform for a the system works during winter. That experience let us develop higher wind class using the one already designed. They will 10

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W I N D W A T C H

not have to spend another $70 million on a clean-sheet design that is mostly an extension of the existing family.”

Giebel’s development allows flying turbines with larger blades, or flying lower wind-class turbines in higher winds. “For instance, take a 120-m class III turbine and put it in a Class II wind, and you get 20% more energy out of the turbine.”

Another plus: lower operating noise.

“Europe is more concerned about noise so we have technology that makes the tab deployment quieter and that helps with noise of the base turbine,” he says.

One thing leads to another For a few years, the company was working on a system that adjusted blade length to capture more wind. Although it worked well in tests, capturing 92% more power than the original blades, but the system added excessive loads to a driveline. While working to reduce the high load, the company invented the tabbed system, which makes the blade extenders unnecessary.

OEMs are interested enough to have Frontier Wind engineers in Europe working to build the VariLoad feature into their blades. “The team has to design around FEBRUARY 2016

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the areas that cannot be touched or altered. Then they will run simulations and compare them to a blade on a conventional system. Even if the tabs are not optimally located, we can make up the lost performance through software,” he says.

The system has more than 100 patents and the company continues to file more.

“We learned that every turbine has its own signature, like a fingerprint. Some turbines have no problems with blade loading while

they have big issues with pitch loading, or with main shaft, or the tower. The work we have done lets us target the problematic loads of a specific turbine.”

Giebel says the load control system can refit onto existing blades but it is more expensive than on a new blade.

His company focus is with OEMs on new construction and those companies that have control of blade design. “A couple OEMs would like to retrofit their blades because there are selling service contracts. Some components are wearing out faster than expected simply because of loads. This device can eliminate the loads and add life to some components. For instance, a drivetrainload reduction and fewer e-stops would let gearboxes last longer.

Recent pitch systems operate almost continuously, adjusting for a best position. Some designers have asked about eliminating the pitch system if the VariLoad is used. But Giebel suggests that instead use a smaller pitch drive because it does not have to be continually twitching. It will need only pitch to run and pitch out.

Giebel is mum on costs. “That will depend on the turbine and what the OEM wants to accomplish,” he says.

However, he will say to expect to see a turbine in the air with VariLoad in 2016. W

Frontier Wind says its VAriLoad system will move the a turbine’s power production curve to the left for greater megawatt-hour outputs, close to two fold say tests.

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W I N D W A T C H

LEADERSHIP 2015

[LEADERSHIP IN WIND ENERGY]

2015 Leadership winners If you read economic news or track the stock market you get the impression that 2016 might not be the most energetic business year. It will be a challenging and testing period for our business and civic leaders. Any company can ride the good times, but economic downturns are unruly animals.

Windpower Engineering & Development recognizes the uncertainty and challenges the new year will bring in part by recognizing the good leadership of the year past. During 2015, we asked readers to vote for the companies they considered leaders in their respective fields of expertise. They did so. The Leadership polls have closed and the results are in. The staff of Windpower Engineering & Development magazine congratulates these wind industry leaders on recognition well deserved.

CATEGORY

LEADERSHIP WINNER

Bearings

Aurora Bearings

Bolting

Aztec Bolting Service

Cables

SAB North America

HONORABLE MENTION Nord-Lock

Condition Bachmann.

Monitoring

12

Electrical

Megger

Helwig Carbon Products

Encoders

UEA — United Equipment Acc.

Encoder Product Co.

Hydraulics

AmsOil

Hy-Pro, Deubline

M&O providers

EDF

Dexmet

Materials

Composites One

O&M, components

AeroTorque

Gradient Lens Corp.

Sensors

Vaisala

Campbell Scientific

WINDPOWER ENGINEERING & DEVELOPMENT

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Wind work around North America Last year was historic for the wind industry. In addition to the Paris climate deal (COP21) in December, the U.S. celebrated a local success story with wind power passing the 70-GW mark in November 2015.

Congress also officially passed a multi-year extension of the Production Tax Credit and alternative Investment Tax Credit. According to the American Wind Energy Association, there are now over 50,000 wind turbines in operation across 40 states and Puerto Rico — with more on the way. That’s currently enough wind-turbine capacity installed to supply over 19 million American homes with low-cost electricity.

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Global underwriter GCube has signed a contract with Xcel Energy for a 200-MW wind project in North Dakota. Construction of the Courtenay wind farm is due for completion before the end of 2016, and will consist of 100 Vestas V100-2.0 MW turbines. Under the terms, GCube will provide insurance for all construction risks. The development forms part of Xcel Energy’s plans to expand its wind portfolio by about 40%.

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Building Energy’s first U.S. wind farm

Building Energy began the second phase of construction on a new project in Iowa, which will add up to 30 MW of wind generation capacity. Located north of Des Moines, the project will consist of 10 ACCIONA Windpower 3.0-MW geared turbines, which will produce 110,000 MWh per year and be sold to local utility Alliant Energy. The $55 million project is scheduled for completion by the end of 2016, and will contribute to the reduction of 100,000 tons of CO2 emissions.

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A 1000-MW milestone in Quebec

With the recent commissioning of the Mont-Rothery Wind Farm, Senvion Canada celebrated an installed capacity of just over 1,000 MW of wind power in Quebec in just five years. Mont-Rothery is comprised of 37 2-MW Senvion turbines on public lands in the MRC of Haute-Gaspésie and Côte-de-Gaspé. Senvion is now one of the top two turbine suppliers in the Canadian province with over 500 turbines installed, representing nearly a third in Quebec’s installed wind capacity and roughly 10% of the total turbine installations across Canada.

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New Creek winds for West Virginia

Google has signed a deal with EDF Renewable Energy to purchase the full output of the 201-MW Great Western Wind Project to help power its data center.

The project, located near the base of the Oklahoma panhandle, will comprise of 30 Vestas V117 3.3-MW and 51, V100 2.2-MW wind turbines. Google intends to triple its purchases of renewable energy by 2025, and eventually power 100% of its operations with clean energy.

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The tallest concrete tower in the U.S.

Kansas utility grows wind portfolio

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A Nova Scotia to New England export project

Google powers data center with wind

Westar Energy, Kansas’ largest electric utility, plans to add nearly 300 MWs to its growing wind-power portfolio. In collaboration with Infinity Wind Power, the utility will construct the Western Plains project, a 280-MW wind farm in Ford County. The project will stimulate economic development through landlease royalties paid to local landowners and payments to local and county governments, which are expected to amount to nearly $75 million during the first 20 years of operation.

windpowerengineering.com

Gamesa has signed its first contract with Canadian-based energy company, Enbridge.

Although the agreement is for an American project, the New Creek Wind Farm in West Virginia. Gamesa is set to install, commission, and maintain the new wind facility, and will supply 45 of its G90-2.1 MW turbines and four of its G90-2.0 MW turbines. The turbines are slated for delivery over the course of 2016 with the project running by the end of the year.

MidAmerican Energy’s new wind farm in Adams County, Iowa will include a first for the company and the U.S.: the tallest land-based concrete wind-turbine tower. Siemens has been contracted to construct the new tower, which must hold a 2.3-MW turbine and will measure 115m from ground to hub. The blades will sweep up to 169m, making it about as tall as the Washington Monument. It is designed to capture more wind power at higher altitudes.

Beothuk Energy has proposed to manufacture and install a 1,000-MW offshore wind farm off the southwest coast of Nova Scotia. Located about 20 km from shore in shallow waters of 30 m or less, the wind farm would not cross major shipping lanes or commercial fishing grounds. The power generated will be exported to New England via a proposed 200-nauticalmile subsea cable, the Can-Am Link. Beothuk plans to hold consultations with Nova Scotia stakeholders, including First Nations and environmental groups, in early 2016.

WINDPOWER ENGINEERING & DEVELOPMENT

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CO M PONEN TS Jim Harty Global Market Manager Energy Bal Seal Engineering, Inc.

The Bal Spring canted coil spring in a slip-ring application is located inside the generator near the back of the nacelle. The spring ensures electrical contact over varying thermal expansion conditions by compensating for misalignment caused by thermal expansion.

How canted coil springs improve turbine seals and connectors

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ccording to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, wind capacity grew by 8% in 2014 and is forecast to increase by 12% in 2015 and by 13% in 2016. Bloomberg New Energy Finance further predicts that wind power will continue to grow with global installations adding a record 60 GW in 2015 alone. This is good news for the wind industry, but with growth comes increasing pressure to develop more reliable and efficient machines.

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Wind turbines must withstand harsh internal and external conditions, including temperature and weather fluctuations, turbulence caused by wind gusts, variations in rotor speed, and repeated strokes of the blades. For the components that make up the turbine, durability is essential.

Even the smallest components, such as seals and connectors, must endure changes in pressure and temperature while minimizing friction and wear inside the nacelle.

This article examines key considerations for selecting seals and connectors, and discusses the implications for wind-turbine designs.

www.windpowerengineering.com

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COMPONENTS

Proper sealing Sealing and protecting turbine parts is a small job but an important one. When choosing a product, consider materials that offer a proven ability to last and withstand the tough conditions inside wind turbines.

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• Friction and wear. When used in pitch-drive gears and other similar applications, seals need to facilitate a certain level of mobility. Because blades rotate millions of times, they must resist continuous wear. Lowfriction sealing materials such as a polymer-filled polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) can minimize wear, providing excellent sealing performance and an extremely low dynamic coefficient of friction. An energized seal will ensure that the lip retains an ability to contact the housing, while securely and consistently sealing around the edges.

• Chemical and media compatibility.

For proper protection, it’s important to choose a sealing material that exhibits chemical compatibility with the greases and lubricants commonly used in the turbine. PTFE is chemically inert and offers high resistance to solvents, chemicals, and other materials over time. By contrast, materials such as elastomers struggle with long-term exposure to UV rays.

• Contact stress. Machined largediameter seals have no weld, and therefore no hard spots or areas of potential weakness. This results in an ability to provide consistent contact pressures along the entire diameter of the sealing lip. Machined seals can also withstand much harsher conditions than welded ones, increasing service life of the seal and minimizing turbine downtime for maintenance or repairs.

• Shelf life. Longevity is an essential turbine design consideration, and this holds true for all of the turbine components. Minimizing the need for repairs or replacements of a seal WINDPOWER ENGINEERING & DEVELOPMENT

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COMPONENTS

means fewer maintenance visits and lower material costs. The design of a seal and the choice of material used will affect its shelf life. The length of time that seals can be stored is often dependent on the material. For example, materials such as PTFE can be stored for years without impacting their sealing performance.

• Thermal stability. In areas where ambient heat is excessive such as in a turbine’s gearbox, it’s important to use seals that provide protection and thermal stability. The seal should withstand high and low temperatures (up to 140°F and as low as to -65°F) without compromising the sealing contact stress.

Connecting turbines Much like the requirements for proper sealing, connecting wind-turbine parts deserves special consideration for the best and safest results. Connecting presents specific conditions inside the small confines of a turbine nacelle. Tight spaces can make it difficult to achieve adequate torque and high vibration can easily loosen cables. In a worst-case scenario, this can lead to increased turbine temperatures, rising heat, and potentially hazardous conditions.

When choosing connectors, consider these characteristics:

Derating Curves

This graph shows the de-rating curves for 8-mm Bal Spring canted coil springs in electrical contact element applications. Tests were performed to DIN EN 60512-5-2 specifications. Data is available per request for other standard pin sizes.

• Latching and locking forces.

Connectors should provide windturbine engineers with a means of dictating forces with which connections are made and broken. Fasteners such as canted coil springs offer controllable mating and unmating forces. Such controlled forces make it easy to connect and disconnect control, and provide an alternative to traditional technologies such as threaded connections that require tools.

A Bal Spring canted coil spring is used to connect cables running vertically along interior wall at about 20-m intervals in a 100-m tower. The springs enable compact, spacesaving electrical packaging with high-current capacities. They are used in connectors that provide for easy replacement of cable sections.

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• Conductivity. In wind systems, it’s necessary to “dial in” the currentcarrying capacity based on application need by specifying physical properties of contact (e.g. type of plating and wire diameter). Although copper braids are often used to carry current, other options such as canted coil springs placed on each end of a rod can improve current transmission. Because the spring maintains consistent contact forces on the conducting element, it can ultimately improve turbine performance.

• Heat safe.Connectors should allow maximum current management with minimal heat build-up in the turbine.

Capacitors, transformers, generators, electrical controls, and transmission equipment are all subject to fire.

To minimize risk in wind turbines, operating temperatures must remain at a minimum. Typical requirements include a heat run during which the heat rises to no more than 63°C. Operating temperatures should not exceed 110°C at 2900 A CC (amps of constant current). The short circuit current (SCC) must be able to withstand 1.6 kVA for two seconds.

Canted coil springs help minimize heat-to-current carrying capacity in high-temperature conditions.

www.windpowerengineering.com

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COMPONENTS

• Compression resistance. It’s important that connectors in wind turbines are resistant to compression set, which refers to the permanent deformation of a material after release of stress or force. They should be comprised of material with physical properties that ensure consistent, multipoint contact for maximum efficiency of current flow. A resistance to compression set provides for consistent service over thousands of cycles.

• Space-saving design. To ensure maximum efficiency, each connector should provide an excellent size-to-current capacity ratio, allowing designers the opportunity to decrease overall device size and build in more functionality where necessary.

A Bal Seal springenergized seal used in pitch-drive gear helps protect the bearing by keeping debris out and clean lubricants in.

As wind-energy systems supply a greater percentage of power worldwide, minimizing downtime and decreasing maintenance and service is critical. Conditions such as temperature, vibration, and corrosion demand components that are efficient and reliable even in tough environments. W

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RE L I ABI L ITY Ross Wigg Vice President Renewables L l o y d ’s R e g i s t e r E n e r g y

Building a framework for better floating offshore wind systems

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s the global offshore wind industry increases, so does the pressure to attract private investment, contribute to a stable electrical grid, and reduce dependence on feed-in tariffs. These often result in conflicting goals to cut costs (which requires innovation) and reduce risks (which tends to rely on proven products).

Although conventional offshore wind turbines have garnered much attention of late

Technology assessment risk matrix Proven Limited Experience New 0-2

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Technology Maturity Level It is common for new technologies to rely on a small number of novel components, or a new combination of existing components or systems — but not every new component will require Technology Qualification.

In the visual representation risk assessment, red indicates that a Technology Qualification is definitely required, yellow suggests it’s a potentially good idea, and green means it isn’t necessary.

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in the United States, especially with construction of the Block Island Wind Farm off the shores of Rhode Island, floating offshore wind is also emerging as interest to investors and developers. A floating wind turbine lets a mounted turbine generate electricity in water depths where bottom-mounted towers are not feasible.

According to a recent report published by the UK’s Energy Technologies Institute, floating offshore wind has cost benefits and could deliver a levelized cost of energy that makes it competitive with some of the lowest-cost forms of available energy generation.

But how does one achieve a commercially attractive cost of energy for floating wind without compromising risk? Researchers have begun by testing projects to determine their viability.

WindFloat Pacific is an innovative pilot project currently planned off the coast of Oregon to demonstrate the potential of floating wind turbines to provide clean energy from deep water. WindFloat Pacific will represent the first commercial floating offshore wind farm anywhere in the world with commissioning anticipated by the end of 2017.

The European Commission also recently granted approval for the development of a 25-MW floating wind farm demonstration project off the coast of Portugal.

These aren’t the first floating wind projects. Winddevelopment company, Statoil, had the world’s first demonstration project back in 2009 and intends to build the world’s first utility-scale floating wind farm, Hywind Scotland (as verified by six years of prototype operation).

One issue common to newer devices and developments, however, is performance validity and certification — which are important for attracting investors. In some countries, for example, it’s still unnecessary to perform third-party certification of offshore wind farms. But in France and the UK, it is almost unheard of to develop wind farms without consultation with a certification body. Certification can mitigate performance claims and assure investors that new projects are deployed in a risk-responsible manner.

www.windpowerengineering.com

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RELIABILITY

The process effect on power capture and structural The risks Technology Qualification must begin loading. Technology Qualification Ideally, certification of new technology with a specific definition of the device can provide a roadmap on how a fully should rely on existing codes and standards or platform technology and what it is coupled simulation model is developed to limit the number of uncertainties. But designed to achieve. The goals may be for a floating turbine while outlining and often it takes time for new standards to fully defined in terms of structural reliability for linking it to the existing qualification of a develop and only after experience with a given design lifetime or relate to power range of floating wind concepts. several designs. production, availability, and reliability.

In this first step, the product is Technology Qualification is a new For example, one of the key areas decomposed from a component and a risk-reduction process designed to help of research for floating wind turbines global functionality viewpoint to determine mitigate the uncertainty associated is the effect motion has on the rotor the list of requirements for which each with new devices and, in this case, new aerodynamics and the consequential device or aspect of the technology is offshore platforms. It is a qualification process against which novel platforms are certified based on existing design standards Combined Technology Qualification & project certification process and technology that is generic to all floating or offshore wind systems.

For example, it is possible to design a floating offshore turbine, which conforms to design rules given in existing standards (such as IEC 61400-3 [5] and the ISO 19900 series of standards) for offshore structures.

But the action of the wind turbine in combination with the floating platform causes loading where there aren’t sufficient experience or available guidelines.

Even if a platform design consists of no new components, the novel way in which they’re constructed or interact with the environment can open the product to risks.

