Wind Energy
The wind power sector presents a distinctive array of challenges that demand careful consideration and innovative solutions. These challenges encompass extreme operating conditions, remote and difficult-to-access locations, as well as the imperative for unwavering availability and optimal efficiency.
Ensuring the reliability of machinery in wind turbines is a particularly demanding endeavour, given that substandard lubrication practices can precipitate failures in critical areas such as the system gearbox, hydraulic systems, and bearings, resulting in substantial repair expenses. To extend the interval between scheduled maintenance, diminish the expense of lubrication replacement, and safeguard the system from potential failures, the pivotal focus lies on the prevention and remediation of contamination.
The gearboxes utilized in wind turbines exhibit notable distinctions from those employed in high-speed machinery, particularly in terms of failure progression and susceptibility to contaminants.
While industrial gearboxes may experience rapid failure progression within weeks, days, or even hours, the impact of contaminants on the slower turning gear drives in wind turbines is characterized by a gradual and stealthy effect.
Despite this variance, the mean time between failure (MTBF) for gears and shaft-support bearings can be substantially extended, up to two to three times, through the meticulous maintenance of optimal fluid cleanliness and dryness levels.
The turbines are equipped with a hydraulic system that serves as a braking mechanism for the unit and facilitates hydraulic pitch control on the blades. In this application, the oil plays a multifaceted role, serving not only as a power transmission medium but also providing lubrication, heat transfer, and acting as a carrier for contaminants to be subsequently filtered out.