FEATURE SPONSOR
LUBRICANTS
Wind farms operating on condition based oil changes take a sample of the lubricant every 6 – 12 months throughout the turbine’s lifecycle, and make a decision on whether to change the lubricant based on this sample. All turbines run in different conditions with different stresses and strains on the gearbox, which means that in turn lubricants will wear differently, depending on their location and use. Therefore adopting this solution allows a tailor-made approach which creates complete flexibility.
PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE While that sample is being taken to assess the condition of the lubricant and whether an oil change is required, it can also be used as an indicator of the health of the rest of the wind turbine. In the same way that doctors can take a blood test to check the general health and fitness of a patient, the condition of a lubricant can be used to monitor, for example, wear particles. This process can help identify any maintenance issues early, allowing engineers to deal with them quickly, and without the need for downtime. Work and research into preventative maintenance is still in relatively early stages, but expect to see this ‘oil as DNA’ approach become widespread over the next few years.
QUALITY CERTIFICATE OF ANALYSIS (COA)
To drive down costs across the wind industry, quality control is very important, particularly when it comes to the lubricants used to help drive the turbines. To this end, all lubricant suppliers are obliged to hold a ‘COA’ which acts as a CV for the lubricants, proving they are clean, up to the task and will last as long as possible. This helps to control costs as all parties are clear on expectations, and helps to ensure that the best lubricant is used for the job.
MEETING DEMAND FOR WIND Some suggest that the wind energy industry needs to cut around 30 percent of costs from its supply chain in order for wind power penetration to increase. This will only happen if turbines become cheaper and last longer, and the lubricants used within them are a big component of this. To optimise operational efficiency over the lifecycle of a wind turbine may mean investing in the short term to effectively reduce costs in the long term. For example there is potential to extend the life of lubricants – these lubricants may cost slightly more at first, but would represent substantial cost savings over time.
SAVING MONEY WITHOUT COMPROMISING PERFORMANCE Cutting a third of costs from a multi-million dollar industry is no easy task – competition from within the industry will increase for improved levels of production using cheaper parts and supplies, but the quality of output cannot suffer as a result.
It’s important that those companies throughout the wind power supply chain never stop thinking of ways to save money without compromising performance - the consumer demand for renewable energy sources is there, and it’s up to us in the wind industry now to make it work.
Sven Thiesen Castrol Industrial
www.windenergynetwork.co.uk
77
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