Technology Qualification essentially serves as a bridge, providing a means of independent assurance for new developments.

The Technology Assessment process results in a list of Critical Technology Elements for qualification. After the Technology Qualification process, a third-party review should follow to provide product assurance to the project’s stakeholders.

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RELIABILITY

responsible. This results in a list of “Critical Technology Elements” upon which the remainder of the process is based.

The subcomponents and functions outlined in the decomposition will result in a list of items that can be designed according to established practices, codes, and standards, as well as items that call for additional efforts to determine the required level of testing or quality control measures. At this early stage, a simple ranking is performed depending on the stage of each aspect. The ranking is based on the “Technology Maturity Levels,” which describes how well tested a component is in isolation.

The Technology Maturity levels are modified for the level of experience of the interface between components, known as the “Integration Maturity Levels.” These levels are then combined with the experience of the function or

subcomponent in the proposed operating environment to classify the product’s risk.

At this point, a variety of riskassessment methods can take place, such as Hazard Identification, Structured What-if Technique, Functional Hazard Assessment, Failure Modes, and others. The risks are ranked according to the severity and the probability of occurrence. Once performed, the acceptance criteria for the risks are determined by agreeing on appropriate safety margins and mitigation actions.

The critical elements The Technology Assessment process results in a list of Critical Technology Elements.

Although not every element will need to go through the qualification process, it’s critical to ensure novel materials and components meet the most relevant standards possible.

For example, consider the following elements:

• Materials. When materials are novel or have not been used in maritime environments, appropriate design requirements may be lacking. In this case, the qualification activities could include additional testing, perhaps to simulate accelerated aging, strength, or redundancy, such that the device doesn’t suffer catastrophic failure.

• Components. For new components in the drivetrain or power takeoff system, a range of different methods can qualify the Critical Technology Element, including: - Adding redundancy to critical stages identified in the FMECA (FMEA — or failure mode, effects, and criticality analysis — is a common inductive analytical method performed at the functional or piece-part level of a component),

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Developing an aerodynamic floating turbine model

Lloyd's Register is conducting research that will benchmark the aerodynamic loading of floating wind turbines to model. The process for developing a fully coupled floating turbine model is presented here (green represents the completed packages, yellow are those inprogress, and the red packages have not yet started).

- Adding condition-monitoring systems to identify failures at an early stage, - Specifying additional design margins to account for larger uncertainties, - Conducting additional component testing, - Performing further design studies to explore the effects of design uncertainties, - Defining design load cases to account for possible failures, and - Tailoring inspections to ensure component conditions.

• Control systems. Though existing design standards for wind turbines rely on many years of experience with traditional PI-based control algorithms, control algorithms for floating turbines may differ substantially.

Specific examples of qualification activities for loads analysis include: - Exploration of additional load cases to give confidence that off-design conditions do not cause abnormal control behavior, - Sensitivity analysis covering inputs such as signal noise, actuator response, and control parameter variation, and - Tank testing with control hardware in the loop.

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• Platform concepts. While the offshore oil and gas industry has explored a wide range of different platform concepts, the design requirements of floating offshore wind may result in modified concepts. Analysis of new and existing designs should occur to ensure an ideal platform.

The load Loading on floating wind turbines is an area where the fields of wind-turbine rotor dynamics and floating offshore structure design overlap. There are conflicts between the modeling assumptions and validity of theories used for each. One critical area is the simulation length, which is restricted to 10-minute histories in rotor design to account for the stationary turbulence spectrum over this time period.

It’s worth noting that Lloyd’s Register is currently conducting research that will benchmark the aerodynamic loading of floating turbines and integrate this into a related model. The intent is to understand the coupling between aerodynamic, hydrodynamic, and structural loading from the rotor, support structure, and stationkeeping system, so as to reduce model uncertainties.

The final stage of this aerodynamic modeling aims to generate improved empirical models that will allow assessing the aerodynamic effects of floating wind systems over a much larger range of simulated conditions.

The certification The Technology Qualification plan also serves to outline what tasks a developer will take to mitigate the risks identified from the failure modes so the product fully meets its goals.

After execution of the Technology Qualification plan, it’s important to review and certify the results to ensure the activities outlined meet a quality level consistent with what’s required in the field. This can be done by an independent design review or parallel calculations.

A third-party review is commonly carried out to provide assurance to the project stakeholders. W windpowerengineering.com

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B O LT I NG

Frank Hohmann General Manager I T H B o l t i n g Te c h n o l o g y w w w. m a i n t e n a n c e - f r e e - b o l t i n g . c o m

Is a maintenance-free bolt connection possible on wind turbines?

Components in the IHF Stretch System ITH BTC Hydraulic hose IHF HIV-Stretchbolt

IHF Roundnut Torque wrench IHF bolts tensioned by the hydraulicly powered, frictionand-torsion free ITH bolt tensioning cylinders produce nearly maintenance-free joints. The cylinder tensions (elongates or stretches) the bolt and a hand-powered torque wrench rotates the Roundnut to a specified torque.

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educing the cost of turbine maintenance is an ongoing challenge for wind-farm operators. Two bolting devices certified by European Technical Approval, IHF Stretchbolt and IHF Roundnut, are helping meet this challenge. The two components can reduce maintenance costs of bolted connections and joints on wind turbines.

Proof that the devices work comes from more than 4,200 ultrasonic measurements made over a 40-month in-field analysis on wind-turbine towers. Their required assembly preloads were held within a close tolerance and consistently above the required preload of 70% of the load prescribed by the DASt 021, German steel construction guidelines.

The results indicate that connections bolted with IHF fasteners do not require the same frequent checks as do other conventional high-strength (HV) bolt connections.

The recent fasteners are considered “maintenance-free,” a feature that trims significant costs from O&M work, especially from offshore wind turbines.

Stress-optimized design The accurate load measurements of the devices were based on:

Comparing the tensioning systems

• An accurate manufacturing process for the IHF Fasteners, which is a stressoptimized design, and • The high system accuracy of the hydraulic-powered friction and torsion-free tensioning provided by the ITH bolt-tensioning cylinders.

The bar charts compare the tensile loads from several bolts on different turbines. Measurements from a conventional bolted joint are on the left and those from an IHF Stretch system on the right. The nearly equal red-bar heights show that a high repeatability of the final tightening forces is possible with the IHF Stretch system.

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B O LT I N G

It is difficult to apply pre-tensioning forces to standard HV bolt systems with high repeatability. HV bolts are tightened by torque alone, which is negatively affected by friction. These negative effects become even more severe for bolt sizes larger than M30. To address this issue, the IHF Stretch system and fasteners were designed to be nearly friction-free. The fasteners are ideal for wind turbines because tower-segment bolts are mainly exposed to tensile loads, whereas HV bolts were originally intended for applications exposed to shear loads.

The system works best where tolerances of the fasteners must be in a small scatter band. Also the clamp-length to bolt-length ratio must be in a certain range.

Friction factors that affect

to a gap between the two flanges and to a lower clamping load. The bolt tensioners, however, close the residual distance quickly and directly.

Because the HV Standard has origins in 1962, well before the recent wind industry, its design cannot meet current demands. DIN 6914, 6915, and 6916 are even older examples.

The norms and regulations were designed for bolt connections on bridges and other steel constructions, which were more or less designed to handle shearing loads and bearing stress. The HV Standard was extended from M36 to M48 bolts, then to M64 and afterward up to M72 bolts.

Same surface pressure with fewer parts and joints In contrast to an HV set, the more recent bolt and nut set consists only of two components, the IHF Stretchbolt and Roundnut. Washers torque are forged into each bolt head and nut. This reduces the number of components. The incorrect mounting of the washers, a source of error,

is completely eliminated. So are the friction factors that negatively affect torqueing methods.

System advantages In the tensioning system, the tensioning force is achieved by the axial elongation of the bolt with a bolt-tensioning cylinder. This hydraulic-powered, friction and torsion-free tightening leads to a high repeatability of the remaining tightening force of about ±2% (system accuracy). This results in an accurate and even tensioning load.

The system’s torque wrench simply overcomes the static and dynamic friction of the Roundnut and bolt surfaces (thread friction and head friction) and snugs the nut against the joint surface to maintain the tension applied by the hydraulic system.

Measurements for the 4,200+ bolts in the test were carried out with a mechanical length-measuring device and the USB – System (Ultrasonic Bolt System). This system integrates an ultra-sonic sensor into

In a conventional bolted joint, friction coefficients for the head and thread friction are not easy to calculate.

Variations from bolt to bolt can approach 100%.

Where conventional HV systems fall short Normally torqued HV connections in wind turbines are used for fastening the steel tower sections. There is high variation in the static and dynamic factors with every bolt, and there is no reliable system to calculate their values. What’s more, when torque alone is used to tension conventional HV bolts, it also applies bending and torsional stresses to the joint, which can lead to an overstressed bolt and possible connection failure. Equally flawed torque-angle systems make it possible to set a joining moment to an incorrect level. A low moment can lead 24

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www.windpowerengineering.com

Technicians are taking tension measurements with an ultrasonic system (left) and length measurements with a mechanical measuring device (right).

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B O LT I N G

the frontal surface of the bolt which leads to highaccuracy measurements.

Field tests were organized with different major manufactures from the wind industry. All classes of wind turbines from 1.5, 2.5, and 6.0 MW were included in this test, along with all dimensions from M30 up to M64 bolts. All inspections and measurements proved that IHF is a maintenancefree bolt system.

Measured preloads

A few more benefits Because the variation of the hydraulic tensioning tools is low and the number of components is reduced by two, the IHF Stretch System achieves all the requirements of what Preload measurements were taken on IHF bolts of several bolt dimensions over 40 months. The displayed we call a maintenance-free measurements were taken five times after an initial tensioning to about 1,075 kN and represent example mean values. Due to the accurate tensioning load the bolt connection is maintenance free. bolt connection.

In addition, by using a compact flange, manufacturing costs are further reduced. Mounting times are also reduced by using a faster tightening process. Flanges are tensioned much faster with ITH bolt Persumable maintenance intervals on bolted joints tensioners instead of a torque wrench that requires fixing a reaction arm for every bolt. The time trimmed from the mounting operation can be up to 50% depending on bolt dimensions. This has been proven by practical experiences.

Lastly, the reaction surface of the bolt-tensioning cylinder is predefined at the flange surface. Hence, the low weight of the bolt tensioner allows for a safer operation than with nut runners and torque wrenches. The friction and torsion-free hydraulic stretching method with the ITH bolt tensioners is already used for bearing and gearbox-bolt applications, and foundation bolts. A After a second tightening on a IHF bolting system, maintenance can reduce to occasional inspections. longer-term analysis is still in process. W FEBRUARY 2016

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FI NA NC E

Tim Buckley Director of Energy Finance Studies, Australasia I n s t i t u t e f o r E n e r g y E c o n o m i c s a n d F i n a n c i a l A n a l y s i s ( I E E FA ) ieefa.org

Rise of renewables: The declining state of coal investments

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oal production is slowly losing its appeal, according to some analysts who’ve noted consumption declines in key energy markets in recent years. This trend is driven by new innovation and rapidly falling costs across the

Sources: U.S. Energy Information Administration; International Energy Agency; IEEFA

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Sources: IEA; IEEFA

renewable and energy-efficiency sectors. New policies and investment strategies, which favor climate change and clean power production, are also affecting this trend.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) forecasts an ongoing erosion of coal’s market share in global electricity markets. In its 2015 World Energy Outlook report, the IEA shows that coal’s market share peaked at 41% in 2013 and will decline to 37% by 2020, and then drop more rapidly to 30% by 2040. The organization attributes this trend to the rising competition from renewable energy, and maintains that wind and solar power will rise from a relatively immaterial 6% share of global electricity generation in 2013 to 10% by 2020, and 18% by 2040.

Although interest in coal is certainly losing its edge over renewable energy sources, some analysts (including those at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis or the IEEFA) believe the downward trend in coal shares will happen more quickly than the most recent IEA prediction. They point to IEA’s much earlier “450 Scenario” as a more realistic source, which had coal’s market share declining to 35% in 2020 and then falling rapidly to 12% by 2040. In this scenario, wind and solar power would rise in market share to 11% by 2020 and 32% by 2040.

Data from the Chinese electricity market over the last two years indicates that this scenario is already becoming a reality. Although significant new coalfired power generation has been commissioned in the country (100 GW in China over the past two years), coal-fired power utilization rates fell from 57.2% in 2013 to 53.7% in 2014. This fell even further in the first 10 months of 2015, and hit a record low of 49.3%.

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FINANCE

In the United States, there’s a similar trend. Roughly 200 coal-fired power plants, with a combined 83 GW of capacity, have been scheduled for retirement since 2012. Record-low U.S. gas prices, record-high renewable energy construction (9 GW of wind and 8G W of solar in 2015 alone), and a decoupling of electricity demand from economic growth are all eroding the demand for coal in the country.

Coal power’s share of U.S. electricity generation was set to decline to 35% in 2015, down from 50% a decade earlier, and global investment firm Goldman Sachs forecasts a further decline to 30% by 2025.

The lure away from coal is an environmental one, but also a cost-driven one. A key consideration in favor of renewable energy is that once built, wind and solar-powered generators are of relatively low-cost compared to coal-fired plants. Where innovation in the fossil fuel sector has typically been slow and marginally efficient, renewables are progressing differently.

Development of wind and solar technology is more akin to the type of innovation that has occurred with mobile phones, tablet devices, and the Internet. Once a critical mass has been reached in development, market shifts will occur in just a few years, rather than over several decades.

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FINANCE

EIGHT SIGNS THAT NOW IS THE TIME TO INVEST IN RENEWABLES The Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) conducts research and analyses on financial and economic issues related to energy and the environment. According to their latest report, “Carpe Diem: Eight Signs that now is the Time to Invest in the Global Energy Market Transformation,” the energy market is rapidly changing. Coal is of declining interest to investors and renewable sources are on the rise. Here are eight signs: 1. PAST ITS PRIME. Coal’s share of electricity generation in key countries is declining.

Sources: Energy Information Administration

The declining state of the U.S. coal industry is the result of many factors, including innovation in renewables and decreasing wind and solar costs. But a decrease in electricity demand is also a factor, as are the regulations under the EPA’s Clean Power Plan to reduce pollution and carbon emissions in the U.S. Investors have no choice but to acknowledge the changing energy industry. Recent published reports cite estimates that put unfunded liabilities among U.S. coal producers (including debt service, employee pension plan and healthcare obligations, and reclamation costs) at $45 billion. Such liabilities at Peabody Energy, the single largest non-governmental coal producer in the world, total $16 billion alone. This suggests that the $45 billion estimated is on the conservative side.

Make no mistake, global banks and investment firms are also noting the shift and moving funds away from higher-risk fossil fuel lending to capitalize on “green” lending opportunities.

Some examples: Bank of America set a goal of $50 billion in 2012 to provide loans and other financing for environmentally friendly energy projects over 10 years. That same year, Goldman Sachs set a 10-year target of $40 billion for investments in renewable-energy projects. In November 2015, Goldman expanded its ambition, announcing the highest lending target yet, with a commitment to invest$150 billion by 2025. (Note: This follows Goldman’s write-off and divestiture of its 2010 to 2012 $600 million of direct investments in Columbian coal mining.)

Norway’s Government Pension Fund Global, the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund, also decided to divest from the coal sector in 2015.

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2. POOR DEMAND. Demand for seaborne thermal coal is declining, and prices have collapsed. IEEFA sees internationally traded coal markets as having likely peaked in 2014 at an estimated 1,113 metric tons.

The organization forecasts a further 30% decline by 2021 to 762 metric tons.

3. BETTER PRICES. Innovation and economies-of-scale are working together to drive the down the capital cost of renewable energy projects. Price reductions in battery technology will compound the rate of deployment of distributed energy and energy storage technology, further undermining the commercial returns of existing fossil-fuel assets.

4. SHIFTING ASSETS. Capital is quickly moving from coal into renewables.

Investors over the past decade have put $1.5 trillion into clean energy, and 2014 was a record year. These trends have triggered a shift and growing acceptance in financial markets for low-emission investments.

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FINANCE

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5. OVER-COMMITTED. According to the IEEFA, coal plants have been overbuilt in many places. China has built more coal-fired plants than it can support, the U.S. is retiring many coal-fired plants, while India has fully committed to renewables.

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6. FINANCIALLY BURDENED. Many coal companies are slowly finding themselves in financial distress from eroding electricity demand, energyefficiency gains, and new climate and pollution-control regulations.

7. THE NEW BLACK. Renewables are it. The structural decline in coal demand is becoming a common consensus amongst investors. What was once an outlier point of view — that global coal markets are in decline — is now more mainstream.

8. GOING GREEN. Global banks are re-focusing. A sizeable group of financial institutions are aware of the rising regulatory and environmental pressures, and the growing risk associated with fossil-fuel assets. Banks are also aware of the rapidly falling costs across the renewable and energy-efficiency sectors.

Present-day investment strategies are rooted in the recognition that an energy transformation is under way.

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H E A LT H & SAF ETY

Michelle Froese Senior Editor Windpower Engineering & Development

Does turbine noise affect human health?

A look at the literature

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espite their clean-power capabilities, wind turbines and the low-frequency noise they emit have taken the rap for a number of negative health effects. A running count of just over 30 symptoms, including stress, fatigue, nausea, tinnitus or ringing in the ears, diabetes, and even cardiovascular disease, have been blamed, in some cases, on wind turbines over the last few years.

