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- Category: Articles
Considerations When Choosing Bolt Tensioning Tools
Bolt tensioning is vital to the integrity of wind turbines. As well as being extremely important for applying accurate bolt loads efficiently and safely, it is also a consideration for the builders and installers of the turbines as well as for the maintenance engineers who are required to carry out regular bolt load checks. This article will look at why accurate bolt tensioning is important, particularly for foundation bolting in the USA and Canada, and what aspects are significant when choosing the right equipment for the job.
By Roy Sheldon, Business Development Manager, Tentec Ltd, UK .
Bolt tensioning is vital to the integrity of wind turbines. As well as being extremely important for applying accurate bolt loads efficiently and safely, it is also a consideration for the builders and installers of the turbines as well as for the maintenance engineers who are required to carry out regular bolt load checks. This article will look at why accurate bolt tensioning is important, particularly for foundation bolting in the USA and Canada, and what aspects are significant when choosing the right equipment for the job.By Roy Sheldon, Business Development Manager, Tentec Ltd, UK .
- Category: Articles
New Welding and Inspection Methods
Conical cylinder wind turbine towers are classic examples of welding-dependent structures, where specialised shapes are desired at a large scale. Opportunities exist to increase production efficiency in welding by changing the submerged arc welding (SAW) procedures or by switching to another process, with tandem GMAW and laser hybrid as recommended alternatives. Tandem GMAW and laser hybrid would have advantages particularly when reorientation of parts is an important aspect of the fabrication effort. Phased-array ultrasonic inspection, which is already available for use in similar industries, can greatly increase the amount and quality of inspection information for gauging the importance of subsurface imperfections.
By William Mohr, Principal Engineer, EWI, USA .
Conical cylinder wind turbine towers are classic examples of welding-dependent structures, where specialised shapes are desired at a large scale. Opportunities exist to increase production efficiency in welding by changing the submerged arc welding (SAW) procedures or by switching to another process, with tandem GMAW and laser hybrid as recommended alternatives. Tandem GMAW and laser hybrid would have advantages particularly when reorientation of parts is an important aspect of the fabrication effort. Phased-array ultrasonic inspection, which is already available for use in similar industries, can greatly increase the amount and quality of inspection information for gauging the importance of subsurface imperfections.By William Mohr, Principal Engineer, EWI, USA .
- Category: Articles
Keeping the World’s Wind Developers Up to Date with the Newest Interconnection Standards
The remarkable growth of wind power generating capacity around the world has created a renewed focus on the fundamental role of interconnection standards for grid reliability. Since the power derived from wind farms is not inherently predictable or controllable – at least to the degree seen in ‘fossil fuel’ generation – precautions must be taken to protect the utility grid. This article describes the application of modern in-turbine dynamic reactive power solutions. Wind generators around the world have deployed these solutions, such as the D-VAR RT, to enable wind turbines to meet the grid reliability standards that now exist in many countries.
By Tony Siebert, Director of FACTS and D-VAR Business, AMSC Power Systems, Germany .
The remarkable growth of wind power generating capacity around the world has created a renewed focus on the fundamental role of interconnection standards for grid reliability. Since the power derived from wind farms is not inherently predictable or controllable – at least to the degree seen in ‘fossil fuel’ generation – precautions must be taken to protect the utility grid. This article describes the application of modern in-turbine dynamic reactive power solutions. Wind generators around the world have deployed these solutions, such as the D-VAR RT, to enable wind turbines to meet the grid reliability standards that now exist in many countries.By Tony Siebert, Director of FACTS and D-VAR Business, AMSC Power Systems, Germany .
- Category: Articles
Alignment with Target Values Reduces Vibrations
Misalignment in the drive trains of wind turbines can cause vibrations that reduce the service life and availability of gears and generators. These errors can be identified by means of vibration measurements or by using condition monitoring systems.
By Dr Edwin Becker and Ole Holstein, PRÜFTECHNIK, Germany .
