INDUSTRY NEWS
WIND GROWTH DRIVES DEMAND FOR INSPECTION Recent months have seen a surge in
demand for hired turbine inspection instruments as manufacturers and energy producers seek to ensure optimal safety and efficiency, prevent downtime and maximise operational reliability.
Tristan Craig-Tyler says: “The growth in this business is driven partly by the expansion of the renewable energy sector, but also by a need to maximise revenue and extend operational life. Instrument rental is proving highly popular because it enables engineers to employ the latest technology while avoiding capital costs.”
BORESCOPES
Borescopes (industrial endoscopes) are commonly employed for internal examinations because they enable inspection without the cost and delay of dismantling. Tristan says “This technology has advanced considerably recently; video borescopes are now available which are very light and easy to use, but provide extremely high quality images.”
One of the latest additions to Ashtead Technology’s fleet of NDT rental instruments is the Olympus IPLEX UltraLite. Weighing just 700 grammes, it incorporates a combined
TEST INSTRUMENTS
Test instruments are being used to check the internal and external condition of the towers and the turbine blades, and video borescopes are being used to inspect gearboxes. Ashtead Technology’s
control and display unit that fits in the palm of one hand and frees the other hand to guide the probe insertion tube. Observed images can be stored on a memory card as high-quality JPEG images and MPEG-4 movies.
Other popular NDT rental instruments for turbine inspections
include ultrasonic flaw detectors and ultrasonic thickness testers.
PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE PROGRAMME One of the
most important advantages of regular inspections is the development
of a preventative maintenance programme. Any failure of critical components can be detected early, so that repair work can be planned during periods of low wind speed or planned down time. This prevents major failure, reduces maintenance costs and minimises downtime.
QUALITY CONTROL
In addition to preventative maintenance, inspection equipment is also employed for quality control during manufacture and assembly, and pre-warranty handover inspection.
Ashtead Technology
www.ashtead-technology.com OFFSHORE WIND: IBERDROLA SELECTS AREVA TURBINE FOR
A LARGE-SCALE PROJECT IN GERMANY World-leading renewables operator, Iberdrola, has once again selected AREVA’s offshore wind technology for the Wikinger project, to be developed 35 kilometres off the German Baltic Sea coast.
Under the terms of the agreement, AREVA will supply its M5000 5 MW turbine for the Wikinger wind farm that will produce up to 400 MW of electricity and that is to be constructed during 2016 and 2017.
COMPETITIVE TENDERING PROCESS
This success follows a highly competitive tendering process with several different offshore technologies proposed. Both companies will now enter into further negotiations to finalise the commercial and technical aspects of the supply contract.
Last year, Iberdrola, in partnership with Eole-RES, selected AREVA’s technology for the 500 MW project in the area of Saint-Brieuc, off the coast of Brittany, as part of the first French offshore wind tender.
EXPERIENCE RECOGNITION This new selection of AREVA’s turbine by renewables market leader Iberdrola, demonstrates its recognition of the experience AREVA has acquired over the past years in the field of offshore wind. By 2014, the group will have more than 120 wind turbines installed in the North Sea, thereby reinforcing its leading position in the high-power turbines market.
Luc Oursel, CEO of AREVA, said: “We are honored by Iberdrola’s renewed confidence in AREVA’s offshore wind technology which further comforts the group’s strong ambitions in Europe. This new success further demonstrates the credibility of our long term strategy of growth and our long term commitment towards renewable energies.”
Areva
www.areva.com
www.windenergynetwork.co.uk
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