Although some may claim there isn’t enough scientific literature to either negate or uphold these allegations, Dr. Robert McCunney, an Occupational Medicine Specialist in Boston who’s done research with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), disagrees. He presented a review of related health literature at a recent Canadian wind energy conference, and maintained that there is plenty of credible, peer-reviewed information to draw from.

“There is a rich scientific literature on occupational noise exposure and health, and on environmental sources of noise and health, which has looked at everything from airports to highways, construction sites, and so forth,” he said, “including wind turbines.”

The challenge, however, is in trying to decipher how many potential factors contribute to a specific health issue. “Just like when researchers are trying to determine the risk factors associated with lung cancer or heart disease, when there are many factors that can lead to an outcome of interest, how does one pinpoint a specific cause or correlation?”

With a grant from the Canadian Wind Energy Association, researchers at MIT reviewed the scientific literature on noise, wind turbines, and human health. Self-reports from questionnaires indicate that perception of annoyance and the sound of wind turbines are more strongly related to people’s attitudes toward turbines than to the actual noise level occurring at a site.

Photo courtesy of CanWEA

Fortunately, a statistical technique called multiple regression analysis is commonly used to sort through and evaluate contributing factors. It‘s an effective technique for predicting how multiple factors that may be associated with an outcome contribute individually.

“Through multiple regression analysis, risks associated with self reports have been evaluated to sort out the role of wind-turbine noise in comparison to other factors,” explained McCunney.

These factors can include an individual’s attitude toward wind turbines in general, the visual appeal of wind turbines, and the potential for economic gains related to living near wind turbines. “One common outcome measure used in environmental noise studies is annoyance.

But when looking at these issues, noise is actually low on the list of contributing factors when it comes to being annoyed, even though we focus on it a lot,” he said.

McCuuney and a research team at MIT recently published a study in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, based on a grant the Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA) gave to MIT to review the scientific literature on noise, wind turbines, and health. Rather than starting from scratch with a brand new study, the team went to PubMed, which is the National Library of Medicine’s database of over 23 million peer-reviewed and indexed papers.

To sort through the material, they used key search terms with the purpose of answering three main questions: 1. Is there sufficient scientific evidence to conclude that wind turbines adversely affect human health?

2. Is there sufficient scientific evidence to conclude that psychological

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H E A LT H & S A F E T Y

stress, annoyance, and sleep disturbances occur as a result of living near wind turbines — and do they lead to adverse health effects?

3. Is there evidence to suggest that infrasound and low frequency from turbines have unique potential health effects not associated with other source of environmental noise?

noise levels must be lower than 40 dB(A) at the outside of a residence. “There’s no doubt that infrasound is emitted by turbines, but levels at customary distances from homes — and here in Ontario, it’s 550 meters or greater — basically approach background levels.”

When you think about it, he added, you’re actually being bombarded by infrasound every

annoyed, or not at all annoyed?) “Overall, the perception of annoyance and the sound of wind turbines are more strongly related to people’s attitudes toward wind turbines than to the actual noise level occurring at a site.”

Economics can also play an interesting role. At least in Dutch studies, researchers have begun to eliminate those people studied that gained economically from wind turbines because of a concern they will skew the results. The reason: “Economic benefits tend to strongly mitigate the impact of wind turbine sounds when reporting annoyance, and this has been demonstrated in numerous studies,” said McCunney.

Just like when researchers are trying to determine the risk factors associated with lung cancer or heart disease, when there are many factors that can lead to an outcome of interest, how does one pinpoint a specific cause or correlation?

Based on these questions, McCunney and his team narrowed down the search parameters even further to include: noise assessment, epidemiology studies, central nervous system effects, and individual risk factors.

“The last point is important because it seeks to understand why it is that some people report annoyance from turbine noise and others don’t,” McCunney explained. “This is a fundamental question in medicine today. For instance: why do some people get breast cancer and others don’t?

Why do some people get COPD from smoking and others don’t?”

McCunney pointed to studies that have purposely exposed people to infrasound and low-frequency sound (sound waves with frequencies below the lower limit of human audibility much like those emitted by wind turbines). “Astronauts back in the late 1960’s were exposed to infrasound at levels from 130 to 140 decibels for 24 hours with no adverse health affects,” he said.

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day — from cars, traffic, aircraft, household appliances. “Even your heartbeat is infrasound, which is why physicians need a stethoscope to hear it,” he said. “Noise simply does not correlate well or at all with objective sound measurements or calculated sound pressure.”

While noise might not closely relate to feelings of annoyance, when it comes to turbines, there are other factors that can affect people’s level of irritation. This includes some of the points mentioned earlier, such as: • Attitudes toward wind energy, • Attitudes toward the visual impact of wind turbines, • Duration turbines are in operation, • Personality characteristics of an individual, and • Potential financial benefits from the presence of turbines.

“These factors have all related to self reports of annoyance,” said McCunney, who pointed out that this data is based on questionnaires that ask individuals to rate how annoyed they are (e.g.

Are you very annoyed, somewhat

Even just hearing that a wind farm might develop in a region has caused anxiety in some people. “Nocebo, or the opposite of a placebo effect, is the anticipation that you will get worse in a certain setting. Controlled lab evaluations have supported the notion that annoyance and other complaints may reflect, at least in part, one’s preconceived notion or perception about wind turbines and noise,” McCunney said. “It really does go to show you the power of the mind.”

But what about that list of some 30-plus health issues and some potentially life-threatening diseases? McCunney said that numerous studies have looked at health problems related to living near wind turbines and no links have been found between noise levels and risks of diabetes, hypertension, tinnitus, or cardiovascular diseases.

“To the contrary. The studies show that people who were exposed to lower noise levels had more disease than those exposed to higher or louder levels of noise from wind turbines. The results are somewhat counter-intuitive.”

Nevertheless, McCunney said it’s still important that when people report symptoms, regardless of whether they think they are related to living near wind turbines or not, that they need to be thoroughly evaluated to reach a proper diagnosis. “It’s really important to listen first and take complaints seriously.”

He added that cases like these involve a lot of potential factors. “Having said that, I’ve been in practice for over 35 years and I don’t want to seem dismissive, but I’ve never seen a hazard that’s capable of causing all the problems wind turbines have been blamed for — about 32 symptoms. Even cigarette smoke or asbestos doesn’t cause that many problems. How can one issue cause 32 different symptoms, affecting eight or nine organ systems? It just doesn’t seem plausible to me.” W

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S O F T WA R E L i z Wa l l s CEO Cancalia Engineering & Consulting

A better way to model wind-farm wind flows

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hen planning the development of a wind farm, one of the first and most vital steps creates a wind-flow model that describes how the wind resource varies across the project area. The wind-flow model helps guide the turbine layout and will ultimately determine whether or not the wind-farm project is a viable investment.

Over the last couple decades, the models most commonly used included linear models, such as WAsP, and more complex CFD models (Computational Fluid Dynamics). The upside to linear models is that they are simple to set up, quick to generate estimates, and relatively inexpensive. The drawback to this modeling approach, however, is its inability to accurately model the wind speed in anything but simple terrain. On the other end of the spectrum, CFD models can generate accurate wind flow estimates, but these types of models can be difficult to properly initialize. Their computation time can take hours or days, and the software is expensive.

Thinking differently about modeling The Continuum wind-flow model (patent pending) was created to take the best of these traditionally used models and provide the wind industry with a tool that is quick and easy to use, affordably priced, and delivers reliably accurate wind speed and energy estimates. The science behind Continuum stems from a simplified analysis of the Navier-Stokes equation, which describes the motion of viscous substances and is the same basic equation used in CFD models. This model incorporates all of the met-site data by cross predicting between each pair and then, using a self-learning algorithm, tuning the model until the met cross-prediction error is minimized.

This model has evolved over the last decade and has been validated

at dozens of project sites. Also, in a side-by-side comparison with two other wind-flow models, Continuum produced a model error that was about half of the other two. [Round Robin RMS error: Continuum (1.55%), OpenWind (2.93%), and WAsP (3.34%)].

An overview When Continuum is first opened, the user is presented with the Input tab to import topography and land-cover data. The topography data can be uploaded as either a GeoTIFF or .XYZ file. Accepted formats for the land cover data include GeoTIFF and .MAP files. Also on this tab, the user imports the wind speed and wind direction distributions measured at the met sites in the form of TAB files, a standard file format in wind software programs.

Once the required inputs have been successfully loaded, Continuum automatically begins the model creation. It also guides the user in the model set-up by color-coding various tasks in which green buttons represent a completed task and red indicates an incomplete task. The computation time of the windflow model creation varies depending on the computer speed, number of met masts, and terrain complexity.

Continuum users are first presented with the input screen. Topography data can be uploaded in either GeoTIFF or .XYZ formats

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SOFTWARE

On a standard laptop, the model typically completes in 5 to 15 minutes.

Lastly on the Input tab, the user can import the turbine layout as a .CSV file and then simply click the button labeled “Generate Wind Speed Estimates at Turbine Sites” to start the calculations.

Gross turbine estimates On the ‘Gross Turbine Ests.’ tab, the user can import turbine power and thrust curves for an unlimited number of models.

As soon as a power curve has been uploaded, the software generates the gross annual energy production (AEP) at each turbine site. On this tab, users can view and export the turbine wind speeds, Weibull parameters, AEP, and wind speed distributions overall and by wind direction sector. All export files are formatted .CSV files for easy import into other programs.

Net turbine estimates and maps Once the gross energy estimates have been formed at the turbine sites, the wake losses and net AEP can be estimated on the ‘Net Turbine Ests.’ tab. Here, users can select between the Eddy Viscosity or DeepArray Eddy Viscosity wake models. Also on this tab, maps of the waked wind speed can be generated as shown in the screenshot above. This is a great way to visualize the generated wakes and help guide turbine placement. A summary report including

Final stage of the wind flow analysis comes at the Net turbine estimates screen.

Wake models can guide turbine placements.

the net energy estimates and a summary of losses can be easily exported.

On the Maps tab, users can generate wind speed and energy maps of the project area. These maps may be exported as a .CSV and the wind speed maps can also be saved to a .WRG file, which can then be imported into other wind energy software programs.

Uncertainty analysis The uncertainty of the wind-flow model plays a large role in the project’s overall P99, so it is important to have confidence in the uncertainty value used in the evaluation.

Often wind-resource analysts will use

Users import power curves and other information to the Gross Turbine Ests screen

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an educated guess for the wind-flow model uncertainty. To remove such guesswork, the Continuum user can easily and quickly perform a ‘Round Robin’ or ‘Leave One Out’ analysis to form an objective estimate of the wind-flow model uncertainty. The Uncertainty tab also provides estimates of the wind speed and energy uncertainties generated at the turbine sites.

Bracing for busy times The wind industry is growing across the globe at an increasingly fast rate and windfarm developers, turbine manufacturers, and consultants are doing all that they can to keep up with demand. It is therefore more important than ever to ensure the wind resource assessment team is equipped with the right tools to quickly generate accurate estimates so that the most informed decisions can be made in a timely manner.

Continuum offers an innovative approach to wind-flow modeling, which has proven accurate and provides users with an objective way to determine the model uncertainty. The simplified approach circumvents the complexity of CFD, allowing for a much faster computation time without sacrificing model accuracy. The intuitive and user-friendly interface also helps expedite and streamline wind-flow modeling so that estimates are generated quickly and with confidence.

The software’s website, www.cancalia. com, includes a peer-reviewed paper with the Continuum model theory and validation studies. Interested parties can request a free trial of the software. W

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LUBRICANTS & F I LT ERS

Luis Rojas Americas Industrial Marketing Advisor – Energy ExxonMobil

A typical wind- turbine lubricant has an oil drain interval of 36 months, but more advanced synthetic lubricants formulated specifically for wind can help extend those intervals.

Why lubricant formulation matters

O

ften located in remote environments, wind turbines are exposed to some of the harshest conditions in the industrial world, including extreme temperatures and significant water exposure.

In these conditions, proper equipment lubrication is critical. It can help protect system components, minimize unscheduled downtime, reduce costs, extend oil drain intervals, and enhance safety through reduced human-machine interaction.

Getting the most out of your equipment requires the use of high quality synthetic lubricants, and when it comes to lubricant selection, there is a wealth of information available regarding factors that should be considered.

But, one of the most underappreciated factors is a balanced formulation. Equipment performance depends on using lubricants developed with a balanced formulation approach, which means using optimal base stocks and a tailored additive package that meets the specific needs of the wind industry.

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For example, a typical wind turbine lubricant will have an oil drain interval of 36 months, but more advanced synthetic lubricants formulated specifically for wind can help extend those intervals even further. In fact, one Mobil synthetic lubricant formulated specifically for wind turbine gearbox and bearings has been shown to extend oil drain intervals in turbine applications up to five years.

In addition, advanced synthetic lubricants are formulated with base stocks and additives that offer: • • • • •

High performance in extreme temperatures Enhanced oxidation and water resistance Protection against wear and micropitting Long equipment life, and Energy efficiency benefits

To better understand how formulation impacts wind turbine performance, let’s look at a few specific examples.

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LU B R I C A N T S & F I LT E R S

Micropitting Micropitting is a common challenge for wind turbine operators. It can form on surface-hardened gears within the first several hours of operation if the gear box is not properly lubricated. The result is reduced reducing gear tooth accuracy.

To mitigate this effect, operators should select an oil formulated with a micropitting additive package, such as conventional extreme pressure additives, as well as employ a gear finish as specified by American Gear Manufacturers Association’s AGMA 6006 standard.

Further, an oil formulated with advanced base fluids that provide a high viscosity index – generally 160 or higher – and lower traction coefficient, can also help. The higher viscosity index can provide a thicker lubricant film at operating temperature, and the lower traction coefficient can help increase energy efficiency.

Water contamination Water contamination can have a significant impact on wind turbine performance, particularly in offshore environments where water exposure is far greater.

When water is present in oil, it can cause additive depletion, stable emulsions, and higher viscosity. It can also lead to equipment issues, such as filter blockage and accelerated wear of system components.

Lubricants formulated with specific additives can help mitigate the effects of these contaminants by improving the oil’s resistance to water contamination, and also improving its wet oil filterability.

Foam and entrained air Foaming is another notable equipment challenge for wind turbine operators. For example, when foam bubbles up and breaks through a shaft seal, it makes a mess inside the nacelle, creating a “slip” safety hazard.

Further, as foam forms on the surface of the oil, it may interfere with the oil level float switch, giving a false reading and causing a potential alarm. Finally, if foam enters the oil circuit, a momentary loss of oil pressure or flow could occur, also giving rise to an alarm.

All instances could result in unnecessary down time.

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High quality lubricants can be formulated with specific base stocks and additives that are engineered to resist foaming, helping reduce related concerns.

Ensuring a balanced formulation The factors outlined above are just a few examples that show how the balanced formulation of wind turbine lubricants can help improve equipment performance, and as a result, help reduce costs and minimize unexpected equipment downtime.

Consider, for example, Mobil SHC Gear 320 WT, which is a new advanced gearbox oil. Formulated to deliver maximum oil life – including drain intervals that are two times longer than competing oils – this lubricant is designed to specifically provide protection against conventional wear modes, such as scuffing, and high level of resistance against micropitting fatigue.

In short, the oil’s balanced formulation results in benefits that can help enhance equipment protection and extend oil drain intervals. It’s clear that when it comes to selecting a wind turbine lubricant, formulation matters.

So, to help optimize the productivity and profitability of your operation, be sure to work with your lubricant supplier to identify equipment-related pain points and identify the lubricant that is best formulated to suit your needs. W

One of the most underappreciated factors is a balanced formulation.

Water in oil can cause additive depletion, stable emulsions, and higher viscosity.

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CO ND I TION MONITOR ING

Ryan Brewer Vice President of Engineering Poseidon Systems

Metallic debris sensor provides simple, effective gearbox health monitoring

A

n asset health monitoring strategy is only as good as the tools employed.

Unfortunately, while tools such as vibration monitoring, borescope inspections, and offline oil analysis all provide valuable information, they still have significant misdetection rates which could be addressed through a simple, cost-effective tool – metallic debris monitoring.

Metallic debris monitoring A metallic wear debris monitor detects the presence of ferrous and nonferrous particles present in the gearbox lubricant. By counting and sizing each particle that passes through the sensor, the technology can detect a faulty gearbox component and assess the fault severity. Adoption rates for the technology are increasing because it provides an early warning of faults missed through routine maintenance, borescope inspections, and vibration monitoring. The reason metallic debris monitoring is so effective is that it provides a direct measurement of the damage by detecting the metal particles produced as a fault forms and propagates.

Poseidon Systems’ wear debris monitoring products have been designed for the wind industry. To address its needs, the Trident DM series features best-in-class detection sensitivity, a sub-30 minute installation, and flexible installation, communications, and data-analysis options. The high sensitivity of the device and information rich data set provides significant benefit over competing technologies enabling the earliest possible warning of fault initiation and more refined severity assessments.

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The Poseidon metallic debris monitor works by using a series of inductive coils to establishing a magnetic field within the sensor bore. Metallic particles passing through the bore cause a measurable disturbance in the field proportional to the particle size.

Particle type is determined based on the measured ratio of resistance change versus inductance change.

