Greater Efficiency and Reliability of Wind Turbines – The Requirements are Changing
opinion of a European wind farm operator: ‘The main objective is to keep mean time between failures as low as possible, especially for offshore installations, since maintenance for offshore involves more cost and more risk. Therefore, condition monitoring is essential, especially for offshore parks with limited access.’ This is also the case for wind turbines located in harsh environments. ‘If the turbine is located in a very windy environment, the probability of it breaking down is high, so we would install a condition monitoring system on a windy site,’ said a European wind farm operator.
Finally, insurance companies increasingly require condition-monitoring systems for offshore turbines and may offer favourable terms for onshore turbines with such systems. ‘Insurers are asking about condition monitoring and increasing requests for health monitoring over the past two to three years, especially offshore,’ said a US turbine builder in the survey.
Implication III – Pitch Control
The increasing interest in improving turbine efficiency in mature markets is also likely to stimulate interest in pitch systems, since these can help to improve turbine operation through reduced friction and/or better wind utilisation. The growing size of wind turbines will increase the importance of pitch systems because of their role in managing
1. International Energy Agency. 2. World Market Update 2009, BTM Consult, 29 March 2010. 3. UK Offshore Wind – Charting the right course. Scenarios for
loads, which reduces wear on components, minimises downtime and increases lifetime.
Individual pitch control (IPC), which dynamically adjusts the pitch of each blade in realtime to optimise rotor loading, is also likely to be more widely adopted in the future. Survey respondents expressed an interest in this technology. ‘IPC will grow significantly, particularly for very big turbines, because the bigger the blade, the bigger the load on blade and tower. IPC allows a better control of the load on the main shaft,’ commented a European consulting firm. A Japanese wind farmer added: ‘More precise response to wind conditions would enhance lifetime and revenue of the wind turbine and is therefore desirable.’
Conclusion
The changing needs of wind turbine builders and operators are presenting opportunities for suppliers, such as Moog, to collaborate with industry leaders to offer innovative solutions to emerging technological challenges. From creating reliable systems that can be used in harsh environments to offering advanced condition monitoring to developing individual blade pitch control for optimised rotor loading, it is vital to develop solutions that solve real-world problems. In a growing and maturing industry such as wind energy, this can be the key to long-term success. n
Offshore Capital Costs for the Next Five Years, BWEA, 2009. Available at:
www.bwea.com/pdf/publications/ ChartingtheRightCourse.pdf
4.
Moog Research note, Wind Farm Requirements are Changing, April 2010. Available at:
www.moog.com/wind
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