Page 15 - North American Clean Energy May June 2018 Issue

proportional pitch control valve in a turbine it can take 4-6 hours from start to nish, depending on the wind farm. Considering the maintenance costs, as well as lost production, the expense of constantly changing prematurely failing pitch valves can really add up.
Many pitch control valve designs
don’t account for potential extreme weather conditions or tough operational environments. After examining hundreds of failed proportional pitch control valves, it was found that over 90 percent of the failures were related to electronic component failure or degradation, or mechanical failures of the driver card housing. Failures are seldom caused
by wear or internal mechanical failure. ese failures ultimately a ect the
PID pitch rotation control loop (which often requires a rotational accuracy of
1 percent). A proportional pitch valve problem or failure will create a fault,
or error, in the pitch rotation system - ultimately shutting down the turbine.
Due to extreme weather exposure, the highest rates of failure are valves that
do not have a robust electronic control package. Heavy-duty valve construction, coupled with a robust onboard electronic package, with rugged wire connections and seals, is paramount for a proportional hydraulic pitch control valve to perform well and survive in these extreme conditions. Focusing on the design of the electronics (the electronic driver card,
the housing in which it must be mounted, and the electrical connections) results
in an improved life cycle. e goal for proportional pitch control valves is a 3 to 5 year life – without failure.
Ultimately, the pitch valve must be constructed with the understanding
that normal operating conditions will be exceeded. Valves are expected to perform in di erent wind and weather conditions around the globe. What performs well
in Europe may not perform well in certain parts of North America. e valve manufacturer’s original design must be analyzed and evaluated to determine if the valve can survive in the toughest wind and weather conditions.
Based in southern Oregon, Scott Smith (CFPHS) is a senior uid power specialist at Motion Industries. He has 35 years of experience in the
uid power industry with distribution and manufacturing companies, and earned his Certi ed Fluid Power Hydraulic Specialist certi cation in 2001. Smith has been heavily involved in the wind energy market for Motion Industries, with a focus on hydraulic and lube systems.
www.motionindustries.com
Post-compensated, sectional, load-sense valve
Muncie Power Products has expanded its valve line with a new post-compensated, sectional, load- sense valve – the L125. A 33 GPM nominal ow rate valve, the L125’s inlet is capable of a maximum of 40 GPM and its work sections a maximum of 26.4 GPM. e L125 features good ow sharing parameters and multiple spool ow options. Electro-hydraulic and manual shift versions are available. Muncie Power’s new L125 post-compensated, sectional, load-sense valve is suitable for the utility, agriculture, snow and ice and refuse markets in addition to speci c applications such as truck-mounted cranes, forestry cranes, and plow and spreader functions.
Muncie Power Products, Inc. | www.munciepower.com
ADVANCED BOLTING TECHNOLOGY
Light – Unsurpassed power-to-weight ratio Accurate – Designed to provide a high degree of accuracy (+/-2.8%) and repeatability (+/- 2%) Fast – Decreased tightening times by up to 300% Quiet – Operates at 75 db reducing noise level
With torque ranges up to 15,000 Nm, the E-RAD BLU uses a patented gearbox design and the precision of an electric AC Servo motor. These tools deliver smooth continuous torque and are capable of torque and angle sequence. They also feature enhanced traceability with data collection.
1.800.983.0044
WWW.RADTORQUE.COM E-RAD BLU
|
Motion Industries
North American Clean Energy
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