Site health assessment Poseidon’s Site Health Assessment is a low-cost option that lets operators deploy debris monitors across a site for a limited duration and receive a detailed assessment of gearbox health. For well less than $100/turbine/ month, Poseidon provides all sensor and communication hardware, an online data portal, reporting and consultation services. After deployment, real-time alerts are generated to notify the site of issues along with monthly reports from Poseidon engineering. These reports let the operator focus subsequent inspection and maintenance activities on problem turbines, and eliminate unnecessary climbs and borescope costs.

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CONDITION MONITORING

An example site assessment

The elevated wear levels detected on Turbine 9 and 10 indicate the presence of a significant fault. Conversely, Turbine 19 is running but generating no debris, indicating a failed bypass filtration system. This information lets O&M crews focus their time and effort on turbines that need them most.

In the site health assessment example, after one month of monitoring, three turbines were identified as problematic. Inspections revealed two turbines with significant bearing damage in the planetary stage and one turbine with a failed bypass filtration system.

The resulting warranty claims stemming from these detections generated over $400,000 in cost savings for the site.

Best use: long-term deployment The Site Health Assessment provides a snapshot of gearbox health and can detect faults that may be missed by other monitoring and inspection methods, but the best use of wear-debris monitors is long-term deployment. By using weardebris monitors for a turbines entire life, operators can detect faults in their earliest stages and reduce secondary damage.

Wear generation is not a steady, predictable process. It occurs in bursts, often associated with start-up and shutdown events. For this reason, it is highly unlikely that an offline oil analysis will provide any meaningful correlation with gearbox health. However, long-term, online monitoring lets an operator observe the cumulative effect of these wear events.

By observing all summing, such as that in the accompanying bar chart, the effect of these events over time, the operator can obtain an estimate of the fault size to guide inspections and maintenance.

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Planetary fault detection Fault detection in the planetary section is particularly challenging for vibration monitoring systems due to its complex structure and its slow, varying speeds.

Borescope inspections are susceptible to missed detections because of the large number of components and tight clearances.

In contrast, metallic-debris sensors excel in providing planetary fault coverage.

The example below shows the last six months of metallic-debris data on a turbine that eventually was taken out of service. Because a fault location could not be identified, the operator elected

to use data from the wear-debris monitor to maximize the life of the gearbox prior to eventual replacement. A tear-down inspection revealed axial through-cracks on two of the three upwind planet bearings along with significant material loss. Neither borescope inspections nor offline oil analysis detected this fault, but metallic wear debris monitoring provided nearly a year and a half’s notice.

The term “condition monitoring system” often refers to a vibration-based system. However, the metallic-debris monitor described here has a proven, cost-effective gearbox monitor for the wind industry. W

Power production and debris generation versus time

The accelerating wear generation rate in mg/L (blue plot) of a failing turbine is shown against the turbine’s power output (green). The photos, bearing races from the gearbox, show an extent of damage consistent with the wear rates detected by the Poseidon sensor.

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E NE R GY

STORAG E Andrew Ford Professor Emeritus, School of the Environment Wa s h i n g t o n S t a t e U n i v e r s i t y

Storing power through compressed air: A new system for Ontario’s utility market

A look inside the Gaines County energy storage building.

R

enewable energy developers inevitably encounter one wellknown problem: most renewable sources — such as wind or solar power — are variable in nature. They deliver energy according to natural cycles, not market forces.

The swings in power production, however large or small, create problems for electricity grid operators who must balance supply and demand minute by minute.

For example, knowledge that wind will deliver an average of 1,000 megawatts (MW) over the next hour is of limited value to operators if delivered at a rate varying between 200 and 1,800 MW over the course of

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that hour. An expected weather system that arrives 20 minutes early or late creates further challenges for operators trying to balance output and demand to maintain a stable grid.

A common technique for integrating wind is to employ natural gas-fueled combustion turbines, often called peaking plants. When an operator must provide plus or minus 1,000 MW of power to offset wind fluctuations, the operator contracts for 2,000 MW of combustion turbines. Half of the units are scheduled to run at any given time, with the other half kept in reserve.

Alternatively, the operator can increase output by as much as 1,000 MW by calling on the idle units to run when winds are lighter than forecast. But this is costly. Payments for energy actually produced are usually made in addition to wind and regular capacity payments.

Ideally, operators need flexible resources to offset

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ENERGY STORAGE

forecasting errors and create a balanced supply chain — while keeping power costs in check for ratepayers. Many believe the answer to this challenge comes in the form of energy storage. Two North American energy storage companies, General Compression and NRStor, are among that group. Together, they’ve been working with the support of asset management group, Northwater Capital Management, to develop a proposal for energy storage in Ontario at a scale appropriate for the provincial grid.

Research has led the team to develop and test a fuel-free, compressed-air energy storage system that can: • Provide value for ratepayers through the ability to deliver stored energy to integrate wind-generated electricity more efficiently into the Ontario grid. (This is an area of immediate need, as Ontario advances toward its goal of 10,700 MW of renewable generation capacity.)

• Deliver additional value through load leveling, or the ability to store energy at night when demand is low and inject it back into the grid when demand is high. Load leveling would reduce the need for combustion turbines and also lower costs to ratepayers.

The technology General Compression has developed a grid-connected, compressed-air storage prototype, known as General Compression Advanced Energy Storage or GCAES. A prototype of this storage system is currently set up in Gaines, Texas. Powered by a 2-MW wind turbine, GCAES uses an underground salt cavern as an air reservoir.

The onsite turbine can also deliver power to the grid, and the compressors can draw power from the grid if necessary. The prototype facility can deliver energy at full power of 1.6 MW for a period of 150 hours before recharging.

A traditional problem for compressed air generation is that compression creates heat, which tends to expand air and make compression increasingly difficult. By contrast, when the compressed air is released to generate power, it rapidly cools and reduces the amount of energy available for extraction.

It can also cause ice buildup in the equipment.

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ENERGY STORAGE

BELOW: A model was created of Ontario’s power system to analyze the potential of integrating GCAES, and presented to the province’s energy ministry. This led to plans for Canada’s first commercial GCAES project. The long-term model simulates a 30-year interval from 2013 to 2043, with the simulation proceeding one month at a time.

Some systems address this problem by burning natural gas to warm the de-compressing air. But this increases costs and produces carbondioxide emissions.

The GCAES system solves both the heating and cooling problems by capturing the heat produced by compression and channeling it into a water storage pond. The heat stored in the pond is then used to warm the released air during the generation cycle.

This provides for greater energy from the expanding air and prevents the equipment from freezing.

Because the compressors are powered by wind, the system provides a source of fuel-free energy storage and power generation. Early calculations show the installed cost of long-duration storage is as little as one-tenth that of lithium-ion battery storage.

The proposal Ontario has a number of salt caverns suitable for GCAES. But no technology is useful, no matter how innovative, unless it effectively fills a need in the marketplace. So NRStor partnered with a professor at Washington State University and created a model of Ontario’s power system to analyze the potential of integrating GCAES. They’ve shared this analysis with Ontario’s energy ministry and officials of the province’s energy agencies.

Storage would be especially useful in helping moderate the highest peaks in Ontario’s demand for generation. These peaks occur for only a few hours a day, during the coldest, darkest winter months, and during the hottest summer months. But supplying these peaks is expensive for electricity users. The province is forced to contract for additional generation that’s used for only a few hours a day, during a few months of the year.

Currently, natural gas-fueled peaking plants supply high demands but require capacity payments whether in operation or not. A compressed-air storage facility can reduce the need for peaking plants by absorbing surplus energy during low demand periods of the day and returning it to the grid during the hours of peak demand. The potential savings are considerable. The model developed in this case estimates savings of $2.5 billion over 20 years. An alternate method of calculating the savings produces a similar result.

General Compression’s Advanced Energy Storage system is set up as a prototype in Gaines County, Texas. Here, GCAES uses an underground salt cavern as an air reservoir and is powered by a 2-MW wind turbine.

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ENERGY STORAGE

This schematic depicts the Advanced Energy Storage system process

Just imagine: the system operator pays peaking-plant operators an annual fee of $120 per kilowatt of capacity, plus $18 per kilowatt in fuel management fees, for a total of $138 per kilowatt. A 1,000-MW plant has one million kilowatts of capacity, so the annual cost to ratepayers for 1,000 MW of peaking capacity is $138 million.

If peaking plants with a total capacity of 1,000 MW are removed from the system one year after GCAES comes online, the saving over the remaining 19 years of the facility’s operating life is $2.6 billion. This result is almost identical to the one predicted by the model. Ratepayers assume the entire cost for peaking plants, and would benefit from savings.

Simulations suggest that a GCAES facility would provide the greatest benefit for Ontario ratepayers if it were used to provide different services at different times of the year. The best results were achieved if it provided load leveling during the four months when demand is highest, while providing wind integration service for the other eight months.

Under the most likely supply and demand scenarios, the model shows that using a GCAES for a combination of wind integration and load leveling would deliver between $6.5 billion and $8.3 billion in reduced costs to ratepayers over the 20-year life of the facility.

Ontario’s Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) recently awarded NRStor a contract to deliver compressedair energy storage capacity services to the province’s grid.

Once operational, this will serve as the first commercial CAES project in Canada. W FEBRUARY 2016

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damage more than wind turbine gearboxes

T

Using an FMEA approach to quantify value of an RTD This article is the first of a two-part series in which a Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) is used to evaluate how torsional oscillations and reversals can damage many expensive turbine components. It also compares the effects of adding a Reverse Torsional Damping device to mitigate the damage. The FMEA calculates a projected range of cost reductions based on the credibility of evidence, contribution to overall failure mode, and the estimated life extension from the damping device.

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Scott Eatherton • President • Wind Driven LLC. Emil Moroz • President • EM Energy LLC. Dustin Sadler • Principal Engineer • AeroTorque Corp.

Dave Heidenreich, P.E. • Founder and Retired Chief Engineer of PT Tech, Inc. windpowerengineering.com

oday’s utility-scale wind turbines are uniquely challenged in the variety and severity of transient torsional events (or TTEs) that can cause potentially damaging torque reversals and high-amplitude torsional oscillations [4].

An RTD (Reverse Torsional Damping) device, a special type of torsional damper, limits torsional oscillations in turbine drive components during transient events. A typical turbine drivetrain shows that the device would mount on the generator. During normal turbine operation, there is no damping or other impact on power production.

An RTD device can be installed on the generator shaft and adapted to the existing high-speed coupling, providing an economical and easily “retrofittable” mechanism to mitigate the damaging effects of TTEs. Real-world recordings of torsional load in drive systems of many different turbine models show that the worst torsional vibrations and torque reversals generally occur during transient events, such as emergency stops, grid faults, and many other hard stops. These are The illustration provides the general layout of a typical wind-turbine drivetrain.

Illustration: NREL

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detrimental to bearing and gearbox life.

The Failure Mode Effects Analysis or FMEA covers this in detail. Less well understood are the ways these loads may impact other turbine components.

Many types of machinery see transient loads during startups, shutdowns, and events of unusual severity. However, they rarely result in a significant reversal of drive-system torque unless it is intended to operate in reverse, in which case reversals are smooth and controlled.

In modern wind turbine designs, blade pitching protocols provide the primary means of braking. Many events can trigger a stop command that results in the blades pitching rapidly to decelerate the turbine.

Most of this aero-braking effort goes into decelerating the mass of the rotor, but a portion of the braking goes throughout the drive system to decelerate the rotating mass of the generator. For example, the left plot in Aero-Braking only during a

hard stop shows the recorded main-shaft torque during aerobraking. It causes torque reversals equal to 75% of turbine rated torque and excites significant torsional oscillations at the natural frequency of the blades in the drive system.

The blue line of the overlaid torque plot (right) shows the same aero-braking stop recorded on a nearby turbine equipped with an RTD device. Negative torque excursions were limited to 40% of rated turbine torque throughout the drive system and the amplitude of the oscillations has been reduced by almost 50%. The damping action has effectively limited the torsional elastic energy that is stored in the drivetrain during the aero-braking.

A hard stop is defined in this report and characterized as a rapid shutdown procedure initiated by the control system or by operator intervention, triggered by a stopping protocol using the emergency-stop function. In more critical hard stops, including many

The red plot on the left is overlaid with recorded (blue) torque data of the same hard stop from a nearby turbine with an RTD device installed. Both plots were recorded on 1.65-MW turbines with aero-braking only.

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emergency stop protocols, caliper-braking is triggered simultaneously with maximum aerobraking. The caliper-braking effort is divided, with most of the braking effort going toward slowing of the blade mass.

Caliper braking causes a torque in the gearbox and main shaft that is large enough that the combined aero and caliper braking is seen as generally positive. A highly oscillating torque, is shown in Torque from a hard stop (on next page). It was recorded on the main shaft of a 1.65-MW turbine without an RTD device. The amplitude of these torsional oscillations is far greater than any recorded during normal turbine operation, and is reasonable expected to add to the cumulative fatigue damage of many turbine components.

Combined aero and caliper braking also shows a large torque reversal that begins at 14 seconds, when the shaft rotation stops due to caliper braking. While torque reversals in general damage the drive-system bearings, a torque reversal of this magnitude can be more damaging when bearings are not rotating, such as during a shut down. The potential for surface damage is further exacerbated when the stationary bearings are subject to simultaneous axial forces and movement.

This is true for gearbox bearings that support helical gears and for the main-shaft bearing, which is restraining the high fore and aft oscillations of the tower during the stop. For instance, gearbox borescope inspections of many bearings, high speed to low speed, have produced convincing evidence linking TTEs to scuffing and secondary abrasive cutting wear [6].

Torque reversals also promote bending fatigue damage in gear teeth.

Hard stops on turbines with and without an RTD (next page) shows the torsional behavior of the turbine with an RTD device in solid blue line overlaid onto the turbine without it, during side-by-side monitoring of the same hard stop. The damping action reduced the magnitude of the oscillation by more than 70%, effectively limiting the torsional energy that was stored in the drive system and protecting the gearbox and other

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• Turbine operation first-hand experiences, and • Best estimates based on experience.

drive components from the worst torsional vibrations. More importantly, the overlaid plots show that the reverse torsional-damping action almost eliminates the large torque reversal when the shaft rotation stops.

Research shows that such reductions in high-torsional oscillation amplitudes and torque reversals will provide significant life improvement to the gearbox and its bearings, and could reduce O&M costs to most of the drive system and many other turbine components. The Life-Cost-Based FMEA detailed in the second article of this series, is intended to help quantify the resulting cost benefits.

Explanation of the FMEA structure To best understand the FMEA structure, the discussion is split into life cycle costs, and the potential life-extending effects of RTD devices on failure modes. To populate the FMEA spreadsheet, the authors used this hierarchy of preferred references: • Wind turbine, bearing, and gear standards, • Commonly available public documents and sources, FEBRUARY 2016

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To identify components to focus on, a traditional FMEA uses a Risk Priority Number (RPN), which is the product of severity, occurrence rates, and detectability.

This FMEA model was based on a modified RPN number created to quantify the benefit of the overall wind-turbine system from an RTD device in the drivetrain. The FMEA calculates a projected range of cost reductions based on the product of the credibility of evidence, contribution to overall failure mode, and the estimated life extension from an RTD device.

The FMEA model is based on a generic list of known issues affecting turbines in the 1.5 to 2.0-MW range. It is important to note that not every individual turbine will experience failure on all listed components.

That is, a turbine with a component designed and or manufactured in a certain way may have less (or more) incidence of a particular failure. It is believed that the value of this particular FMEA can be enhanced when populated using site-specific values taken from the statistics from one particular turbine type, in one location, by one owner.

Such an approach would provide the necessary backup for a strong site-specific business case, and should support the installation of RTD devices. The more generic case presented in this article is a conservative estimate of what an operator may expect from such an exercise. It provides a useful benchmark for any site-specific version of an FMEA and draw attention to several chronic and acute modes.

Estimates of gearbox repair costs have a wide range in the FMEA model. Lacking sufficient public domain cost data, it was necessary to make assumptions, such as: • Repair parts and work are of high quality. For example, that proper bearing heating is used.

• All bearings are replaced when a shaft assembly is repaired.

• For a minimum cost, damage is

confined to a single part and the repair is done under ideal conditions.

• For a maximum cost, everything that could go wrong would go wrong, and there is secondary damage from the failure. For example, housing bore damage, metal fragment contamination of the entire filtration and cooling systems, planetary failure with housing rupture, and the associated clean up. The ratio between bearing and gear failure rates for each of the four shaft assemblies was estimated using 2013 Gearbox Reliability Collaborative data [15].

When performing a system FMEA, it is normal to break the system into its component parts or key assemblies in Life and cost headers from the FMEA. The first

The red dashed plot is from the previous illustration. The blue is from a nearby 1.65-MW turbine equipped with an RTD. Both stops combined aero and caliper braking.

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column heading is “Component,” which consists of assemblies, sub-assemblies, and components. The “Component” group related to the Gearbox is grouped into four shaft assembly categories. Also included in these shaft assemblies are the potential effects of gearbox housing deflection and deformation.

Some failure modes show a large value from the mitigation of TTEs, while other failure modes show a lesser value in Modes of failure and potential improvements from an RTD. Important items to extract from this data, presented in the next issue, will come the modes of high value are the failure modes that would benefit most from mitigation, and the total amount of incremental savings from all individual improvements shows the total value to the system from mitigation due to an RTD device installation.

FMEA Inputs This section on inputs to the FMEA is divided into gearbox and non-gearbox components. The ways in which TTEs may impact a gearbox are relatively well documented and there is high confidence in these links. The impact of TTEs on other components in the wind turbine is less well documented and is an area that would benefit from more research, along with review of available data.