Misalignment in the drive trains of wind turbines can cause vibrations that reduce the service life and availability of gears and generators. These errors can be identified by means of vibration measurements or by using condition monitoring systems.By Dr Edwin Becker and Ole Holstein, PRÜFTECHNIK, Germany .
- Category: Articles
Dynamic Load Simulation of Multi-Megawatt Wind Turbine Gearboxes
Today’s wind turbine market, characterised by continuous up-scaling into the multi-megawatt class, is calling for reliability as the number one requirement. Cascading down this requirement to each component manufacturer in the supply chain, the gearbox manufacturer’s challenge is to deliver a drive system, at a high quality level, that will operate in a highly dynamic environment. Reliable drive train design requires good understanding of the gear unit and its dynamic behaviour, particularly in the operational conditions experienced in a wind turbine. Component design, based on mechanical design loads in combination with (partial) safety factors, as described in current industry standards is not (yet) covering all requirements. There is further room for improvement based on validated and advanced simulation methods that can support the gearbox designer in developing a reliable drive system tailored to the wind turbine manufacturer’s current and future needs.
By Sonja Goris, Hansen Transmissions, Belgium .
Today’s wind turbine market, characterised by continuous up-scaling into the multi-megawatt class, is calling for reliability as the number one requirement. Cascading down this requirement to each component manufacturer in the supply chain, the gearbox manufacturer’s challenge is to deliver a drive system, at a high quality level, that will operate in a highly dynamic environment. Reliable drive train design requires good understanding of the gear unit and its dynamic behaviour, particularly in the operational conditions experienced in a wind turbine. Component design, based on mechanical design loads in combination with (partial) safety factors, as described in current industry standards is not (yet) covering all requirements. There is further room for improvement based on validated and advanced simulation methods that can support the gearbox designer in developing a reliable drive system tailored to the wind turbine manufacturer’s current and future needs.By Sonja Goris, Hansen Transmissions, Belgium .
- Category: Articles
Invention Changes the World Wind Map
At a time when an improvement in efficiency from a large wind turbine of 1–2% is highly significant, a new company called Leviathan Energy has demonstrated that it can improve the power output of large wind turbines by over 40%, and at times of slow wind by over 100%.
By Dr Daniel Farb, CEO, Leviathan Energy, Inc, USA .
At a time when an improvement in efficiency from a large wind turbine of 1–2% is highly significant, a new company called Leviathan Energy has demonstrated that it can improve the power output of large wind turbines by over 40%, and at times of slow wind by over 100%.By Dr Daniel Farb, CEO, Leviathan Energy, Inc, USA .
- Category: Articles
Co-Existence Between Radars and Turbines Offshore
In Sweden the Swedish Armed Forces take every wind power project under consideration, and give their opinion about it. In particular, planned offshore wind power plants present some significant challenges. How can co-existence between radars and wind power plants be ensured? One significant problem is the radar shadow behind the turbines. The turbines can ‘conceal’ a target that otherwise should have been detected by the radar. One can illustrate the situation by shining a light on an obstacle. There will be a shadow behind the obstacle. Flight tests have been carried out to investigate the reality of the shadow effect, and a study has been done to find possible solutions that will enable radars and wind turbines to co-exist safely.
By Kjell-Åke Eriksson, Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV), Sweden .
In Sweden the Swedish Armed Forces take every wind power project under consideration, and give their opinion about it. In particular, planned offshore wind power plants present some significant challenges. How can co-existence between radars and wind power plants be ensured? One significant problem is the radar shadow behind the turbines. The turbines can ‘conceal’ a target that otherwise should have been detected by the radar. One can illustrate the situation by shining a light on an obstacle. There will be a shadow behind the obstacle. Flight tests have been carried out to investigate the reality of the shadow effect, and a study has been done to find possible solutions that will enable radars and wind turbines to co-exist safely.By Kjell-Åke Eriksson, Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV), Sweden .
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