LUBRICANTS
IS SYNTHETIC REALLY BETTER?
As a lubricant supplier, one of the questions we are most frequently asked by our customers is “are synthetic lubricants really better?” The answer is usually yes and in the case of wind turbines, here’s why.
Wind turbines are inevitably operating in harsh environmental conditions with extremes of temperature and weather conditions having an impact on performance and lubricant selection. In these operating environments, synthetic lubricants have many benefits which improve turbine performance compared with those utilising mineral based lubricants. As a supplier of ExxonMobil lubricants, we know that specially engineered synthetic lubricants really do make a difference to performance and can reduce the Total Cost of Ownership for operators.
EXTENDED SERVICE LIFE Synthetic lubricants are engineered to offer extended service life of equipment components and extended oil drain intervals. These benefits help operators to reduce maintenance on turbines and essentially, reduce downtime. For any wind turbine operator, downtime can be disastrous as a turbine not turning, is a turbine not generating any profit.
Synthetic lubricants are engineered to provide long term bearing and gear wear protection, excellent oxidation stability, rust and corrosion protection and exceptional filterability. The synthetic base oils also offer a much wider operating temperature range compared to mineral lubricants and this is an essential feature for the wind energy sector.
OFFSHORE IMPORTANCE
For offshore wind turbines, the properties of lubricants become even more important. Corrosion and temperature variances are real issues in the offshore environment and some mineral based lubricants struggle to maintain performance in these conditions. In the offshore sector, unscheduled maintenance causes additional problems with access being that much more complicated and costly.
VARIED RECOMMENDATIONS While we recognise that the main gearbox is an essential component and is often the focus for lubrication, it’s not just synthetic gear oil that we would recommend for use in wind turbines. There are hydraulic oils and greases manufactured with synthetic base oils, some of which are manufactured specifically for wind turbine applications.
By utilising synthetic technology throughout your turbines, you are offering better protection to all the equipment components most at risk.
COST CONSIDERATIONS In our experience, the main reason that operators will not move to a synthetic lubricant is the additional cost associated with the technology. We work very closely with our customers and with ExxonMobil to show that in almost every case, the additional cost is outweighed by the benefits of switching to a synthetic lubricant. In most cases, we can demonstrate maintenance savings to our customers in a relatively short space of time.
EMBRACING ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES
In a growing industry where technology is advancing all the time, it is important to move with the times and embrace new, advanced technologies in every aspect of your wind turbine operation. Synthetic oils and greases are at the forefront of lubrication technology and the benefits are clear to see.
The Lubricant Company
FEATURE SPONSOR
106
www.windenergynetwork.co.uk
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