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Evaluating the Impact of TTEs on the Gearbox Providing quantitative input to the gearboxFMEA model called for an understanding of the relationships between loading on the wind-turbine gearbox and the failure modes of its bearing and gears. In particular, the necessary understanding is of how TTEs affect bearing and gear failure modes and their longevity.

To perform the FMEA, the failuremode information was organized around its causes for each mode. This differs from textbooks and standards that discuss bearing and gear-failure analysis, which are organized around the failure modes alone. This situation necessitated systematically reviewing and analyzing every bearing and gear failure mode described in the established standards and failure analysis books, looking for potential links between causal factors, such as TTEs, and the many failure modes. Where there were clear references to causes attributable to TTEs, confidence in the link is considered high. Failure modes that were not in any way attributable to TTEs were grouped together under the Other Failure Modes and given a zero for creditability of evidence. The results of this research and analysis were summarized and populated in the FMEA model.

Two quite different but related sources of bearing and gear failure mode data were reviewed and analyzed for causal relationships between TTEs and failure modes: 1. Bearing and gear-failure standards and failure analysis books [7, 8, 9], including ISO 15243 [12] and AGMA 1010 [5] and 6006 [4].

2. Wind Turbine gearbox technical articles, research papers, presentations, and dissertations pertaining to the causes and effects of failure [2,3,15].

Axial cracking is not included in the established standards or failure-analysis references, and there are numerous competing explanations for the failure mode and its solutions. A simple criteria was used to narrow the field of explanations, based on the fact that axial cracking in wind-turbine gearbox bearings did not surface until turbines reached a threshold of about 1.5 MW. Therefore, hypotheses unable to explain this threshold were eliminated. This left only two plausible root-cause hypotheses: 1. The through-hardened steel used throughout wind-turbine gearboxes has poor resistance to the formation and propagation of cracks. That is, it lacks sufficient toughness (crack resistance) for the specific application [7, 18].

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2. When bearing surface speed reaches a threshold under high-load events, the allowable shear rate of the bearing material is exceeded, leaving behind an initiation point for axial cracking, which then propagates under normal operation and accelerates by high-amplitude transient loading [11].

Some gearbox-failure modes were not included in the FMEA model for one of three reasons: • The mode does not affect wind turbine gearboxes. The mode could be electric current erosion (fluting) and lightning damage, contact corrosion, or cavitation, • The modes were not initiated or propagated by TTEs, and • The modes were low-cycle fatigue failures which occurred within this first 10k cycles.

Although gearbox and generator failure is normal and expected – and are budgeted items in the wind business – in this FMEA they are considered chronic problems. Typically, there is much greater value in reducing chronic failures than unexpected, costly, sporadic events [13, 14, 15]. The FMEA model includes chronic and acute failures.

The next challenge was to find a way to combine data from the different failure classification systems used in the failure mode standards and failure analysis references. For simplicity, the numerous individual failure modes were sorted into three broad classes: fatigue, wear, and overload.

Fatigue is defined by ISO 15243, the international standard for bearing failure

modes, as: “The change in the structure, which is caused by the repeated stresses developed in the contacts between the rolling elements and the raceways…Fatigue is manifested visibly as a flaking of particles from the surface.” AGMA 1010-F14, the recently updated version of the gear failure mode standard, notes that fatigue involves the initiation and growth of cracks and defines high-cycle fatigue as “…fatigue where the cyclic stress is below the yield strength of the material and the number of cycles to failure is high.” Wind-turbine gearboxes are not prone to low-cycle fatigue, which occurs at 10k cycles or less, and requires that each cycle result in macroscopic plastic strain.

Fatigue damage is permanent and cumulative and follows a logarithmic curve, so small increases in cyclical stress levels can lead to rapid decrease in fatigue life [17].

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A brief glossary Wear is broadly defined as the progressive removal of surface material due to mechanical, chemical, or electrical action. Wear modes relevant to this FMEA are adhesion, abrasion, fretting, and false brinelling. Wear modes excluded from this FMEA include chemical corrosion, electrical erosion, and polishing.

Although micropitting and macropitting also remove surface material progressively, fatigue and its effects are not included as forms of wear, and will be referred to here as “fatigue wear.”

Overload occurs when applied loads exceed the yield or ultimate strength of the material in the stressed area. It can range in size from small, localized debris dents to covering larger areas by true brinelling, caused by roller indentation into a raceway. Overloading often ends the useful life of a part by fracture. Fatigue cracking often precedes fracture by cracking through a significant portion of the material.

This FMEA divides the gear and bearing failure sequence into three distinct stages, and examines the contribution of TTEs to each failure stage: initiation, propagation, and failure.

Initiation Hertzian fatigue modes such as macropitting and micropitting often take many years to initiate failure [8]. Rapid failure initiation is generally due to stress concentrations, not Hertzian fatigue modes. For example, geometric stress concentrations increase effective loads by 150 to 200% [17]. There are long lists of the causes of stress concentrations but for this FMEA, they were limited to two broad categories: damage and flaws.

Damage, which occurs during turbine operation, includes adiabatic shear bands, debris dents, shaft misalignment damage resulting from housing deflection or deformation [10], rapid changes in bearing load-zone locations, or a single extreme event causing scuffing [6], true brinelling, or root fillet cracking. Debris dents in bearing raceways often initiate point-surface-origin (PSO) macropitting bearing failure [9].

Flaws, which occur prior to operation, are caused by everything from design to flaws in the steel and errors during hardening, grinding, or tempering. Common examples are subsurface nonmetallic inclusions, hardening and grinding cracks, or grind temper flaws. Bearing failure often initiates at an inclusion [5, 7, 12]. Steel cleanliness is therefore a primary key to preventing premature failure, while globally steel quality has become increasingly questionable. Initiation cracks begin very small, on the order of the steel’s grain size. Over time, these tiny initial cracks join together and extend across several grain boundaries.

Crack growth may begin at this point. It is important to note that without initiation, fatigue failure will not occur, so delaying initiation will prolong gear and bearing life.

4 8 WINDPOWER ENGINEERING & DEVELOPMENT

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E-stop

FMEA

An emergency stop, a harsh event

PSO

RPN

RTD

TTE

ISO

AGMA

Point surface origin – surface initiated damage, initiated at a single point

Failure mode and effects analysis

Risk priority number – the higher the number, the greater the risk of damage Reverse torsional damping Transient torsional events International Standards Organization American Gear Manufacturer Assn

Part II of this article, scheduled for the April issue, will include a portion of the FMEA in a spreadsheet (it’s quite large and detailed) and a conclusion. W For further reading: 2. Heege, A, et al, Fatigue Load Computation of Wind Turbine Gearboxes by Coupled Structural, Mechanism and Aerodynamic Analysis, DEWI Magazine No. 28, February 2006.

3. Scott, K., et al, Effects of Extreme and Transient Loads on Wind Turbine Drive Trains, 50th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting, Nashville, TN, Jan 10-12, 2012. 4.

American Gear Manufacturers Association, Standard for Design and Specification of Gearboxes for Wind Turbines, ANSI/AGMA/AWEA 6006-A03, 2003.

5. American Gear Manufacturers Association, Appearance of Gear Teeth – Terminology Wear and Failure, ANSI/AGMA 1010-F14, 2014.

7. Errichello, R. L., Gear & Bearing Failure Analysis, Geartech, 2011.

8. Errichello, R. L., Morphology of Micropitting, American Gear Manufacturers Association, 2011.

9. Errichello, R. L., Hewette, C., Eckert, R., Point-Surface-Origin, PSO, Macropitting Caused by Geometric Stress Concentration, American Gear Manufacturers Association, 2010.

11. Hyde, Scott R, PhD., White Etching Areas – Importance of Microstructural Characterization and Modeling, Timken Co., 2014.

12. International Organization for Standardization, Rolling bearings – Damage and failure – Terms, characteristics and causes, ISO 15243, 2004.

13. Latino, Robert J. and Kenneth C., Root Cause Analysis, Third Edition, CRC Press, 2006 14. Moubray, John, Reliability-centered Maintenance, second edition, Industrial Press, 1997.

15. Sheng, Shuangwen, Report on Wind Turbine Subsystem Reliability – A survey of Various Databases, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 2013.

17. Jackson, Kevin. NREL Technology Exchange Workshop, October 1993.

18. Errichello, Budny and Eckert, Investigations of Bearing Failures Associated with White Etching Areas (irWEAs) in Wind Turbine Gearboxes, STLE, Detroit, May 2013.

www.windpowerengineering.com

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Tool safety M and training: Developing a zero-drop workplace

Dan Lutat • Director of Sustainable Energy Resources and Technologies • Iowa Lakes Community College

Students enrolled in Iowa Lakes’ Wind Energy & Turbine Technology train with industry experts on a two-megawatt turbine and are expected to deal with real-life situations where they must routinely plan for and incorporate droppedobject prevention.

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ost of us probably aren’t thinking about how the right safety information could save the life of a co-worker. Most of us also aren’t working at a job where employees climb some 300 feet in the air to repair or maintain a wind turbine. But for those technicians who risk their lives to ensure turbines stay productive, education on something as simple as tool safety could mean the difference between a successful workday at heights or a tragic one.

Although best practices are especially important for proper use of fall-protection equipment, the same should hold true for jobsite tools. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics from all industries in the U.S., over 10,000 injuries were recorded due to fallen objects in 2013 that resulted in days away from work.

Work-related injury deaths because of contact with objects and equipment were down slightly in 2014, but the largest proportion of those fatal injuries occurred when workers were struck by falling objects.

The wind industry is not taking this issue lightly and has made a recent push to support a zerodrop philosophy, meaning every tool or piece of equipment brought up-tower is secured to prevent accidental drops. A small one to two-pound wrench might not seem like much of a safety hazard, but an accidental drop from atop of a wind tower could result in life-threatening injury.

This past October, the American Wind Energy Association’s (AWEA) Environmental, Health & Safety Committee launched a Stop the Drop campaign to help prevent dropped objects at work sites. AWEA’s Safety Committee hopes to raise awareness and share best-practice guidelines through safety webinars, online forums, white papers, and conferences.

But sometimes the best way to prevent unsafe practices is to ensure they never begin in the first place. The wind program at Iowa Lakes Community College has taken this challenge seriously by incorporating fall protection and tool safety into its Wind Energy and Turbine Technology course. This academic program for wind-turbine service technicians is one of just seven programs nationwide to receive AWEA’s Seal of Approval. Students train with industry experts on a two-megawatt turbine and are expected to deal with real-life situations – where they must routinely plan for and incorporate dropped-object prevention.

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Tool safety

and training

Through partnerships with organizations such as tool-safety company Snap-on, and the National Coalition of Certification Centers (NC3) for third-party testing, Iowa Lakes is able to provide industryrecognized certification to their students while gaining an inside look at what’s required in the field.

The training team has also learned a few important things through these connections. For example:

Through partnerships with organizations, such as tool-safety company Snap-on and the National Coalition of Certification Centers (NC3) for thirdparty testing, Iowa Lakes is able to offer industryrecognized certification to their students.

• Training is a critical first step, but it’s of limited value without an industry that also recognizes the significance of tool safety in the workplace. When it’s possible to successfully prevent people from falling with proper protection, then it’s also possible to prevent objects from dropping with the correct safety devices. Currently, dropped objects are a safety issue that is sorely lacking in legislation or regulatory mandates.

• A shift in worksite culture is key.

It’s worth rethinking safety measures at wind sites with a commitment to zerodrop. For example, to completely prevent drops, it’s important to ensure technicians treat jobsite tools as extensions of themselves and not as separate objects.

• Safety nets are important, but offer no guarantees. Most wind technicians would not consider climbing a turbine tower without first suiting up in personal protective equipment. The same should hold true for the tools needed to get the job done. This includes training in proper use of tool lanyards and tethers.

Just last year, a man was killed when he was accidentally struck by a tape measure that fell some 50 feet off a New Jersey building under construction. If the tape measure had been used correctly, a simple tool tether could have prevented this tragedy.

• Old dogs can learn new tricks. The team at Iowa Lakes has found that inviting veteran technicians to the program does two things: it provides an opportunity for these techs to update their skills and take on a mentorship role in the classroom.

The collaboration between new trainees and experienced techs often leads to better worksite practices. It also gives veterans a change of pace outside of their regular work environment to contemplate and discuss new ideas and skillsets, which they’ll often take back and share with their co-workers.

A safety roadmap to success Tethering a wrench or tape measure is a fairly

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simple process. However, when project timelines demand short deadlines and quick work, it’s easy to see how certain safety steps might get skipped for the sake of time. This is where personal values and a worksite culture that favors safety at all costs are important.

Behaviors say a lot about a person or employee’s values (ex. Spending an extra few minutes safely tethering tools). There are two ways that deeply held beliefs and values can change.

One is through a significant emotional event and the other is through repeated training and indoctrination over time.

The wind team at Iowa Lakes attempts to do both. They have developed a road map that highlights the significance of safety in the wind industry’s workforce and integrates “the practice of prevention” into the work itself. Even though this map was created as an educational platform to help train the psychomotor skills of new technician, it also works well for those already in the field.

The safety map follows these several steps: 1. Create a need for change. This step taps into the emotions of students with a “Letter to the family” exercise. Participants are asked to imagine that they are responsible for the death of a close personal friend on the job because they chose not to apply a dropped-object prevention method.

However, the intent is not for students to complete the letter but to evoke the emotion that matches such a tragic and preventable event. Think about it for a moment. What would you say under such circumstances?

It’s not easy to find the right words to tell the family of a close friend that your negligence resulted in a co-worker’s death. By getting people’s emotions in the right place, the hope is they’ll transfer the potential scenario to the workplace and make a conscious decision about how they behave at work.

The experience also sets the stage for a serious discussion about safety

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Tool safety

and training

and what it means to work as a wind technician. Afterwards, participants are asked to sign a pledge that supports the elimination of dropped objects at work sites.

The Iowa Lakes team found this exercise also works surprisingly well for experienced technicians. The emotional element tends to break down some of the corporate habits and memories – those habitual behaviors that are passed down from one generation of a worker to another – common to veteran employees.

2. Learn the tools of the trade. The second step in the road map attempts to instill good tool-handling habits. Participants work with different tools and fall protection attachment points to practice proper techniques, and learn about the principles of dropped object prevention.

After breaking down the emotional barriers in step one, the aim here is to lock in good habits and build the psychomotor competencies that are necessary to maintain a safe and productive work environment. This involves working with small hand tools and larger equipment, such as hydraulic pumps and large torque wrenches that are also brought up and down tower during turbine installation and maintenance. It also includes lessons in time management and productivity.

Case in point: You’re about to go up-tower and remember the new tool lanyard that your company expects you to work with. No big deal, right? You’ve used lanyards before. Well, this is often where students begin to recognize how quickly productivity can suffer if they’re not well versed in how to attach the lanyard for safe and proper tool use.

Proper forethought in designing a tool-control system specific to the task at hand also helps with time management. Participants must first understand how the various tools and attachment points work if they’re going to be effective when working on a task at heights. They must also hold their employer accountable for proper safety training.

The Iowa Lakes wind program also covers how to tether heavier objects to prevent injury, calculate swing radiuses of tethered tools, and decrease fall factors of each object. It also covers how to fail.

This means that by creating the potential for accidents in a safe training setting, students can learn how to mitigate the occurrence of potential hazards in the field. Part of the culture for change and dropped-object awareness is recognition that these incidences are almost all accidents. Occasionally, a wrench will fall out of a nacelle, but with the right protective gear and reduced swing radius, simple safety measures can prevent serious harm or damage below.

3. Decipher the engineering. As part of the safety and swing radius training, students in Iowa Lakes’ wind program get a first-hand look at the tools of the trade and the engineering behind fall-protection gear. It’s the only way students can fully understand that if they’re working with a 35-pound lanyard attached to a 35-pound tool, the lanyard would handle a drop at a fall factor of 2.

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When possible, tools and equipment should be customized to the users to best suit working conditions and to ensure greater safety and flexibility in the field.

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Tool safety

and training

Iowa Lakes Community College is working to help meet the growing demand for skilled technicians who can safely climb up-tower to install, maintain, and service modern wind turbines.

Fall factors are often used to quantify the severity of a fall from heights. A fall factor can have a value between 0 and 2 for a tethered object. Students must assess every task for its drop potential and calculate the fall factor and mitigation measure. By understanding the process and engineering behind each tool, tether, and lanyard, students begin to realize that every task at a wind farm requires careful analysis beforehand to optimize the environment for safety.

Climbing some 300 ft. to a small nacelle means only bringing the necessary tools required for the job and accounting for each item before leaving the work site. The last thing a technician wants to do at the end of a long day is reach the base of a tower only to notice something was left behind.

Any tool left behind can be a safety hazard.

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safety and flexibility in the field. Whether working from a rope, in the nacelle, or on a deck at height, training puts participants in a position to evaluate each task and consider how they would make the gear or system safer. Through analysis, practice, failure, and success, the ultimate goal of the training is to make safety and hazard prevention a natural part of the job.

4. Get assessed. As part of the final step in the safety road map, participants go through a “teach-back” exercise where they relay the concepts learned to staff and other students to demonstrate their knowledge. Afterwards, they complete a self-assessment and listen to feedback from fellow students.

Lastly, participants take an objective test and have to receive 80% or better to pass. They also have to participate in class and internalize the concepts taught to receive certification.

