Page 17 - North American Clean Energy March April 2015

brushes are left for too long, they can create additional wear on the slip ring. hey can
cause the slip ring to degrade or lose roundness and force early replacement.
he ilm conditions in each turbine vary based on service conditions and brush grades.

Excessively heavy ilms inhibit transfer of current, while ilms that are too thin lead to slip
ring damage. An ideal brush ilm allows the slip ring to continue spinning smoothly, with-
out being damaged by the brushes—and, while efectively transferring power to the grid.

• Ensuring roundness
Another critical step in improving the reliability of wind turbines is checking the round- Custom-machined Electromechanical relay
ness of slip rings while they are in service. A range of instruments for diagnosis of the seals
switches

most common problems in rotating machines and slip rings are available to do just that. SKF introduces the capability to manu- Pasternack introduces a new family of high-rel
A proiler, for instance, can help wind turbine operators combat the detrimental efects facture custom machined seals for all electromechanical relay switches, with designs
of slip rings that have lost their roundness.
wind turbine applications, whether to that range from 2 to 10 million life cycles, mak-
Non-round slip rings place additional stress on carbon brushes, wearing them out meet exacting OEM speciications or
ing them uniquely qualiied for applications in-

faster than in normal conditions and causing early failure. Slip rings that aren’t round to ix and/or upgrade existing sealing cluding communications and radar. he switches
can also cause carbon brushes to spark due to a poor electrical connection. If this is the systems. A variety of proven seal designs are ideal for remote locations, such as at wind
case, power is not being drawn from the slip ring as eiciently as possible, and overall and sizes, proprietary high-performance farm sites, to transmit and receive wireless RF
power generation decreases are the result.
materials, and lexible manufacturing communication links reliably and eiciently.

With this information and proactive research, operators can often reduce the overall processes combine to deliver robust Pasternack’s latest release of hi-rel RF
maintenance necessary for their wind turbines, thereby decreasing downtime. hey can wind turbine sealing solutions tailored switches consists of 42 unique designs, which
also reduce the number of dangerous and time-consuming trips up and down the turbines and delivered in short order.
include 38 connectorized models, as well as
for unplanned repairs or component replacements. With the goal of increased power SKF custom machined seals are ide- four surface-mount devices that boast a small

generation and project cost reductions, selecting the right components, including carbon ally engineered to facilitate up-tower footprint and lower cost than traditional con-
brushes and slip rings, for the job also goes a long way in long-term turbine performance.
installation, optimize protection against nectorized packages. A unique, patented design
the ingress of contaminants, promote of the actuator and transmission link has been
Russell J. Tallyen is the design and application engineer for Morgan Advanced Materials retention of lubricant—and, ultimately, optimized for magnetic eiciency and mechani-

Electrical Carbon.
help boost turbine reliability, productiv- cal rigidity, which guarantees operation up to 10
ity, and energy eiciency. Seals can be million life cycles with excellent repeatability.
he Electrical Carbon Business of Morgan Advanced Materials designs and manufacturers a custom machined for main shafts, gear- he rugged MIL-STD-202 qualiied construction
broad range of high performance solutions for rotary transfer systems, linear transfer systems boxes, rotor bearings, yaw drives, pitch of each RF relay switch is designed to withstand

and electrical carbon systems.
drives, and rotor brakes, among other exposure to sine and random vibration and me-
critical applications.
chanical shock.
Morgan Advanced Materials | www.morganelectricalmaterials.com
SKF USA Inc. | www.skfusa.com
Pasternack | www.pasternack.com

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North American Clean Energy 17