MONITORING GREASE LUBRICATION FLOW IN WIND TURBINES


Although China leads the world in the amount of power generated from wind, Denmark has the highest generation rate per capita by a


long way. In 2015, this small country was generating over two megawatt hours per person: well ahead of China’s 0.26. This relatively high generation rate has resulted in a local industry which produces large numbers of wind turbines for the rest of the world. One of the fundamental requirements of ensuring reliable and efficient wind turbine operation is to keep the heavily loaded main bearings fully lubricated in all operating conditions. Titan Enterprises were approached to


supply a small flowmeter to monitor the grease being supplied into a wind turbine main bearing mechanism. For simplicity the grease mechanism is mechanically driven from the blade rotation and therefore the flow


rate is potentially very low if the blades are barely rotating. This grease flow is crucial and an alarm must be tripped and the rotation stopped should the grease flow be insufficient. In addition, if the lubricant supply line became blocked the flowmeter should be able to withstand pressure that could potentially rise to several hundred Bar. An extra requirement for the required flow measurement device was for a low power system as the backup system was battery powered. Titan Enterprises redesigned the OG2


flowmeter to operate at 700 Bar in a small body and fitted a miniature reed switch detector to keep the power requirements to a minimum. www.flowmeters.co.uk


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FACILITY HELPS CUSTOMERS TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IIOT


Welcome to the November issue of Instrumentation. In this issue, Paul Bennett,


managing director of Fascia Graphics, discusses Brexit. With negotiations with the EU ongoing, Bennett shines a light on some of the potential impacts of Brexit on UK manufacturing. Among the topics discussed in the article are funding, tarriffs and staffing. You can find out more on page 27.


Victoria White - Editor


Endress+Hauser has opened a new facility in Brussels. Endress+Hauser invested approximately €6.6m in the new building in Belgium’s capital. The four-storey building features a


welcoming reception area, an experience-oriented exhibition zone, a restaurant for visitors and employees, state-of-the-art conference rooms and offices as well as workshops including a calibration lab and a warehouse. It was erected in the immediate vicinity of the previous location of Endress+Hauser Belgium. The site also offers room for future expansion. Endress+Hauser put an emphasis on an appealing architectural design and the use of quality materials. Geothermal systems and 175 solar panels provide a high degree of energy self-sufficiency. Endress+Hauser instruments monitor energy flows in the building and ensure efficient use. Matthias Altendorf, CEO of the Endress+Hauser Group, commented on


the new facility: “Our sales centre in Belgium plays a leading role when it comes to helping customers to increase their productivity, taking advantage of the Industrial Internet of Things.” www.endress.com


Yokogawa has received awards from the Society of Instrument and Control Engineers (SICE) for a scientific paper, contributions toward the establishment of international standards, and the development of a methodology. www.yokogawa.com


Trescal has acquired Teclabor, a calibration services provider based in Recife (Brazil). This is the company’s third acquisition in Brazil, expanding Trescal’s geographical footprint to the state of Pernambuco. www.trescal.com


The BSRIA North office was officially opened on 20 October in Preston. BSRIA North will service members and wider industry based in the north of England and the opportunities created by the “northern powerhouse”. www.bsria.co.uk


www.rheintacho.com


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INSTRUMENTATION | NOVEMBER 2017


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