In this part of the program, real-life field examples are also reviewed and discussed. One example includes an experience Snap-on Tools brought back from a field company.

In an attempt to ensure safety, the company outfitted employees with a lot of expensive safety tools for working at heights and preventing dropped objects.

But over the following year they actually lost about 50% of their productivity.

The reason? The company didn’t spend time training employees on how to properly use the new tools to ensure safety and maintain productivity. The lesson: investing in the right tools and having the best resources means nothing if you can’t implement them properly.

Proper fall protection and dropped tool safety training is one of the most important lessons Iowa Lakes hopes to impart to their students. But what’s even more important to the program staff is that participants leave with a sense of responsibility.

Tools, safety gear, regulations, and jobsites will all change over time. So when it comes to putting safety first, technicians must think beyond themselves and their immediate work environment. There is an inherent responsibility for others that comes with the job and that should never be forgotten. W

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2016 I N T R O D U C TI O N [ L E A D E R S H I P I N W I N D E N E R G Y ]

Vote for the company you think has provided leadership to the wind industry

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windpowerengineering.com/leadership Nominate the company you think has provided leadership in the wind industry.

The year has just begun, but 2016 has a lot to live up to in terms of wind power if it is to grow and trump last year’s accomplishments. The U.S. wind industry installed 5,001 MW during the fourth quarter of 2015 alone — that’s more installations than in all of 2014. Overall, 8,598 MW of wind power were installed in 2015, which is a 77% increase over 2014, according to data from the American Wind Energy Association.

Fortunately, the industry has gained tax support, which is bound to give 2016 a healthy start. Late last year, Congress granted a five-year extension of the federal Production Tax Credit that should serve to bolster new deals and wind-power installations.

Legislation and incentives are important stepping-stones for an industry’s success. But year-afteryear growth is only possible with the

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right leadership. Today’s renewableenergy companies are perhaps more innovative and technically advanced than ever before. With wind towers now reaching over 300 meters tall and blades over 50 meters long, quality engineering is essential. And in this digital age, so are predictive wind-farm analytics, remote system monitoring, and cost-efficient O&M services.

To keep wind power flowing successfully, we at Windpower Engineering & Development know it is important to recognize the leaders that continue to push the industry forward. In the pages that follow, you’ll see the accomplishments of fellow engineers and companies in a range of categories. Your vote for one or more the companies listed will be recorded on our website through November 2016. Winners will be recognized in the final issue of the year.

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2016

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Abaris Training Resources, Inc. is recognized as the leading provider of advanced composite repair training for wind blade repair technicians worldwide.

Abaris has over 30 years of experience teaching composite structural repair techniques and methodologies to the aerospace industry and has in recent years transferred that knowledge to those now serving the wind energy industry.

Abaris Training Reno Facility

Blade repairs in the past have mostly been based upon old “polyester and fiberglass” repair techniques, similar to those used for years in the marine industry. Current materials and techniques may not be sufficient for today’s structures. As turbine blades grow in size and are being designed using new materials and optimized fibers forms, the importance of producing high-performance structural repairs becomes even more critical to the durability and efficiency of the blade.

Abaris specializes in teaching technicians how to best identify and remove damaged structure in a way that minimizes the risk of damaging good structure. Repairs are then carried out in a manner which results in maximum load replacement and consideration to both the aerodynamic and aeroelastic performance of the blade.

Abaris Training Resources, Inc.

The good news is that the repair materials used, and methods and techniques taught by Abaris instructors apply to all composite wind turbine blades (and other structures), both currently in service and those still in design. An Abaris trained technician learns not only “how” to perform repairs but “why” each step in the process is vital to the end result. Knowledge and skills necessary to that of today’s workforce.

5401 Longley Ln, Ste 49, Reno, NV USA 89511 800.638.8441 +1.775.827.6568 Training@abaris.com abaris.com

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Attention is given to fiber orientation at each layer in the repair.

Last ply down prior to processing repair patch.

Finished repair patch is visibly inspected for aerodynamic flushness and integrity.

windpowerengineering.com/leadership Voting for this company will identify it as a leader in the wind power industry.

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2016

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AeroTorque roots are in managing torque in extreme machines in a wide variety of industries for 35 years. Their sister company, PT Tech, has products that can be found in many of the toughest equipment in the world, from computer controlled clutches for diesel engine drives in rock crushers to brakes and clutches in

The data is in: The WindTC reduces damage to your gearbox!

Hard stops are more common than you may think and can cause excessive loading that affects from the blade tips to the turbine base. The following data plots show a fairly common fault code in a modern 1.6MW turbine. The loads are more significant than previously understood:

mining operations and tunnel boring. Our

Torque trace on a stock 1.6MW turbine:

approach is to bring innovation to the

•

Forward loading oscillations have significant magnitude and frequency and will likely leadto fatigue in drive components.

•

Torque reversal at the end occurs after the turbine shaft stops, causing an impact load on suddenly loaded and likely misaligned rollers, a root cause of white etch damage.

drivetrain by improving the entire system rather than just working on a symptom. We work to improve the overall performance by increasing the productivity, availability, reliability and safety of the equipment.

With WindTC installed: •

By reducing the energy stored in the drivetrain, the peak to peak loading is reduced dramatically.

The most damaging load on the stopped shaft is eliminated entirely.

AeroTorque Corporation 1441 Wolf Creek Trail

A difference you can see!

•

Overlaid, you can see how the excessive loading is damped, signficantly reducing damage. In hard stops, these loads are significantly higher without asymmetric protection.

•

These loads occur every time your turbine sees a hard stop. Each of these events could cause a root cause failure in your turbine’s components.

P.O. Box 305 Sharon Center, OH 44274-0305 Phone: 330.590.8105 Fax: 330.239.2012 www.aerotorque.com

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Only the WindTC from AeroTorque offers this level of protection from transient loads in your turbine! Control torque loads, control turbine life!

windpowerengineering.com/leadership Voting for this company will identify it as a leader in the wind power industry.

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In 1972, AMSOIL INC. developed the first synthetic motor oil to meet American Petroleum Institute service requirements.

AMSOIL was cutting edge 43 years ago and today AMSOIL still continues to formulate industry changing synthetic lubricants for the Industrial gearing needs of today’s wind farms. With more than 7 years running strong in the wind industry on our same formula and reaching over 10,000 MW Class turbines in North America, AMSOIL Synthetic Power Transmission EP Gear Lube products and our line of Hydraulic Fluids are continuously being recognized as a cost-effective choices for prolonging equipment life, reducing maintenance and increasing gearbox performance and reliability.

Exceptional anti-foam qualities preserve oil film thickness and optimize bearing life by controlling micro pitting and scuffing wear, increasing run times and reducing maintenance costs. Our resistance to moisture extends filter life and eliminates additive depletion. Our competition knows about AMSOIL, do you?

Promoting Wind Turbine Efficiency Wind turbine gearboxes represent one of the most challenging lubricant applications in the industrial world. AMSOIL INC., a leader in synthetic lubricant technology, engineered and manufactured a premium gear lube that meets these challenges. AMSOIL Synthetic Power Transmission Gear Lube promotes wind turbine efficiency through superior water resistance, anti-foaming properties, wear control and filterability. But even more, AMSOIL INC. provides on-site, up-tower guidance. Experienced and certified wind energy personnel join with operators to help them fully harness the exceptional performance of AMSOIL Synthetic Power Transmission EP Gear Lube. With AMSOIL, operators get more than a lubricant provider, they get a partner.

Proven Water Resistance

Water is one of the biggest contributors to gearbox failure. It can cause sludge formation, additive drop-out, viscosity loss and filter plugging. Throughout a 5-year field study, AMSOIL Synthetic Power Transmission EP Gear Lube demonstrated a low average of 92 ppm of water for maximum lubricant effectiveness and component life.

Engineered Wear Control + Viscosity Retention

AMSOIL INC. 925 Tower Ave. Superior, WI 54880 www.amsoilwind.com windsalesgroup@amsoil.com

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AMSOIL Synthetic Power Transmission EP Gear Lube is designed with extreme pressure (EP) additives and shear-stable synthetic base oils that exhibit excellent viscosity retention. As a result, micropitting and scuffing wear is minimized.

Superior Foam Control

AMSOIL Synthetic Power Transmission EP Gear Lube resists foaming to deliver the correct engineered fluid film thickness, which reduces premature gear and bearing failure and results in gears and bearings lasting as designed.

On-Site, Up-Tower Service

AMSOIL safety- and rescue-trained wind energy personnel work on-site and uptower to direct the lubrication process, from oil changeover to understanding oil analysis. With AMSOIL consultation services, operators are positioned to maximize their operations and maintenance programs.

Consultation

Based on first-hand knowledge of wind turbine gearbox lubrication, AMSOIL wind energy personnel consult with operators on how best to utilize their oil analysis programs. AMSOIL can recommend which specific test methodologies most accurately reveal the condition of their gearboxes and how best to interpret the oil analysis reports sent from the lab of the operators’ choice.

Using AMSOIL consultation services helps operators identify the maintenance practices most likely to increase efficiency and profitability. www.windpowerengineering.com

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2016

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Aurora Bearing Company was founded in 1971 and manufactures the world’s most complete range of rod end and spherical

Aurora Bearing Co’s new LCOM Spherical Bearings outperform “LS” bearings

bearings. Configurations range from 2-piece economy commercial and molded race construction through 3-piece precision designs. Aurora also produces a full line of military spec rod ends, spherical bearings, and journal bushings. Custom designed rod ends, spherical bearings, and linkages are a specialty.

For more information, contact: Like all Aurora Bearing spherical bearings, the LCOM series features a one piece steel raceway, swaged around the ball for a smooth, precise, close tolerance fit, along with the benefit of the strength and vibration resistance of steel. In addition, this series is optionally available with Aurora’s proprietary AT series PTFE liner, for a zero clearance, self lubricating fit.

630-859-2030 Fax: 630-859-0971 aurorabearing.com

Aurora Bearing Company 901 Aucutt Rd. Montgomery, IL 60538 Ph: 630-859-2030 Fax: 630-859-0971 aurorabearing.com

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Aurora LCOM Spherical Bearings were designed to offer a higher level of performance with dimensional interchangeability for the “LS” spherical bearing category; a market segment which has remained largely unchanged since the 1950s. “LS” bearings are characterized by being of 3 or 4 piece construction, with an inner ball, an outer ring, and a one or two piece brass, bronze, or copper alloy race between. Since the early 1950’s users of these bearings, which are also marketed with a “FLBG”, “RS”, or “VBC” prefix, have had to accept their low strength and poor vibration resistance due to the low strength race material. Aurora’s LCOM bearings incorporate superior materials and manufacturing processes to overcome the performance deficiencies associated with “LS” bearings.

COMM-M Bearings are stronger choice for DIN ISO 12240-1 applications

Metric spherical plain bearings built to DIN ISO 12240-1 (formerly DIN 648) schedule K often are made with inner races or rings made of brass, bronze or copper. For many low demand applications these bearings have proven to give satisfactory service.

However, in applications with high loads or high vibration levels or both, the bearings can quickly develop excess clearance due

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to a deformation of the relatively soft race material.

This weakness is addressed in the Aurora Bearing Company’s COM-M series spherical bearings. Like all Aurora inch dimension spherical bearings, these metric bearings all feature a 1 piece steel raceway, cold formed around a chrome plated, alloy steel ball for strength, precision, and structural integrity.

Aurora COM-M series bearings are available in sizes from 3mm to 30mm., and follow the dimensions of DIN 648 schedule K. Bearings are optionally available with Aurora’s self lubricating AT series ptfe liner, for a smooth, zero clearance fit that is self lubricating and maintenance free.

Maintenance free & corrosion resistant rod ends from Aurora

The Aurora CM/CW-ET series rod ends offer a combination of features unique in the rod end industry. Instead of the low strength steels typically found in stainless rod ends, the ET series features bodies made from heat treated 17-4PH material. Not only do they offer excellent corrosion resistance compared to conventional rod ends, they provide greater load capacity, strength, and durability as well.

The ET series comes standard with Aurora’s exclusive AT2100 PTFE liner. This, combined with a heat treated 440C stainless ball, gives a durable, zero clearance, self lubricating, maintenance free bearing interface to go with the benefits of the heat treated body. Their two piece design allows exploiting these high performance features to be exploited at an economical price. The Aurora ET series bearings can be used to enhance the performance of equipment in wash down, marine, and other environments that require extra corrosion resistance.

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AZTEC BOLTING SERVICES, INC. has been a leading provider of bolting tools to the wind energy industry for over 27 years. Aztec Bolting utilizes the latest products from Enerpac to Skidmore for all your torque and tension requirements. We offer the finest tools available for sale or rent, including hydraulic tools that can yield up to 80,000 ft./lbs. Aztec Bolting also provides calibration services and repairs through our mobile fleet and at the ISO 17025 accredited calibration facility at the company headquarters in League City, Texas.

Working alone, or onsite with your labor force, Aztec is committed to delivering the right solution, to meet your timing and budgetary requirements.

Aztec Bolting Services, based in League City, TX offers a state-of-the-art mobile fleet division providing clients with on-site training and more with office locations also in Corpus Christi, Midland, and Sweetwater, Texas, Oklahoma City, Okla., and Fort Collins, Colo.

AZTEC BOLTING is at the forefront of wind turbine and generation construction and maintenance. Vigorous research, innovative designs, and superior technology identify Aztec Bolting as an industry leader providing the finest wind turbine tools. We have been supplying quality wind turbine tools and equipment since 1987, offering an in house ISO 17025 Accredited Calibration lab for services and repairs as well as on site services with our new Mobile Calibration Fleet.

Our hydraulic torque wrench systems are fundamental in wind turbine applications. Aztec Bolting is a proud distributor of Enerpac Bolting products, Skidmore-Wilhelm, Stahlwille, and we also proudly carry Hydratight Wind Tensioners, Norbar hand torque wrenches, electronics, and torque multipliers.

In addition to our quality Enerpac, Norbar Torque Wrench, and Stahlwille products, we are proud to offer our new generation electric tensioner pump designed for critical bolting applications, specifically in the wind generation industry. The new Stratus tensioner pump has a unique footprint featuring portability and compact design at 65% smaller than anything else on the market. The Aztec Stratus tensioner pump also features the fast pressure-up and retract and a hi-tech, calibrated digital gauge. The product also has a multi-functionality intrinsically safe remote control and certified one point lift. Aztec Bolting continues to collaborate with the best companies to produce leading edge technology to fulfill our customers’ needs.

“Aztec’s mission is to provide quality products and services to meet every torque and tension need with the utmost care, quality and service.”

Aztec Bolting Services 520 Dallas Street League City, TX 77573 802 Navigation Boulevard #106 Corpus Christi, TX 78408 1113 Lamar Street Sweetwater, TX 79556 Ph: 832-271-5120 aztecbolting.com

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Enerpac S-Series

Aztec Bolting offers the finest in industry technology, and is proud to support the Enerpac S-Series Hydraulic Torque Wrench. The Enerpac S-Series is the fundamental square-drive torque wrench. This incredibly versatile torque wrench is light and sleek, yet muscular, delivering up to 25,140 Ft/lbs of torque. S-Series torque wrenches have 360 degree swivel manifolds and durable rigid steel design.

Another example of a quality tool is the Enerpac W-Series Steel Hexagon Torque Wrench sets the standard in versatility, reliability, and durability. The innovative W-Series sports a pinless construction with quick release drive and auto crank engagement.

This hexagon torque wrench has a 360 degree swivel manifold and you won’t need tools for changing hexagon heads.

And because Aztec Bolting is an authorized national distributor of Enerpac products, you can count on a lifetime warranty. Aztec Bolting and Enerpac products are guaranteed.

www.windpowerengineering.com

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For more than 40 years Bachmann has been accelerating the progress in automation technology. Our leading position in the area of renewable energies, including no. 1 in wind automation, and our presence in the machine tool and marine industries are the visible result of consistent development work. Trust and a holistic solution concept grow on this solid basis. The clear yes to new challenges makes Bachmann an esteemed partner of innovative enterprises.

WITH MORE THAN 70,000 INSTALLED SYSTEMS and a market share of over fifty percent, Bachmann electronic is the number 1 supplier in the automation of wind power plants. But also in the other areas of renewable energies, and in the machine tool and marine business sectors, well-known customers rely on the experience, the specific knowhow and the extraordinary power of innovation offered by Bachmann electronic. We work intensively with open systems and we work intensively to continuously extend holistic automation solutions.

Bachmann electronic Corp.

529 Main Street, Suite 125 Charlestown, MA 02129, USA T: +1 (847) 249 30 03 bachmann.info/en/industries/wind-power/

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[L EA D E R S H IP I N W I N D ENERGY ]

Bronto Skylift manufacturers high-reach truck-mounted aerial devices from 36m to over 112m working height for wind turbine blade and tower inspection, maintenance and repair and other applications. Bronto machines have been used in wind farms globally for over 50 years and have been time-tested in the toughest conditions. Over 7500 Bronto aerials have been built and are in operation throughout the world With advanced controls and one-button automatic leveling of the outriggers, Bronto aerials can be driven onto the site, then set-up and elevated to the overhead area within 15 minutes or less. When elevated, Bronto machines can withstand winds speeds up to 28mph (12.5m/s) and can lift up to 1000-pounds in a 8-foot x 3-foot, fullyenclosed platform.

