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FEATURE SPONSOR


CONDITION MONITORING


4 MAJOR CONCERNS IN CONDITION MONITORING TO CONSIDER


1 WHAT UNIQUE CHALLENGES DO WIND FARMS PRESENT TO ASSET OWNERS?


Wind energy assets are expensive to design, install and access, and consequently care should be taken to ensure they operate at full capacity.


Constructed from traditional components designed for less harsh applications, there are a number of things that can go wrong. With


equipment exposed to harsh weather conditions and at height, components are more likely to succumb to condensation, humidity and moisture ingress over time which can affect the dielectric properties of HV Plant & Equipment more adversely in wind than other applications.


Problems such as cable breakdown can also occur within eighteen months.


2 WHY IS PARTIAL DISCHARGE A MAJOR CONCERN IN OFFSHORE WIND FARMS?


Partial Discharge (PD) is a major concern in all energy networks but especially wind and it is a clear sign that an asset is deteriorating - leading to sudden and catastrophic outage and damage. In a wind energy asset, the problems of breakdown are clearly exacerbated by equipment being placed in testing environmental conditions, out at sea or the top of a mountain.


3 HOW EASY IS PD MONITORING IN WIND, COMPARED TO OTHER ENERGY PLATFORMS?


The options for obtaining reliable PD reading for offshore wind farms are restricted. Remote access can be a challenge given distance from land, so engineers can remotely monitor or visit the installation directly.


Reaching, accessing and scaling the tower and squeezing in and out of the turbine door are just a few of the challenges involved in getting a real representation of what is happening in a turbine and getting the necessary on line readings.


4 WHAT BENEFITS DO SPECIALIST OPERATORS BRING TO PD MONITORING?


As a leading provider of asset management products and services to power network operators, EA Technology, has many years experience assessing the condition of wind energy installations and components. Ideally, specialists like EA Technology should be involved at the design stage to consult on the specification to ensure proposed designs meet planned requirement. In addition, PD testing should take place on the factory floor before an asset is installed to ensure it meets its objective. This will help establish the quality of the design and installation and whether the design is flawed. And of course, condition based maintenance, delivered by our experienced teams can ensure assets are regularly checked for signs of discharge on line.


Ian Naylor EA Technology


FoundOcean is grouting the 108 monopile foundations for ScottishPower Renewables and DONG Energy’s 389MW West of Duddon Sands offshore wind farm.


We’re pumping BASF Masterflow® 9500 Exa-Grout into the monopile transition piece connections to secure the foundations.


Our new Super Pan Mixer is the world’s first to mix ultra-high strength material with an output of over 12m2 per hour, halving industry grouting times.


Learn about this and our other projects at www.foundocean.com, or meet us at EWEA Offshore in Frankfurt.


www.windenergynetwork.co.uk 47


West of Duddon Sands Offshore Wind Farm


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