Wind Power
Oil analysis has time and again proved a useful tool to prevent and identify failures which if left, can lead to very expensive replacement of parts, additional maintenance costs and loss of revenue. Current oil analysis practice at most remote wind turbine sights has been shown to be useful but too infrequent to show a true picture of gearbox health. FAG group have recently published data showing that around 80% of bearing failures are as a result of lubrication issues so its now becoming increasingly important to manage and monitor key parameters such as oil quality and particle content.
As wind turbines become larger and more complex, the power produced from them increases but so can the maintenance costs. There have been many well publicised failure events which have been very costly to the owners, manufacturers and to the general perception of wind as a renewable energy source. One such event was the failure of all 30 2MW turbines installed at Scroby sands in the UK. All failures occurred within one year of installation. Using data provided from a gearbox manufacturer, the total cost of removing, overhauling and reinstalling a gear box can be up to €450,000*. This can be due to the turbines inaccessibility, crane rental, man hours used and loss of earnings on the turbine. If sensor equipment detects a potentially serious problem before it becomes too advanced and the repair could happen without the need for a crane then the repair bill could be a fraction of this cost. If a sensor detected oil contamination such as water in the oil or oxidation which could lead to a serious failure then the turbine could be saved by just replacing the oil this could be a €450,000 saving.
Remote monitoring is very simple via network or GPRS and Kittiwake have a live demonstration from a Scottish Power Turbine in Scotland. Visit www.ANALEXrs.com or contact Kittiwake Marketing by email or phone +44 1903 731470 for more information and a demonstration login and password.
Call us now on +44 1903 731470 to discuss your specific needs, or visit our global network page for offices or dealers near you.
As wind turbines become larger and more complex, the power produced from them increases but so can the maintenance costs. There have been many well publicised failure events which have been very costly to the owners, manufacturers and to the general perception of wind as a renewable energy source. One such event was the failure of all 30 2MW turbines installed at Scroby sands in the UK. All failures occurred within one year of installation. Using data provided from a gearbox manufacturer, the total cost of removing, overhauling and reinstalling a gear box can be up to €450,000*. This can be due to the turbines inaccessibility, crane rental, man hours used and loss of earnings on the turbine. If sensor equipment detects a potentially serious problem before it becomes too advanced and the repair could happen without the need for a crane then the repair bill could be a fraction of this cost. If a sensor detected oil contamination such as water in the oil or oxidation which could lead to a serious failure then the turbine could be saved by just replacing the oil this could be a €450,000 saving.
Remote monitoring is very simple via network or GPRS and Kittiwake have a live demonstration from a Scottish Power Turbine in Scotland. Visit www.ANALEXrs.com or contact Kittiwake Marketing by email or phone +44 1903 731470 for more information and a demonstration login and password.
Call us now on +44 1903 731470 to discuss your specific needs, or visit our global network page for offices or dealers near you.