They’re safer faster, and more productive than any other method of accessing turbines currently in use and meet all OSHA, ANSI and CSA standards.

Bronto Skylift For more information on Bronto Skylift aerials contact: Steve Starling (352) 895-1109 sstarling@bronto.us www.brontoskylift.com

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Bronto aerials provide a faster, safer and less

costly way to perform maintenance and inspection on wind turbines.

With over 50 years experience in designing and manufacturing aerial work platforms, Bronto Skylift is the world leader in high reach access equipment and the preferred machine used on wind farms globally for maintenance and inspection.

Turbine blades need to be inspected for potential bonding or laminating defects. And they need to be cleaned regularly to eliminate dust and insect buildup, which can deform the shape of the airfoil and degrade performance. A recent survey says that as many as 60% of US wind turbines may be behind on maintenance. Towers need to be inspected for weld integrity and to inspect for any possible manufacturer defects or structural damage that might have occurred during transport or erection..

Aerial work platforms are by far the safest and most productive method of accessing turbine blades. And, they produce huge savings in both time and money for operators of wind farms over methods like rappelling or using a crane basket.

When using aerial work platforms workers are lifted to the overhead area in an 8-foot x 3-foot platform that they control directly from the platform. They control how fast it rises and where it is positioned, and they can lift up to 1000-pounds of men and materials to full working height in a matter of minutes. And, because the platform is telescoped up from a stable base on the ground, it can withstand winds speeds up to 28 mph (12.5m/s) when fully elevated.

Photos courtesy of TGM Wind

2016

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Bronto aerials can also be configured with a variety of options that increase productivity when elevated. They can be equipped with electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic and water lines running inside the telescoping boom from the ground to the platform so that workers can operate powered tools and washers in the platform. This not only saves time, it is much safer as it eliminates having lines or hoses running down from the overhead platform to ground level.

In addition to being safer and more versatile, Bronto work platforms are also the simplest and fastest way to access overhead areas. They can be driven directly to the tower and, with their advanced controls and one-button automatic extension and leveling of the outriggers, they can be positioned, setup and elevated to the overhead area within 15 minutes or less from the time they arrive on site.

Compared to other methods, on a multi-tower site this can save considerable time and money in transportation and set-up costs alone.

With the availability of Bronto aerial work platforms in North America, inspection and maintenance of wind turbine towers and blades has moved to a new level. Wind farm operators are now able to perform overhead tasks faster, safer and at less cost, while improving the efficiency and power generating potential of turbines. www.windpowerengineering.com

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From its modest start with a single anemometer in 1974 in Logan, Utah, Campbell Scientific has evolved to become a global company that is internationally recognized in the measurement and control industry for producing accurate and dependable instruments.

Dataloggers used in Wind Monitoring Our dataloggers can be used for many different purposes. They can make and record measurements, control electrical devices, or both. The dataloggers’ multifaceted capabilities include functioning as PLCs or RTUs. They have many different channel types, allowing nearly all sensor types to be measured on a single unit. For example, one datalogger can measure strain on turbine blades, wind speed, and power output of the turbine, even while controlling

external signal conditioning. Multiplexers and other peripherals can be used with most of our dataloggers to increase the numbers and types of channels.

Control Capabilities

The ability of our dataloggers to perform advanced control functions is a great advantage. Powerful on-board instruction sets allow unattended measurement and control decisions based on time or conditional events.

Using these instruction sets, dataloggers can be programmed to perform multiple control functions based on different scenarios. For example, alarms can be triggered, phone numbers dialed, or equipment shut down if the system detects an equipment failure--all without human intervention.

Wind Monitoring Sensors

peripheral devices. The CR1000 with an LLAC4 peripheral can measure up to 10 low-level ac output anemometers. If long cable runs are being avoided, our CR200X-series dataloggers can be deployed in a wireless network configuration, allowing cost effective monitoring at each level of a wind assessment tower.

Campbell Scientific 815 West 1800 North Logan, Utah 84321-1784 USA Phone: 435.227.9000 campbellsci.com

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The reliability of our datalogger systems ensures data collection, even under adverse conditions.

Wide operating temperature ranges and weather-proof enclosures allow our systems to operate reliably in harsh environments. Because they have their own power supply (batteries, solar panels), our dataloggers continue to measure and store data and perform control during power outages. Up to 2 million data points can be stored in the datalogger’s non-volatile memory, while CompactFlash cards can be used to increase data storage to tens of millions of points. Data is time- and date-stamped to provide key information for identifying and analyzing past events.

Measurement Capabilities

Channel types include analog (single-ended and differential), pulse, switched excitation, and digital. Not only are there multiple types of input channels, but each of these channels can be independently programmed for various sensor types. Most sensors connect directly to the datalogger, eliminating the need for

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Almost any sensor can be measured by our dataloggers, allowing the wind energy system to be customized for each application.

Typical sensors include, but are not limited to: sonic anemometers, 3-cup and propeller anemometers, wind vanes, temperature sensors (air, water, equipment, and product), solar radiation, electrical current, resistance, power, and voltage.

Communications

The availability of multiple telecommunications and on-site options for retrieving data or reporting site conditions also allows our systems to be customized to meet exact needs. Options include: radio, telephone, cellphone, voicesynthesized phone, satellite, and Ethernet.

Systems can be programmed to send alarms or report site conditions by calling out to computers, phones, radios, and pagers.

Software

Our PC-based support software simplifies the entire data acquisition process, from programming to data retrieval to data display and analysis. Our software automatically manages data retrieval from networks or single stations. Robust error-checking ensures data integrity. We can even help you post your data to the Internet.

If you need assistance selecting the best wind sensor, tower, telecommunications, and datalogger combination, please contact us.

We’d be happy to answer your questions and provide the most cost-effective solution for your needs.

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Deublin is the leading manufacturer of precision rotating unions for water, steam, air, hydraulic, vacuum, coolant and hot oil service. With manufacturing and / or sales offices in 17 countries worldwide, Deublin’s international headquarters is located at 2050 Norman Drive West, Waukegan, IL.

Hydraulic Unions and Slip Rings for Wind Turbines, Request Catalogs WE102 and SR114.

AS THE PROVEN LEADER for the manufacture of precision rotary unions for wind turbine hydraulic pitch control, Deublin continues to focus on reliability and performance.

OUR HYDRAULIC ROTARY UNIONS for wind energy applications are available in configurations ranging from monoflow to fourpassage designs, with central passages for cable connection to electrical slip rings.

Deublin 2050 Norman Drive

Each Deublin rotary union employs a proprietary, controlled leakage sealing technology. Durability features such as

water resistant construction and hardened stainless steel rotors provide unparalleled lifecycle reliability over millions of cycles.

This significantly reduces downtime and maintenance costs for both on- and off-shore operations.

ALL UNIONS ARE 100% FACTORY TESTED under operating pressures to ensure that each union is completely operational upon receipt and ready to install. In addition, Deublin is certified as an Authorized Economic Operator (AEO), which provides assurance that Deublin ’s supply chain is approved as both secure and customs-reliable.

Waukegan, IL 60085-6747 Deublin’s Headquarters.

USA Phone: 847.689.8600 Fax: 847.689.8690 deublin.com

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Dexmet Corporation manufactures precision expanded metal foils and polymers for applications in aerospace, power generation, filtration and automotive industries. Dexmet was founded in 1948 and is based in Wallingford, Connecticut. For over 60 years Dexmet has been at the forefront of expanding technology and has redefined the standards for micro mesh materials providing the greatest range of products and capabilities for foil gauge metals and thin polymer films. Dexmet manufactures thin, light-weight precision expanded Copper and Aluminum from .001” thick and widths reaching over 48” that can meet specific weight, conductivity and open area requirements required by aerospace or wind generation applications.

Precision MicroGrid® materials from Dexmet are the industry standard for expanded materials used in lightning strike protection, on carbon fiber structures with OEM aircraft manufacturers as well as EMI/RFI, and ESD protection for sensitive internal instrumentation.

The Dexmet Quality System is ISO 9001:2008 and AS9100 certified.

Dexmet Wallingford, CT 203-294-4440 dexmet.com

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AS THE POWER OUTPUT requirements increase for wind turbines, wind generator manufacturers are moving towards larger blades to rotate these larger turbines at lower wind speeds. As the wind blades increase to over 45 meters in length, blade construction is moving away from the more traditional all fiberglass construction to utilize more carbon fiber. The carbon fiber provides a substantial weight savings and increased strength to combat the extreme stress loads exerted on the blades during operation. Carbon fiber, however, is conductive and more prone to be struck by lightning. Without proper protection, they are susceptible to severe damage and catastrophic failure.

For two decades Dexmet has been working with aircraft designers developing precision expanded MicroGrid foils for lightning strike protection on carbon fiber composite aircraft and its components. Benefiting from the development work done in the aircraft industry, Wind Blade Manufacturers are now realizing the importance of having the proper lightning strike protection for larger carbon fiber blades and incorporating Dexmet’s precision expanded MicroGrid® materials into their designs.

Dexmet MicroGrid® materials are thin, open area products applied to the top adhesive layer of the composite and are capable of achieving the critical conductivity required to dissipate a destructive lightning strike, protecting the carbon fiber layer below. Dexmet’s expanded copper and aluminum MicroGrid meshes are essential at extending the life of carbon fiber composite blades. In addition to protecting blades, lightning strike materials can also be incorporated into the composite turbine nacelles for additional protection of the structure.

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Dexmet MicroGrid® Proven Lightning Strike Protection

• • • •

Proven Technology for Lightning Strike Protection Highly Conductive Patterns Matched to Specific Requirements Open Area Design for Easy Dry or Wet Layup without Delaminating Easily Repairable for Low Maintenance Costs and Minimal Downtime

MicroGrid® Materials For Wind Generator Applications

As with Aerospace applications, weight is always critical so Dexmet provides different conductive materials to minimize the weight based on the different strike zones. As with all rotary blades, lighting is more prone to hit the leading edge and the outer blade surfaces towards the tips where the highest amount of static energy is generated. For these locations, the heavier, more conductive materials are utilized. As you move towards the root of the blade, a lighter weight material can be incorporated to reduce weight and cost. The variability with Dexmet’s expanding process provides the capability of producing a custom material based on desired weight, conductivity, or open area to meet exact application requirements.

To learn more about the benefits of Dexmet materials, witness its lightning protection performance or understand how it can reduce your maintenance costs and down time, contact us at products@dexmet.com or visit our web site and let us show you how to incorporate the innovative MicroGrid® materials into your composite designs and start recognizing the benefits today.

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EAPC Wind Energy provides engineering and consulting services for wind farm development throughout North and South America. We help developers achieve their financial goals by providing intelligent wind farm design, accurate energy assessments, and bankable reports. EAPC Wind Energy provides energy assessment and feasibility studies, development consulting, contract negotiation and review, technical due diligence, financial and economic analysis, balance of plant design and engineering, strategy consulting, wind measurement services, and windPRO software sales and support. windPRO is the world’s most comprehensive software package for wind farm project planning and design. EAPC regularly conducts windPRO training workshops across North and South America.

Wind Energy Assessment From wind prospecting and preliminary assessments to comprehensive “bankable” reports, we use a variety of sophisticated computer tools to perform wind resource and energy assessments, including windPRO, WAsP, and WAsP CFD. We have experience in all types of terrain, from simple to complex.

Wind Measurement Services We sell and install wind measurement systems. Our highly professional crews, operating from offices in the Northeastern and Midwestern United States, have installed, commissioned and serviced hundreds of met masts over the course of the last two decades. Our tower configuration and commissioning documentation is among the most comprehensive in the industry. We provide data collection, monitoring and reporting services to many of our clients. We also rent and service SODAR units.

EAPC Wind Energy 3100 DeMers Avenue Grand Forks, ND 58201 701.775.3000 www.eapc.net/we/

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Wind Farm Design Relying on wind data and the results of geographic, environmental and infrastructure studies, we identify the optimal location for a wind farm, and then use powerful modeling software and years of industry experience to optimally site the individual wind turbines to maximize energy output and minimize the wind loading on the turbine components.

Software Sales and Training EAPC is the sole North and South American (excluding Mexico and Brazil) sales and support agent for windPRO, the world’s most comprehensive software package for the design and planning of wind farm projects. The windPRO software tool is recognized and used by all leading turbine manufacturers, developers, engineering companies, environmental consultants, utilities as well as local planning authorities worldwide. Our expert consultants regularly conduct windPRO training workshops throughout North and South America. www.windpowerengineering.com

FEBRUARY 2016

2/10/16 4:58 PM

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With 10.7 GW of energy under contract, EDF Renewable Services is the leading

Trusted Leader in Operations & Maintenance

North American provider of Operations & Maintenance Services. With our 28 years of experience we maximize project profitability and ensure the performance of your investment for the long term. As part of a global organization, we bring a depth of experience to every project.

EDF Renewable Services understands renewable energy facilities represent a substantial investment. We are the industry leader in O&M services, earning the respect and confidence of our partners and delivering the best possible service and results. EDF Renewable Services offers the full range of services for established renewable energy projects - including operations, asset managment and administration, procurement, scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, and more.

From our state-of-the-art Operations and Control Center (OCC) we provide 24/7/365 remote monitoring, troubleshooting, resets and other auxiliary services. The OCC uses advanced technology to optimize turbine availability and profitability, increasing customers’ revenues, round-the-clock.

With trained technicians, in-house equipment repair depots, proven practices and procedures, and over 28 years of field service experience, combined with a superior safety record, EDF Renewable Services adds immeasurable value year after year.

Our experienced on-site team of over 450 full-time wind technicians and 50 supervisors, managers, and support staff, means EDF Renewable Services is fully equipped to manage the balance of plant and day-to-day operations of your wind project.

EDF Renewable Services O&M Business Development 858.521.3575

Operations and maintenance service is our core business. Our goal is to optimize your plant performance and maximize availability, regardless of technology type. Our team has extensive experience with nearly every variety of wind turbine and provides the highest quality maintenance services and safety standards performed by trained EDF Renewable Services technicians.

OMSales@edf-re.com edf-renewable-services.com

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World-class image quality, overnight delivery, and prices one-half to one-third that of comparable borescopes. . . that’s the innovative Hawkeye® Precision Borescopes manufactured by Gradient Lens Corporation. We sell more industrial borescopes than any other manufacturer.

Our new Hawkeye V2 Videoscopes are fully portable and offer 4-way articulation. However, any Hawkeye Rigid or Flexible, Borescopes can be attached to our Luxxor Video Camera allowing high-quality inspection images to be displayed on portable video monitors, or, laptop and desktop computers. Those images can be saved, documented and e-mailed. We carry over 80 models of rigid, flexible, and video borescopes, and video microscopes. All are in stock and ready for overnight delivery. www.gradientlens.com

THE NEW HAWKEYE® PRO V2 VIDEO BORESCOPES represent the next generation of fully portable, articulating, video borescopes manufactured by Gradient Lens Corporation (http://www.gradientlens.com/V2). “We know portability, image quality, and cost-efficiency are the most important factors for windpower inspection & maintenance teams” said Dr. Doug Kindred, Gradient Lens’ President and Chief Scientist. “Our new V2 delivers on all three” The wide 70º FOV allows more of the inspection area to be visible to the user. The “deep” DOF allow sharp-focus of objects as close as 15 mm, up to infinity. With the optional Close-Focus Tip users can attain sharp focus of objects from 4 mm – 22 mm.

The Hawkeye V2 is brighter, has higher resolution, and has more durable construction than most other portable videoscopes on the market today. It is available in diameters of 4 and 6 mm, offers 4-way articulation, is priced starting at $8995, and is made in the USA. Optional Close-Focus, and 90º Prism, adaptors are available that work seamlessly with the V2 when the subject matter is close to, or to the side of, the borescope tip. Hawkeye Video Borescopes deliver the same image quality, portability, and articulation of scopes costing three times as much.

Fully portable, Hawkeye V2 Video Borescopes have flexible, durable, tungsten sheathing, and come complete with video monitor and light source, all in one easy-to-use device. Video and still image capture is quick and easy, and images are stored on SD Memory Cards.They are available in lengths of 1.5, 3.0, and 6.0 meters. Custom lengths are available upon request.

Gradient Lens Corporation 207 Tremont Street Rochester, New York 14608 Phone: 585-235-2620

800-536-0790 Fax: 585-235-6645 info@gradientlens.com

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G. LUFFT Mess- und Regeltechnik has been in the production of climatological measuring equipment since its foundation

by Gotthilf Lufft in 1881. The precision workmanship of highly skilled specialists has enabled the LUFFT brand to be recognized and the products to be purchased worldwide. The LUFFT products and equipment are to be found wherever atmospheric pressure, temperature, relative humidity, solar radiation, precipitation and other environmental factors require to be measured, recorded, and monitored.

To keep in pace with the market and the modern technologies, electronic devices have been developed parallel to the mechanical products according to the basic principle “Tradition and Innovation”.

Lufft leads the wind industry with anemometers that meet the most extreme conditions

Lufft USA Inc. 1110 Eugenia Pl., Unit B Carpinteria, CA 93013 lufft.com 888.519.8443

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The Lufft “WS Family” of weather sensors create an innovative and technician friendly approach to weather monitoring at any size wind power facility.. Pulling from a background in meteorology, Lufft became an instant leader in Wind with the introduction the VENTUS ultrasonic anemometer for extreme wind speed and wind direction measurement. The anodized aluminum housing, maximum wind measurements of 95m/s and extreme vibration resistant housing give VENTUS an IP68 rating and make it the perfect choice for measuring high winds offshore.

