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LUBRICATION & FILTRATION FEATURE


LOOK AFTER YOUR OIL AND YOUR OIL WILL


LOOK AFTER YOU! DAVE MoSS FROM MoVENtAS GIVES SoME SoUND ADVICE...


Larger bearing cage/carrier metal particles in the planetary section of the gear.


Magnetic stick showing metal filings resulting from metal to metal contact in the gearbox.


the attitude of some in the wind industry remains a complete mystery.


I climbed to the nacelle of a turbine in Turkey about a year ago. The wind farm manager had complained about the noise the gearbox was making. the gear had been recently re-installed after service by a local ISp. Half way up the tower I could smell the familiar smell of the burnt oil. A quick look at the oil sight glass revealed a substance the colour of Guinness.


Opening up the inspection hatch and reaching inside to grab a handful of oil, the foul smelling, viscous, black substance in my hand felt more like grinding paste than oil. When I asked the site manager if he had used new oil when he had re-installed the gear he assured me he had, however he had refitted the old cooler and hoses taken off the previous gearbox and these had not been flushed.


NOT UNCOMMON


Temperatures, pressures, the RpM, and many other parameters are monitored and reported 24/7, however oil condition still seems to be forgotten or neglected by many. Why should this be when it is a basic fundamental to the longevity of any rotating machine and it’s individual component parts?


In 1982 I qualified as a Marine Engineering Officer and went to work in the engine rooms of a number of ships owned by BI, OCL and P&O.


AN EARLY LESSON


At college, and whilst working in the engine room, one thing that was drummed into me was the importance of oil in rotating machines. The phrase “look after your oil and your oil will look after you” is as true today as it was all those years ago.


REMOTE LOCATIONS on a ship of course there is the luxury of a team of engineers in the engine room on a daily basis. In a wind turbine, especially if it is offshore, there is very seldom anyone to see, hear, smell or touch the operating plant. However we live in an age of remote condition monitoring and the senses of the engineer are replaced with sensors, probes and monitors.


OIL DEGRADATION EVIDENCE Working in service, I see gearboxes returned for service and overhaul where it is clear that the failure root cause starts with the degradation of the oil leading to the inevitable process of metal on metal contact between gear teeth and bearing surfaces.


As we dig out the metal dust, filings and particles from the gearbox sump, we can see that little fines beget bigger particles which in turn beget chips and eventually large pieces of bearing or gear teeth that we use as paper weights in the office.


LUBRICATION IS KEY Other industries have known for over a century that lubrication is the key, however


Big bearing cage/carrier, bearing and bearing race chips and chunks.


This is unfortunately a not uncommon situation and the debris from the old failed gearbox gets fed straight into the new or recently serviced gearbox.


Immediately the process of metal on metal is restarted and the gearbox is doomed to an early failure.


CONCLUSION


The conclusion therefore should not just be – “look after your oil and your oil will look after you”


But instead should be – “Look after the things that look after your oil and they will look after you”


Dave Moss Moventas


www.moventas.com


Click to view more info = Click to view video


www.windenergynetwork.co.uk


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