Page 12 - North American Clean Energy May June 2018 Issue

WIND ENERGY IS A PROMISING SOURCE OF RENEWABLE ENERGY,
but harnessing this resource often requires wind turbine equipment to be located in remote or harsh environments. Unexpected places where you will nd wind farms include the erce North Sea, the frigid Alaskan tundra, and the hot California desert, just to name a few.
is equipment often experiences severe weather; gale-force winds, extreme temperatures ranging from -30 to 50 degrees Celsius, and heavy exposure to contaminants such as dust or corrosive salt water, make it no easy task to keep these turbines spinning.
However, it’s vital that these turbines operate reliably over long maintenance service intervals. Any required servicing carries an increased level of risk, e ort, and cost, when compared to turbines located in more easily accessible areas. Most importantly, going uptower in such a remote environment also poses an increased safety risk to personnel.
is context begs the question – what should operators do to make sure that their equipment is as productive and reliable as possible, with minimal unscheduled downtime?
It all starts with lubrication.
Lubrication is the first line of defense
Lubrication is the lifeblood of any industrial machine – it’s what keeps parts clean, protected against wear, and running smoothly. For equipment that operates under extreme conditions, like those found in the wind industry, proper lubrication is absolutely paramount.
A best-in-class wind turbine lubrication program is built around three key facets: using advanced lubricants, conducting routine monitoring via used oil analysis, and choosing when to change out your lubricants.
Advanced lubricants
Wind turbines require the use of both advanced gear oils and greases. Advanced gear oils protect components in the gear box, which is the “engine” of any wind turbine. Using the right gear oils is critical to ensuring proper equipment reliability, as gear box failures are one of the leading causes of unscheduled downtime – and
a costly one at that. One study showed that a single gearbox failure can result in a 52 percent loss in annual energy production, and a 55 percent increase in unscheduled turbine downtime.
Today, almost all operators use a synthetic gear oil. Despite a common misconception, however, not all synthetic products are the same. In fact, formulation varies signi cantly, even for synthetic lubricants. Operators should look for products formulated with the right mix of advanced base oils and additives, enabling them to deliver long oil life. ese products should be able to:
• Perform in extreme temperatures (150 degrees Celsius or more).
• Deliver enhanced oxidation and water resistance.
• Provide superb protection against wear and micropitting.
• Exhibit foam control and trouble-free wet lterability.
• Claim a metal-free formulation that does not contribute to White Etching Cracks (WEC), a common cause of gear box bearing failure.
Using an advanced gear oil
that meets all these criteria can
help operators potentially double
oil drain intervals, a particularly appealing option for turbines located in harsh, remote environments.
Typical wind turbine gear oils have an oil drain interval of 36 months. Advanced synthetic lubricants are proven to extend intervals up to seven-plus years. is means that an operator could,
hypothetically,|eliminate one LIFTRA www.liftra.com
OVERSIZED COMPONENTS?
WE'VE GOT YOU COVERED!
Approximately 240 acres, our cargo facilities
Port Corpus Christi provides more advantages for the movement of
include dockside rail and truck transfer capability,
wind energy components including rail loading and truck transfer,
air-conditioned covered storage, direct vessel-to-rail
a 47' deep channel, three Class 1 railroads, and now 25 acres of
unloading, and first-rate stevedores access. From
additional space available at the new Rincon West Yard. We are
agriculture to petro – Port Corpus Christi is your
the Energy Port of the Americas.
partner for dry bulk cargo movement.
portofcc.com
Maggie Iglesias-Turner 361-885-6156 [email protected]
wind power
Keeping Wind Turbines Turning
in Harsh Environments Starts
with Lubrication
by Gary Hennigan
12
MAY•JUNE2018 /// www.nacleanenergy.com
25 ACRES!