ENGINE & TURBINE TECHNOLOGY
PROTECTING TURBINES from BEARING FAILURE
astrol, one of the world’s leading lubricants companies, has launched an innovative technology to help prevent main bearing failure, which could help wind turbine operators save millions of dollars of costs in downtime. The technology in Castrol Tribol GR SW 460-1 bonds with metal surfaces to help protect wind turbines’ critical components in tough operating conditions where temperature and humidity can’t be controlled and hard-to-reach locations lead to long re-lubrication intervals. The problem affects over 10,000 wind turbines worldwide each year and accounts for an estimated US$1.8 billion costs in wind turbine downtime. “This innovative lubricant
C
technology means our customers have the potential to dramatically reduce costly downtime and consequently
make a positive impact on the cost of energy for wind energy generation,” says Soman Dhar, global product manager for Greases at Castrol.
SW 460-1 takes a different approach. Its Microflux-Trans Plastic Deformation technology (MFT-PD) bonds with metal surfaces to create a stable lubricant film that becomes even more pressure- resistant with increasing load and is highly resistant to wear. Because the protective film bonds to the surfaces it is non-sacrificial, providing longer lasting protection for the main bearings. Mechanically stable and with
Conventional lubricants work by smoothing microscopic imperfections in metal surfaces by coating contact points. The challenge they face is that when the turbine is turning, the lubricant coating is continually being worn away, making regular re-lubrication critical. Castrol Tribol GR
excellent low-temperature performance, Tribol GR SW 460-1 withstands high loads and resists shearing, wear and water ingress. With good mobility for easy start-up and good protection against fretting, it offers excellent protection and is particularly suited to the harsh conditions found in wind turbine applications. l
For more information visit
www.castrol.com
OPTIMAL POWER CONVERSION ARCHITECTURE
ngeteam, an independent global supplier of electrical conversion and turbine control equipment, has announced that a recent in-house R&D study allowed it to work out the optimal electrical power conversion designs for offshore wind turbines up to 15MW. The research, taking into account the complex set of parameters at play in levelised cost of energy (LCoE), enabled the company to develop a medium-voltage power
I
converter based on the parallelisation of several conversion lines (core product) reaching up to the 15MW power range. Ingeteam claims that its new design is the ideal solution for scaling up offshore turbine platforms. “We think that offshore wind
turbines will continue to rapidly increase their power capacity. Therefore, a robust medium-voltage power converter has been developed, focusing on a market that demands a low LCoE without compromising quality or performance in wind turbine platforms that are continuously scaling up,” commented Ana Goyen, director of Ingeteam Wind Energy. The new core
product is capable of reaching the 15MW power range and
28
www.engineerlive.com
has been conceived considering the modularity of the system as a key feature. It therefore allows multiple solutions depending on customer requirements regarding the integration in the wind turbine. The design of the converter offers maintenance friendly characteristics with front access and withdrawable main components that directly contribute to minimise the OPEX related to service of the turbine. This new converter has been specially designed for the offshore market with a fully enclosed cabinet and a liquid cooling system that guarantees safe operation even in harsh environments. With efficiencies higher than >98% at rated operating conditions, the solution greatly contributes to minimise the production losses of the wind turbine. l
For more information visit
www.ingeteam.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52
