Page 13 - North American Clean Energy May June 2018 Issue

oil change over 20 years, signi cantly reducing costs. Moreover, mitigation methods like additive top treating (which involves “topping o ” the oil with an additive package after some years in service) won’t deliver the same long-term performance as oil originally designed to deliver long oil life.
Operators should also look to use advanced greases to help protect important bearing components, including the main shaft, pitch, and yaw bearings. Greases should be able to deliver:
• Good performance in severe low- temperature conditions (to ensure su cient ow and facilitate start-up).
• Robust water tolerance.
• Enhanced equipment protection
from wear, rust, and corrosion.
• Long lubrication intervals.
Routine monitoring to deliver real-time performance insights Conducting regular used oil analysis (UOA) is an important tool that can help operators optimize the performance of advanced lubricants. UOA is the only way to identify turbine reliability issues, such as lubricant degradation and component wear, prior to critical failure. It’s also relatively easy to implement, with a valuable pay-o in the long-term.
Oil analysis results can deliver insights on equipment condition, lubricant condition, and contamination. e
results will indicate metal wear and component metallurgy, pinpoint any abnormal conditions in a lubricant, and assess presence of contaminants. Any issues agged by the results can then be addressed before they result in equipment failure, saving operators time and money.
A low-hanging opportunity with significant pay-o potential
Lubrication is typically only a small part of a wind operator’s budget, so it may seem like only a small opportunity. But making small changes to a lubrication program can have signi cant impact on the bottom line. For operators with wind farms in remote or harsh locations, the bene ts of a best-in-class lubrication program are ampli ed.
Gary Hennigan is a Wind Lubricants Technical Advisor at ExxonMobil Fuels & Lubricants, focused on supporting the wind sector. With more than 20 years of experience in the wind industry, Gary has worked with operators across the U.S. to develop tailored lubrication and equipment maintenance programs.
ExxonMobil | www.mobil.com
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ALWAYS TOWARDS THE BEST WIND.
Bon glioli is a leading provider of complete packages for the wind industry that seamlessly control energy generation, from rotor blade positioning with a pitch drive to nacelle orientation with a yaw drive. Working closely with customers, Bon glioli designs and manufactures a series of specialized wind turbine gearboxes and inverters that deliver reliable, superior performance.
Bon glioli USA
3541 Hargrave Drive Hebron, Kentucky 41048 Tel. (+1) 859 334 3333 - Fax (+1) 859 334 8888 www.bon glioliusa.com/wind
VISIT US AT BOOTH #3117
North American Clean Energy
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