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- Category: Articles
Blade Inspection and Age Tracking Made Easy and Standard
Through more than 20 years of development, the wind industry has grown from a playground for ‘environmental freaks’ to an attractive business, with 44.8GW of new installations during the last year. Because of the long life cycle of turbines, stakeholders in these tremendous machines have to find a cost-effective way to inspect their most vulnerable part – the blades. However, current systems on offer, such as rope access and crane operation, are often postponed by weather conditions and are both time and money consuming. Seeing the requirements of the industry, Cornis, a high-tech start-up based in Paris, has come up with a ground-based visual inspection solution which combines its knowledge of dynamic system and imaging processing. Cornis’ solution also enables operators to trace the evolution of blade defects and therefore helps their learning process towards cost reduction.By Jing Chen LI, Business Analyst, Cornis, Paris, France
- Category: Articles
Feed-in Tariff and Other Incentives to Develop Wind Farms in Ukraine
Even though the wind energy sector started developing in Ukraine several decades ago, it was only in 2011 that the first privately owned wind farms were commissioned in the country. It should be noted that in 2011 the combined power capacity of all the wind farms in Ukraine increased by 73% (65.5MW of commissioned capacity). (The figures given here and in the rest of the article are according to the calculations of the Ukraine Wind Association.) The total capacity of wind farms in Ukraine in 2011 was 151MW. In 2012 the power capacity of all wind farms reached 276.76MW (small wind installations – 14.5MW). In other words, the power capacity had increased by 125.66MW and the number of commissioned wind power units had doubled when compared to 2011.
By Maksym Sysoiev, Counsel, Attorney-at-Law, Marchenko Danevych, Kiev, Ukraine
Even though the wind energy sector started developing in Ukraine several decades ago, it was only in 2011 that the first privately owned wind farms were commissioned in the country. It should be noted that in 2011 the combined power capacity of all the wind farms in Ukraine increased by 73% (65.5MW of commissioned capacity). (The figures given here and in the rest of the article are according to the calculations of the Ukraine Wind Association.) The total capacity of wind farms in Ukraine in 2011 was 151MW. In 2012 the power capacity of all wind farms reached 276.76MW (small wind installations – 14.5MW). In other words, the power capacity had increased by 125.66MW and the number of commissioned wind power units had doubled when compared to 2011.By Maksym Sysoiev, Counsel, Attorney-at-Law, Marchenko Danevych, Kiev, Ukraine
- Category: Articles
Demonstrating a New type of Gravity Foundation which Reduces Manufacturing, Logistics and Installation Costs
Since 2011 STX Finland has been leading the development of systematic ‘design-to-cost’ turnkey deliveries of foundations for offshore wind turbines, collaborating with offshore wind farm developers. The aim has been to develop new cost-effective foundations for offshore wind energy projects in the Northern Baltic Sea, where due to icy conditions monopiles are not very suitable except if blown into rock. To create a versatile structure for a variety of seabeds, STX has employed a gravity-based design that reduces manufacturing, logistics and installation costs and time. In August 2013, the first two of these innovative offshore foundations were produced and installed successfully in cooperation with Terramare Oy to serve as fairway marker substructures in Gävle, Sweden. This article describes the design approach used and the experiences gained in the Gävle project.By Dr Per Stenius, Jukka Mäkiranta, Juha Papinoja and Ilkka Rantanen, STX Finland Windenergy, Finland
- Category: Articles
Machine Learning Techniques Reduce Uncertainty in Long-Term Performance Reference
EWC Weather Consult, a German pioneer in the optimisation of weather data, has developed a long- term correction method for wind measurements giving far superior results. By using machine learning processes EWC has created a method that successfully minimises yield uncertainties. The new method makes it possible to use non-linear corrections, and by doing so the error in the yield estimates on a wind time-series can be reduced to only 3% on average, even for very complex sites. This is half the error level achieved using the matrix method and one-fifth of the error associated with sector-based linear regression in site assessments.
By Jon Meis, Managing Director, EWC Weather Consult, Germany
EWC Weather Consult, a German pioneer in the optimisation of weather data, has developed a long- term correction method for wind measurements giving far superior results. By using machine learning processes EWC has created a method that successfully minimises yield uncertainties. The new method makes it possible to use non-linear corrections, and by doing so the error in the yield estimates on a wind time-series can be reduced to only 3% on average, even for very complex sites. This is half the error level achieved using the matrix method and one-fifth of the error associated with sector-based linear regression in site assessments.By Jon Meis, Managing Director, EWC Weather Consult, Germany
- Category: Articles
A Cloud-Based Modelling Software Uses a New Technique to Extend the Remaining Life of Gearboxes
Wind turbines are intended to last 20 to 30 years, depending on design and site conditions. Unfortunately, this has not been achieved on a consistent basis, which has led to project uncertainty and risk that was not part of the original investment and planning. Using prognostics operators and OEMs can predict future risk even before the site goes into operation and identify actions to extend the life of the wind turbine assets. This leads to identification of risk earlier and the possibility of mitigating that risk through operational and maintenance activities.By Stephen Steen, Manager, New Business Development, Sentient Science, USA
- Category: Articles
Gamesa’s G128-5.0MW Offshore Turbine Prototype
In July 2013, Gamesa’s G128-5.0MW offshore turbine prototype on the Arinaga Quay in the Canary Islands was connected to the grid. With a rated power of 5MW, blades spanning 62.5 metres and a total tip height of 154 metres, this development marks a key milestone in Gamesa’s offshore turbine development strategy. (Click here for impression of inauguration)By Michaela O’Donohoe and Francisco Maza, Gamesa Corporación Tecnológica, Spain
- Category: Articles
Using Oil Analysis Data from Wind Turbine Gearboxes
Wind turbines are sophisticated machines, operating in demanding environments. Therefore, it is very important to select the right lubricant as the proper oil choice can improve wind turbine availability. This article focuses on the challenges in wind turbine lubrication, specifically addressing the use of the synthetic gear oil Mobilgear SHC XMP 320 in the main wind turbine gearbox.By Richard Russo, Kevin Harrington and Sandra Legay, ExxonMobil Fuels & Lubricants
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