The wind industry saw a huge number of installs in 2009, and 2010 is shaping up much better than expected. But when 2010 ends, the turbines of ‘09 and earlier will pass out of warranty and move to the service side of the ledger. Their maintenance work could overwhelm the OEMs. So who will take…
Baumer Sensors Reliably Monitor Wind Turbine Operation Systems
Southington, CT — For wind turbines, Baumer offers a full line of sensors that reliably provide critical speed, position and presence data, monitoring conditions in the nacelle, blade, tower and foundation. Designed to perform without interruption for decades, Baumer’s sensors monitor cooling systems, tower and foundation strain, disc brake conditions, air gap tolerances, rotor blade…
Excel Gear Announces Two Key Appointments
Excel Gear, Inc. of Roscoe, Illinois announces the appointment of Denis Bermingham as the manager of manufacturing engineering and special projects, plus William “Bill” Powers as the company’s marketing manager. Both appointments were made by company president N.K. “Chinn” Chinnusamy, who noted these hirings were made as the result of the company’s recent growth and…
Northwire introduces Resilience™ Cables for Wind Turbine Applications
OSCEOLA, WI — Northwire, Inc. has introduced Resilience Cables for wind turbine applications. The cables are UL and Wind Turbine Tray Cable (WTTC) approved and NFPA 79 (12.2.2) rated for constant flex and high performance. Resilience Cables are guaranteed to perform in harsh environments. Resilience Cable can be designed to ship in five days with…
Carlo Gavazzi’s DWS Series Wind Sensors
Buffalo Grove, IL – Carlo Gavazzi Automation has recently launched a complete line of dynamic wind sensors that are vital components for improving efficiency, enhancing accuracy and providing safety in a variety of different applications. The DWS Series Anemometers measure wind velocity from 3.3 to 67 MPH (1.5 to 30 meters per second). They are…
Self Locking Implanted Cotter Pin from Pivot Point
Hustisford, WI – Pivot Point Incorporated has invented a new quick locking pin named the SLIC Pin™ (U.S. patent number 6,872,039, foreign patents pending). The pin functions as a pin and cotter all in one. SLIC is an acronym for Self Locking Implanted Cotter, and as the name implies, the pin is secure and self…
SolarReserve Signs Power Contract with NV Energy
SANTA MONICA, CA – SolarReserve announced it has signed a 25-year power purchase agreement with NV Energy for the sale of electricity from SolarReserve’s Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project. Developed and owned by SolarReserve’s subsidiary, Tonopah Solar Energy, LLC, the 100-megawatt solar energy project will be located near the town of Tonopah in Nye County,…
Bearings for Wind Turbines
Several bearing configurations for wind turbines come from NTN Bearing Co. of America, Mt. Prospect, Ill. Mainshaft bearing For instance, for main shafts, designs include spherical roller bearings. The company says these increase efficiency and service life. Credit for that goes to new materials and improved heat treatments that significantly increase overall bearing service life.…
Moog Slip Rings for Wind Turbines
Moog Components Group has announced the introduction of a new slip ring that is a direct replacement for pitch control slip rings on the GE 1.5 MW series wind turbines. The AC7008 slip ring provides reliable transmission of power and data signals from the nacelle to the control system for the rotary blades. The advantage…
USDA Small Wind Turbine Grants Cover 25% of All Costs
BOULDER, CO – Farmers, ranchers and rural business owners have until July 31, 2009 to apply for the USDA Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) grants. The grants provide funds to purchase and install small wind turbines (or other renewable energy systems). Farmers, ranchers and rural business owners are eligible for grants to cover 25%…
SKF WindLub Centralized Lubrication System
To simplify maintenance and reduce environmental impact, SKF WindLub centralized lubrication system delivers the exact quantity of the appropriate lubricant at the right positions at the right time of all rotating equipment. SKF WindLub helps to increase turbine reliability and availability. The system also helps to extend the turbine’s service life and reduce operational and…
Parker Hannifin Partners with Green Energy Technologies
Charlotte, NC – Parker Hannifin — SSD Drives Division has entered into an agreement to provide power conversion systems and generators to Green Energy Technologies LLC, for their recently launched WindCube®, a 60kW rooftop wind turbine designed for on-site power generation by commercial and industrial power users in urban and suburban locations. The turbine, which…
Clever Bearing and Planetary Drive Carries Greater Load
Uncontrollable and highly variable wind forces adversely affect the performance and reliability of planetary gears inside wind-turbine power transmissions. A couple developments from The Timken Co., Canton, Ohio, can lower maintenance on rolling elements and carry greater load in a planetary gearset. In the first, the Integrated Flexpin Bearing (IFB) equalizes gear loads, reduces internal…
Rupture Disc Assembly for Wind Turbine Hydraulic Braking Systems
Liberty, Missouri — Continental Disc Corporation has introduced a new rupture disc assembly for wind turbine hydraulic braking systems. This rupture disc assembly protects equipment from damage and down time in the event of overpressure conditions. Specifically designed for the hydraulic braking systems and yaw brake controls of wind turbines, the rupture disc assembly provides…
BASF Celebrates 10 Years of Wind Energy Coatings
SOUTHFIELD, MI — BASF Industrial Coatings Solutions recently celebrated 10 years of providing coating systems to the global wind energy industry. In fact, BASF was the first company to develop coatings specifically to protect the fiberglass and epoxy system of wind power blades. The components of wind power stations are subjected to enormous stress. Weathering…
Moog Acquires Remaining Ownership in German Wind Energy Company
Moog Inc. (NYSE: MOG.A and MOG.B ) announced that it has acquired the remaining 60% ownership of the wind energy business of LTi REEnergy GmbH in Unna, Germany and Shanghai, China. The consideration was €12 million in cash paid and the issuance of a €9.5 million note payable in February 2010. The company produces electric…