Energy Management

This week’s WindEnergyUpdate news brief includes: RWE; Galloper wind farm & Crown Estate; Vestas; TWENTIES Project; Marine Management; RWE Innogy; Offshore Marine Management; RWE nPower Renewables exits Inch Cape project.

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Composites One says it has formed an alliance with the 3M’s Renewable Energy Division that will let both companies continue penetrating the emerging wind-energy industry with products geared toward wind-turbine manufacturers. 3M Renewable Energy in Booth 7004 will offer to the market a mix of sophisticated products, including a variety of tapes, adhesives, and fillers that enhance reliability, improve performance, and provide protection against weathering and harsh environments. Customers will also benefit from direct interaction with 3M and Composites One (in Booth 5822) as they work to develop custom products based on their material and manufacturing needs.

“This alliance with 3M lets us offer cutting-edge 3M products to customers as well as all the other process consumables and composite materials they might need,” says Dave Smith, Composites One Power Generation Market Manager. Composites One distributes composite materials serving users from over 30 locations in North America. The company offers composite fabricators and molders thousands of products from the industry's top suppliers through a knowledgeable technical sales and customer service force. The company offers a variety of value-added services that include closed mold technologies, technical applications reviews, and regulatory compliance assistance.

Mullins expects construction to start on about 6,000 MW of new wind capacity in the U.S. this year, which will carry a total investment value of about $10 billion.

Thousands of wind turbines have been built in the U.S. over the last few years, which means the after-market for equipment maintenance, replacement, and repair is about 12 to 18 months from taking off, says Shaun Mullins, Industrial Info Resources’ VP in Booth 9954.

“More wind capacity has been built in the U.S. over the last three years than in the previous 20 years combined,” he adds. “Starting in 2011 and accelerating in 2012 through 2014, the warranties on those turbines will start expiring. To reduce costs, windfarm operators must switch from reactive to predictive maintenance at a time when many OEMs will be playing catch-up, allowing for new equipment and service market entries.” One reason attendance has grown dramatically at the annual Windpower conference and exhibit is that hundreds of firms are entering the wind power after-market. “It will be a multi-billion-dollar business,” says Mullins.
Last year, nearly 10,000 MW of new wind capacity came online in the U.S., bringing the country’s total wind-power-generating capacity to about 35,000 MW, he says. However, new construction starts for wind since the beginning of last year have been cut in half. Many projects have been delayed or cancelled, and those that have moved forward have been scaled back and divided into phases.

“We still have a lack of financing, demand for electricity is still low, and natural gas prices remain low, which affects your sales pitch to investors and makes it more difficult to secure a PPA (power purchase agreement),” says Mullins. “Despite that, the lifeline provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has

By making investments during the recession to expand its wind power offering and capacity domestically and internationally, The Timken Company, in Booth 2803, has introduced what it says is a record number of new product developments for the industry.

Recent products for the wind industry from Timken include new bearings and steel, lubricators, and condition monitoring equipment.

For example, the manufacturer of proprietary alloy steel and power transmission components and systems, has expanded facilities in Asheboro, N.C.; Tyger River, S.C.; and a new plant in Xiangtan, China, all to produce clean-steel from facilities in Canton, Ohio and wind bearing production in Wuxi, China; Chennai, India; and Ploesti, Romania. Working with the leading wind-turbine manufacturers at varying stages of development, the company has established a supply chain around the world.

Among technology innovations Timken is showcasing at the 2010 Wind Energy Conference and Exhibition in Dallas May 22-26, Booth 2803, are:

• New Timken Wear-Resistant cylindrical and spherical bearings. This bearing technology extends operating life up to three times longer than standard cylindrical or spherical bearings, says Timken. With up to 15% less torque, the wear-resistant bearings resist  damages such as smearing, scuffing, false brinelling and micropitting (technical paper available from Timken). 
• The new UltraWind Tapered Roller Bearing from Timken has the highest life ratings in the industry, as certified by Germanischer Lloyd. This main-shaft, ultra large-bore bearing has a simplified drivetrain design that saves capital-equipment costs.
• Timken’s new Wind Energy Lubrication System enhances optimal wind power production by precisely and evenly directing fresh grease to bearing inlets while actively purging old lubricant with a, centralized-lubrication delivery device that works with either series-progressive or injector-based lubricant delivery methods.
• Three new Wind Seals include the Eco Turn Labyrinth, a non-contacting design that prevents against grease migration and contaminants,

Poster #249 from Eaton Corp., in the Performance & Reliability section in Hall A&B Concourse.

