INNOVATION FEATURE
Reducing the risks of equipment failure
Unanticipated equipment failures are costly. Even the smallest fault can be significant in terms of maintenance costs and lost revenue. Not only is there the cost of replacement equipment to consider, but the labour time to install it, and the lost revenue for the period when the turbine is inoperative. So what can the industry do to address this?
RELIABLE EQUIPMENT
Reliable equipment solutions are needed to decrease costs and reduce downtime, allowing energy production to be maximised. Large amounts of time and resources are often spent on finding methods to reduce the risks of large components failing; turbine gearboxes are one such example. However, more often than not, it is the small components such as seals and bolts that are central to reliability, performance and ultimately, profitability.
James Walker has identified a number of options that can help the industry overcome these problems.
REDUCING THE RISKS OF BOLT FAILURE
90-95% of all bolted joint failures are caused by insufficient bolt tension on installation. Therefore, to achieve reliability and reduce equipment failure, it is essential that the correct tension is attained at installation and also throughout the lifetime of the bolt. Traditional tightening procedures, such as torque and hydraulic tensioning, measure the effort applied and not the tension achieved across the bolted joint and as such are not an adequate measure of correct bolt tension.
ACCURATE TENSION MEASUREMENT
Advanced bolt tension technologies can reduce the risks of bolt failure by accurately measuring tension across bolted joints. James Walker’s RotaBolt® offers accurate installation to within ±5% of the customer’s specified design tension. This reduces the risk of bolts loosening in operation due to factors such as vibration or thermal cycling. Additionally, RotaBolt® tension control fasteners allow any loss of tension across the bolt to be easily monitored by a simple tactile or visual check requiring no specialist expertise or tools. This technology can reduce the risks of equipment failure whilst also improving safety and dramatically reducing maintenance costs.
REDUCING THE RISKS OF SEAL FAILURE
Poor seal performance can cause lubricant leakage, compromise performance and accelerate equipment failure. As more wind farms are installed in challenging environments, rapid on- site seal replacement with the minimum of disassembly is essential to minimise the loss of energy production. However, retro fitting of such components is a vital consideration that is often absent in seal design.
ON-SITE JOINTED SEAL CONCEPT
Sealing manufacturing specialists have developed on-site joining technology to fit the wind industry. The Walkersele® OSJ-2 is an on-site jointed seal concept that offers the capability to replace a typical turbine main shaft seal in less than 30 minutes with no major disassembly. These on-site joined seals offer the same integrity, life and performance as the seal fitted during manufacture by an OEM and timely seal replacement will help to reduce the risks of equipment failure.
VIBRATION ELIMINATION
Shaft and blade vibration can cause fatigue and ultimately, the premature failure of turbine components. To improve performance and reduce maintenance requirements, vibration needs to be minimised or eliminated where possible.
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www.windenergynetwork.co.uk
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