Lufft also manufactures a series of weather stations for general meteorological measurement.

These sensors have an MTBF of 15+ years and are designed with low maintenance and simple installation in mind. The WS Family of weather sensors have no moving parts, which reduces the need for annual calibrations and require little to no maintenance. The newest “family member”, the WS800 combines all the precision weather monitoring of previous Lufft models, with the innovative lighting detection sensor. Am embedded aspirated fan and wind quality channel used for remote sensor monitoring are part of the standard Lufft sensor offering. Each sensor comes with a two year warranty and calibration certificate from our certified in-house lab. Each Lufft weather sensor meets or exceeds the weather monitoring requirements set forth by CAISO (the California Independent Systems Operator). These benefits along with superior service and ease of integration make Lufft a wind industry stand-out. windpowerengineering.com

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Mattracks, Inc., the world innovator in rubber track conversion systems, with headquarters in Karlstad, Minn. has produced over 100 models of rubber track conversion systems for ATVs, UTVs, vehicles, tractors, trailers and custom applications for the last 22 years.

Mattracks, Inc. 202 Cleveland Ave E. PO Box 214 Karlstad, MN 56732 Phone: 218-683-9800 (direct) 1-877-436-7800 (toll free US & Canada) Mattracks.com Facebook.com/Mattracks Twitter.com/Mattracks YouTube

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MATTRACKS CONVERSION SYSTEMS are the most technologically advanced, independent, rubber track systems used for recreation, work, commercial, military and agricultural applications, Mattracks can equip most any four-wheel drive vehicle from a small ATV, SUV or trucks up to 80,000 lbs. GVW. Mattracks is the solution to being mobile in the worst conditions.

The rubber track conversion system transforms most any 4WD vehicle into an all-terrain vehicle, capable of traveling over soft terrain like mud, snow, sand, swamps and bog, with minimal impact on the environment. Mattracks has been providing the tracks for what customers need. If mobility is an issue, Mattracks is the answer.

“Our trusted, innovative products can provide a new approach to getting where you need to go. We are committed to our customers’ needs and making sure to get them the right track to access their worksites,” said Mattracks CEO, Mr. Glen Brazier.

Mattracks equipped vehicles are at work in all 7 continents and over 100 countries, exploring for oil and gas, installing and servicing telecommunication systems, construction, mining, drilling, logging, forestry, surveying, military, power transmission lines and pipeline construction. www.windpowerengineering.com

FEBRUARY 2016

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Established in the late 1800s, Megger has been the premier provider of electric test equipment and measuring instruments for electrical power applications. The trademark was first registered in May 1903 and is guarded by the company.

Although we’re best known for our world famous range of insulation testers, Megger provides a full service solution to meet your electrical test and measurement needs. Manufacturing insulation testers is where Megger started; the Megger brand name is so well known today that maintenance professionals often incorrectly use it as a verb when they refer to doing an insulation test on wiring. This famous name dates back to 1889, when the first portable insulation tester was introduced with the MEGGER brand name on it.

Megger MIT400/2 Series, 1-kV Insulation Testers

Megger 866-254-0962 megger.com

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Features include:

The MIT400/2 Series of insulation and continuity testers have been designed for electrical testing by power utilities, industrials, telecommunication companies, commercial/domestic electricians and anyone with unique test voltage requirements. The wide range of features also makes the units ideal for maintenance technicians and engineers. Insulation testing has been enhanced with feedbackcontrolled test voltages to limit overvoltages to 2%, rather than the industry standard 10-20%.

•

Designed for the Electrical, Industrial and telecommunications markets

•

Stabilized insulation test to -0% +2% test voltage (New)

•

Variable insulation test voltage from 10V to 2500V (New)

•

Single range, faster continuity testing from 0.01ohm to 1 M-ohm (New)

Model MIT430/2

•

Insulation testing up to 2500V and 200Gohm in a hand held instrument (New)

•

Rechargeable options for mains and car charging (New)

•

Insulation testing to 200 G-ohms with Feedback control for tight test voltage control (New)

•

600V Trms AC and DC voltage measurement

One of the units in the Series, the model MIT430/2, is ideal for testing insulation resistance in PV systems, giving you the confidence that DC or AC currents are not finding destructive paths to ground. Used in the commissioning and maintenance process, the MIT430/2 is a workhorse for making sure PV systems are functioning properly. It offers 50 V, 100 V, 250 V, 500 V and 1000 V ranges; PI, DAR and VAR functions; and features Bluetooth® download capabilities.

• Two terminal for Electrical and industrial applications • Three terminal for Telecommunications (T-R-G) and 3 phase applications (New)

• Test result storage and Bluetooth® downloading •

Live circuit detection and protection

•

CATIV 600V application & IP54 environmental protection

windpowerengineering.com

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STEGO has decades of experience in the field of climatization of enclosures, telecommunication or traffic systems, ATMs and parking control systems. With our range of products we manufacture user-friendly solutions and provide a high degree of safety for the operation of your facilities without interferences.

Innovation and design are central to our

In the beginning of 2015, we promoted our Thermal Management experts to “Electronics Protectors”.

This term exactly describes what we have been offering with our range of leading edge products for a long time: worldwide protection for “endangered” electronics from heat, cold and humidity.

product development philosophy. The company’s own product development department and design office develop and construct our products. Production sites are in Germany, as well as Brazil, France and the US. With locations in 12 countries and longtime business partners, we are represented

For those who rely on the trouble-free operation of their electronics, our specialists not only offer Thermal Management solutions, they are indeed electronics protectors who make sure that electronics in your installations worldwide are safe from extreme climatic conditions. Not only in enclosures, but in any installation with electromechanical and electronic “inner life”.

world-wide. STEGO products are exported internationally and find use in a variety of different areas and climate conditions.

You think we’re exaggerating, and this sounds more like a campaign for the “World Wide Fund For Electronics”? Absolutely! That is exactly the idea. This is what we intend to convey with this years’ advertising campaign, introducing to the stage some unexpected wildlife characters, bringing “to life” our cherished electronic components and presenting technology as something worthwhile to protect... just like natures’ endangered species.

STEGO, Inc. 1395 South Marietta Pkwy., Bldg. 800 Marietta, GA 30067 770.984.0858, Ext. 307 F: 770.984.0615 info@stegousa.com www.stegousa.com

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Each of UEA’s products is engineered to perform

Customizable. Versatile. Reliable.

Trust UEA’s revolutionary wind turbine slip rings for your OEM and aftermarket needs.

in the harshest environments. UEA takes pride in being an ISO 9001:2008 certified company.

Our philosophy of “Total Quality Management” insures each employee’s commitment to quality improvement. UEA is proud to have been a family-owned company since 1952. UEA’s staff is eager to work with you on a design and assembly for your unique application.

Creating a Wind Revolution 800-394-9986 • www.uea-inc.com

United Equipment Accessories

Whether it’s megawatts or kilowattsm UEA has a slip ring solution. Our customers receive comprehensive solutions with premium UEA perforamnce and unmatched customer service.

2103 East Bremer Ave. P.O. Box 817 Waverly, IA 50677 Phone: (319) 352-3946 Fax: (319) 352-2175 Email: info@uea-inc.com

UEA Slip Rings offer design versatility as component kit rings or as completed, ready-to-mount assemblies with optional pre-wired harnesses. A wide selection of circuitry is available with many combinations of amperage and voltage (AC or DC).

uea-inc.com

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Vaisala is a global leader in environmental and industrial measurement. Building on 80 years of experience, Vaisala contributes to a better quality of life by providing a comprehensive range of innovative observation and measurement products and services for chosen weatherrelated and industrial markets. Energy customers use Vaisala products and services to measure, forecast, and integrate weather information into their operations to improve the effectiveness and reliability of electrical energy systems.

VAISALA is passionate about promoting the most advanced methods for understanding weather’s impact on energy. An incomplete understanding of the weather – be it in the past or in the future – leads to uncertainty and risk in the development, financing, and operations of renewable energy projects. Depending on weather to power renewable projects impacts how we select project locations, obtain project financing, and schedule power for grid stability and economic optimization. A deep understanding and ability to predict the weather is therefore one of the primary keys for unlocking the potential of renewable energy and successfully integrating it with the rest of the world’s energy generation and power systems. Vaisala helps its clients make better decisions about renewable energy by leveraging over 75 years of operational excellence and innovation in weather measurement, advanced modeling techniques, and decision support tools that improve profitability and reduce uncertainty. Our measurement systems customized for the wind sector include the Triton, the industry’s most trusted remote sensing system with over 2,000 deployments in 34 countries and over 12 million hours of data collected. We also offer expert analysis and consultation services using proven scientific methods. Our experience includes delivering over 850 resource assessment reports on 6 continents and forecasting for over 130 GW of installed wind capacity worldwide.

vaisala.com/energy twitter.com/VaisalaEnergy

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2016

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[L EA D E R S H IP I N W I N D ENERGY ]

Redefining Innovation & Leadership

Servo Motor Couplings & Motion Control Products.

For over 60 years, Zero-Max, Inc. has created innovative solutions to motion control problems worldwide. With strategic distribution points located throughout the world, Zero-Max can deliver your motion control solution.

The Zero-Max team of application specialists can engineer a solution to

With many years of application experience Zero-Max excels in these areas: •

Experienced Practical Application Advice

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Responsive to our Customers needs

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Predictable high quality

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ISO 9001: 2008 certified

meet your motion control requirements.

The Zero-Max brand is known throughout the world as a mark of quality and performance. It is not uncommon for us to receive a call from a customer who has had one of our products in service for decades.

Configurable 3D CAD downloads at www.zero-max.com

Zero-Max Primary Product lines are: Overhung Load Adaptors for Timber Shaft Couplings and Torque Limiters for Zero-Max® 13200 Sixth Avenue North Plymouth, Minnesota 55441-5509 Phone: 763-546-4300

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Servomotors, Linear Actuators, Wind Turbines, Printing Presses, Label Printing, Converting Machines, Machine Tools, Test Equipment, Feedback devices, Packaging Machines, Process Equipment, Dynamometers, and other high performance applications.

Variable Speed Mechanical Drives for Agricultural, Printing, Peristaltic Pumps, Food Processing, Pharmaceutical, Packaging, and many other applications.

processing, Brush Clearing, Road Construction, Marine, and other rugged applications that need overhung load protection for hydraulic pumps and motors.

Keyless Locking Bushings for Packaging, Processing, Tooling, Automated Assembly, and applications that would benefit from the unique qualities bushings.

Contact us for more information regarding quality motion control components that can solve your motion control problems.

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windpowerengineering.com/leadership Voting for this company will identify it as a leader in the wind power industry.

FEBRUARY 2016

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Grab A Seat!

WEBINAR SERIES HD

Join us online for our live, one-hour presentations to learn about your industry. Ask questions and get advice from our panel of experts. Can’t make the date? Register and receive a recording in your inbox. Educate yourself from your chair, when you want, for free!

Check out our webinar archives to view previous presentations: www.windpowerengineering.com

“Please sign me up for the next webinar!”

— Jon T. “Webinar was very well set up. Presenters were on topic, clear and concise.” ­— Eduardo S. “All the presenters had great information and practical experience.”

— Ahmed D.

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“Well done and very informative. The discussion of real-world applications is always great. I will look forward to more webinars.”

— Rob R. “It was fantastic. Differing industry opinions then practical input. I look forward to future webinars, a great way to be educated on this leading edge of the industry, efficiently!”

— Julie T.

2/10/16 4:37 PM

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INDEX

[LEADERS HI P I N WI ND ENERGY ] Abaris Training....................................................................27 AeroTorque....................................................................... IFC Amsoil.................................................................................BC Aurora Bearing Co............................................................47 AWEA....................................................................................42 Aztec Bolting............................................cover/corner, 23 Bachmann Electronic.....................................................IBC Bronto Skylift........................................................................ 3 Deublin................................................................................ 41 Dexmet Corp........................................................................9 EAPC Wind..........................................................................39 EDF Renewable Energy.................................................... 17 Gradient Lens..................................................................... 15 Mattracks.............................................................................47 Stego USA...........................................................................27 United Equip Accessories................................................29 Vaisala..................................................................................20 Zero-Max, Inc....................................................................... 5

Abaris Training....................................................................54 AeroTorque.........................................................................55 Amsoil..................................................................................56 Aurora Bearings................................................................. 57 Aztec Bolting......................................................................58 Bachmann...........................................................................59 Bronto Skylift..................................................................... 60 Campbell Scientific........................................................... 61 Deublin................................................................................62 Dexmet Corporation........................................................63 EAPC Wind..........................................................................64 EDF Renewable Energy....................................................65 Gradient Lens.....................................................................66 Lufft......................................................................................67 Mattracks............................................................................ 68 Megger................................................................................69 Stego USA...........................................................................70 United Equipment Accessories...................................... 71 Vaisala..................................................................................72 Zero Max.............................................................................73

SALES

LEADERSHIP TEAM

Jim Powers 312.925.7793 jpowers@wtwhmedia.com @jpowers_media

Neel Gleason 312.882.9867 ngleason@wtwhmedia.com @wtwh_ngleason

Tom Lazar 408.701.7944 wtlazar@wtwhmedia.com @wtwh_Tom

Jessica East 330.319.1253 jeast@wtwhmedia.com @wtwh_MsMedia

Michelle Flando 440.381.9110 mflando@wtwhmedia.com @mflando

VP of Sales Mike Emich 508.446.1823 memich@wtwhmedia.com @wtwh_memich

EVP Marshall Matheson 805.895.3609 mmatheson@wtwhmedia.com @mmatheson

Managing Director Scott McCafferty 310.279.3844 smccafferty@wtwhmedia.com @SMMcCafferty

Associate Publisher Courtney Seel cseel@wtwhmedia.com 440.523.1685 @wtwh_CSeel

CONNECT WITH US!

Follow the whole team on twitter @Windpower_Eng

CONNECT WITH US! NEW

CHECK US OUT ON ISSUU!

FEBRUARY 2016

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Floating wind-power station can also produce fresh water WITH STRONGER WIND SPEEDS AVAILABLE OFFSHORE than on land, wind developers are eager to take advantage of them. However, pile-driven foundations conventionally used to support turbines in shallow waters do not hold up as well in deep waters. Designing a foundation reliable enough to withstand the rugged offshore conditions has been a challenge for the wind industry.

Rather than reinventing the wheel, engineers at Offshore Wind Power Systems of Texas looked to another industry that’s already experienced in deep-water and ocean bed work: the offshore oil industry.

Platform and jack-up systems have commonly been used in the offshore oilfields since the 1950s. After a rigorous review of numerous drilling rigs, the Texas firm designed the Titan 200 Offshore Wind Platform.

Using newly patented jacking technology, the Titan is an offshore jackup substructure composed of a unique Y-shaped hull that’s slightly smaller than the radial diameter of the wind turbine’s rotor. The Titan platform is engineered to support a single wind turbine in water depths greater than 48 ft. (six fathoms).

What makes the platform particularly

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efficient and economical for the wind industry is that it’s first assembled on land (with turbine installed), and then towed to the offshore site. This eliminates need for costly cranes or barges and onsite construction. During transport, the platform acts as a barge and floats with raised legs that won’t overturn even in rough waters. If an arm of the hull starts to sink, the weight of the other two arms bring the platform instantly back to horizontal (known as a Dutch tri-floater design).

Once onsite, the hull and turbine are raised together to stand on three legs using a jacking system capable of lifting the entire system well above the surface of the water. Each leg is independently adjustable and can accommodate a range of irregular seabed soil or rock conditions, including exposed bedrock. Should the turbine need repairs at some future date, the legs are again raised and the platform can be towed to a dock or repair yard.

After the platform is firmly installed, the jacking system is removed and used to set the next turbine in place, which further helps to optimize installation costs.

The Titan 200 was designed to solve the deep-water dilemma of offshore wind

foundations and at a price point that lowers the per-megawatt cost of an offshore turbine. Developers say it can withstand extreme storm conditions, including Category 5 wind speeds and wave heights greater than 25 m.

However, what makes the Titan unique is its ability to address another dilemma that has plagued governments and disaster relief agencies for years. That problem is the ability to deliver clean drinking water to coastal populations with chronic water shortages or to those recovering from the effects of a natural disaster.

The Titan can act as a self-sufficient, fully operational water producing plant.

The developers maintain that a fiveplatform configuration — with four 2-MW turbines, 36 desalination units, and a fifth platform acting as a control station — is capable of producing enough water to serve the daily needs of a population of up to 99,000 people.

The Titan FWSS System can produce water and power in combination or alternately depending on demand. Water can be transferred to inland locations via pipeline and pumping systems located within the platform. W

www.windpowerengineering.com

FEBRUARY 2016

2/10/16 4:20 PM

www.bachmann.info

wind.power SCADA We supply advanced automation solutions for wind power plants all over the world. State-of-the art technologies, open systems and highly-efficient development tools impress operators, manufacturers and developers of wind power plants alike. With Wind Power SCADA (WPS) we are bundling our sector know-how together with a futureproof and flexible SCADA solution based on pure web technology.

IEC61400-25 Ready to use

Pure web HMI Scalable Bachmann electronic Corp. | 529 Main Street, Suite 125 | Charlestown, MA 02129, USA T: +1 (617) 580-3301 | ofďŹ ce.boston@bachmann.info | www.bachmann.info

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