Pitch-control systems are crucial to the overall operation of a utility grade turbine. There are two prevalent approaches to the task: Hydraulic and the Electric Pitch Systems. Combining end-user feedback and an internal Eaton assessment, this poster presentation considers each system from a performance, safety, reliability, and maintenance perspective. The poster will analyze these on a system and component level and outline the benefits of the hydraulic approach.

Eaton Corporation’s electrical and hydraulic wind-power equipment help transform wind into reliable power and will be on display in Booth #11462. Company products and services span a spectrum of requirements, from small scale to utility-grade needs. Equipment on display at WINDPOWER 2010 includes:

Low voltage power circuit breakers maintain peak efficiency and reduce the time and costs associated with maintenance. The Series NRX low-voltage-power circuit breaker keeps processes up and running and helps protect equipment in the nacelle. It features broad capabilities, a compact size that allows for easy integration into new and existing structures, and it withstands rugged climate conditions. Innovative features for mounting and tool-less accessories are the result of decades of field experience and testing.

The low voltage power circuit breaker provides capabilities of a power circuit breaker in compact size of a molded case breaker. Series NRX offers continuous current ratings from 800 to 1,600A, and an interrupting capacity up to 65 kiloamperes (kA) at 508 Volts alternating current (Vac), and 42 kA at 690 Vac. Further, its innovative mechanism design drives extended maintenance-free contact life. To keep systems up and running, the Series NRX is tested to 20,000 mechanical operations and 10,000 electrical operations, exceeding third-party standards. It meets Underwriters Laboratories standards UL489 and UL1066, as well as International Electrotechnical Committee (IEC) 60947-2.

High performance Series G molded case circuit breakers provide high performance branch circuit protection for step-up transformers at tower bases and ancillary loads in the nacelle. Third-party tested to global standards, this product line features many safety options including ground fault protection and an Arc Reduction Maintenance System, which reduces arc flash incident energy up to 30%. Engineered for reliable performance over a wide temperature range (-20 to +70°C), additional ranges are possible using

In addition to hydraulically controlled and actuated blade pitch control systems, Parker can provide components and systems for dynamic performances with electromechanical technology. Parker’s electromechanical solutions, on display in Booth 10443, include dc drives with rugged designs and flexible connectivity, brushless servomotors in a full power range with flexible connection options, multi-axis motion controllers providing high speed coordinated multi-axis motion, and servo drives with compact power. Full programmability and electric cylinders offer compact power in a rugged package.

A Liebherr turbine crane.

Liebherr will display a selection of high performance components for wind-power systems in the East Wing of the convention center, Booths 10450 and 10549. Visitors will also see Liebherr gear-tooth milling and shaping machines for producing transmission and gear systems in the wind power sector, as well as the range of cranes for erecting wind power systems.

The company is a partner when it comes to the construction of wind farms with earthmoving equipment and cranes. Representative of this series, and at WINDPOWER 2010, is a model of the mobile crane LTM 11200-9.1. As well as telescopic mobile cranes, Liebherr can also provide lattice-boom mobile cranes and crawler cranes to erect wind power systems, in a variety of performance classes. The company keeps pace with development of more powerful and efficient systems, and increasingly high masts, by offering cranes with improved performance and new jib systems matched to meet the needs of the wind-power industry.

The company also has solutions for erecting wind power systems at sea, such as diesel-operated or electrical drive units, explosion-protected cranes or protection-zone cranes, and cranes for ambient temperatures to 50°C and special hoisting situations at altitudes of up to 2,000 m above sea level.

Company cranes are equipped with slewing systems consisting of large roller bearings and drive units of its own development and production. Know-how acquired over decades in the components sector has been put to use now for some 15 years by the wind-power industry as well, in the area of rotor blade and azimuth adjustments.

The company also supplies bearings as well as drive units and controls. For instance, a powered rotor-blade-adjustment system consisting of the Liebherr DAT 300 planetary gear and a two-row interior-toothed KUD 128 four-point bearing will