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February 2013
www.windpowerengineering.com
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INSIDE:
>> Cables for wind work Page 50
>> generator diameter spans 12m Page 8
>> siemens SWT 6.0 Page 42
How to build a wind company

Page 58
THINK BIG
Generating BIG solutions for a brighter future
LARGE DIAMETERS AVAILABLE

Specials up to 120", metric sizes up to 3 m Special designs fast and economical with No Tooling Charges Standard material sizes ready for production
SPIROLOX RETAINING RINGS No Ears to Interfere

Smalley's standard Spirolox Wind Power Series is available in up to 120" diameters. Standard material sizes are stocked for production, with delivery in as little as 2 weeks. Over 5,000 parts are available from stock, 1/4" to 16", in both carbon and stainless steel. Smalleys unique manufacturing process allows for the economical production of Spirolox retaining rings. What makes Smalley different is that we coil the ring in place of stamping it, meaning no tooling is required for manufacturing. Spirolox Retaining Rings have no ears to interfere with the mating components in assemblies and are interchangeable with ordinary snap ring grooves.
WAVE SPRINGS All Springs Are Not Equal

Single-turn wave springs from Smalley are ideal for taking up tolerances or preloading bearings. Preloading bearings prolongs bearing life by taking up play, minimizing bearing wear and noise. Large wave springs can be manufactured in diameters up to 120" in carbon or stainless steel. Over 4,000 Smalley Wave Springs are available off the shelf in up to 16" diameters.
847-719-5900
fax: 847-719-5999
www.SmalleyWindPower.com
windpower@smalley.com
Wherever the wind blows, Rexroth service works for me
Exactly
Wherever the wind blows, Bosch Rexroth can help you make sure youre generating the power, and profit, you expect. Our expert gearbox and hydraulics service for wind turbines protects your investment: Skilled, factory-trained service engineers deliver on-site support from planning and installation through troubleshooting, preventive maintenance and repair. And because the wind blows everywhere, we have strategically located stocks of common spares to minimize downtimebacked by a complete gearbox exchange program. For technical assistance, spare parts or fast scheduling of field service, just call our 24-hour Help Desk at 1-800-REXROTH. Expert Bosch Rexroth service: exactly the support you need to reap more profits from the wind.
Bosch Rexroth Corporation Learn more at www.boschrexroth-us.com/windenergy
H E R E S
WH AT
T HINK
Lessons in leadership
ou manage things but you lead people, says author Stephen Covey. I believe he is right. Good leaders make you want to be good followers. I wrote similar words on these pages about a year ago, in our last leadership issue. Indeed, being a good leader means doing the right thing. By the time you reach a position of leadership, you know what the right thing is, right? To guide the less certain among us, here are a couple examples of people doing the right thing, if in extreme ways. In a recent book, In pursuit of elegance, Mathew May dissects what makes a company or product elegant, and hence, better. The book highlights leaders doing the right thing in unusual ways. The message in a nutshell is that whats missing in a product can be as important what is there. One example is Steve Jobs insistence on simplicity. The Apple iPhone has touch screens that hide the keyboard until needed and a design that can is often used with one hand. Its elegant. Another leadership example came from a French auto-parts manufacturer. In the late 1980s, the companys organizational chart might have looked like a tower of blocks. If there was a question regarding production, a worker would respond with, Talk to my boss. Responsibility always laid elsewhere. A new president rearranged the organizational chart into a flat, horizontal arrangement for all the workers, and a dot above that for himself. The change made everyone responsible to the customer. It fixed late deliveries and slowed turnover. He did away with the personnel department and depended on employees for new hires. So, in the spirit of constant improvement (By the way, its an idea that came out of the U.S. government to boost production in World War II), we offer these simple leadership observations: Bring your people up to speed. Help them learn what they need to know, even if its something that will take years. Just because someone has an engineering degree does not mean they are adept or skilled in the idiosyncrasies of your companys design. A boss from years past was a self-made man, no college, quite competent, and justly proud of his experience and accomplishments. But he did not want to share his experience and so left his assistants floundering and bewildered. He was rarely around when needed but always there to criticize. A more recent supervisor (he lives 2,000 mi from the office) is fond of providing goals and letting staff figure out the details. He encourages questions and responds with positive, useful answers. About his only admonishment is: Dont fail alone. Dont micro-manage. You just make yourself a pain in the butt. The smartest woman I know struggled with a supervisor who wanted to get her fingers into most every assignment. Because of the unnecessary involvement, projects and tasks were rarely completed on time or to the supervisors satisfaction. If you give someone a task, be sure to back them up with support, guidance, and an open door. Most people are quite capable in what they do, even in projects that take them out of their comfort zone. Ask the supervisor lots of questions. This shows leadership in followers. One assistant is always asking questions, mostly because she is relatively new. I find the questions refreshing. Take advantage of everyone. Somewhere in your company, talent is going to waste, and it needs only a little encouragement to show itself. WPE
What do you think? Discuss this and other wind issues at www.engineering exchange.com
Paul Dvorak
www.windpowerengineering.com FEBRUARY 2013
Editor | Windpower Engineering & Development pdvorak@wtwhmedia.com
Windpower Engineering & DEVELOPMENT
WORK SAFER AND GET CLOSER TO YOUR WORK

Nothing beats a Bronto aerial for safety when inspecting, cleaning and servicing turbines. And, they do it faster and more productively, so you save time and money! Theyre available in a wide range of sizes to 104m and offer options like integrated washers and generators to meet your specific needs.
For more information call: 352/895 -1109 or visit: www.bronto.fi
E D I T O R I A L
S T A F F
FEBRUARY 2013 vol 5 no 1

EDITORIAL Editorial Director Paul Dvorak 440.234.4531 x102 pdvorak@wtwhmedia.com @windpower_eng Associate Editor Nic Sharpley 440.234.4531 x116 nsharpley@wtwhmedia.com @windpower_nic Assistant Editor Steven Bushong 440.234.4531 x118 sbushong@wtwhmedia.com @wtwh_renewables Web Development Specialist Patrick Amigo 858.603.2984 pamigo@wtwhmedia.com @amigo_patrick Integrated Media Manager Jessica East 440.234.4531 x112 jeast@wtwhmedia.com New MEDIA/WEB/ Business DevELOPMENT Web Development Manager B. David Miyares 440.234.4531 x105 dmiyares@wtwhmedia.com @wtwh_webdave SALES National Sales Manager Todd Tidmore 512.426.2378 ttidmore@wtwhmedia.com @wtwh_ttidmore Key Account Manager Jim Powers 312.925.7793 jpowers@wtwhmedia.com @jpowers_media Regional Sales Manager Suren Sagadevan 310.386.0302 suren@wtwhmedia.com @wtwh_suren Regional Sales Manager Business Development Manager Patrick Curran 440.234.4531 x109 pcurran@wtwhmedia.com @wtwhseopatrick Online Coordinator Stacy Combest 440.234.4531 x119 scombest@wtwhmedia.com @wtwh_scombest Community Manager Lance Brown 440.234.4531 x108 lbrown@wtwhmedia.com @wtwh_SocialGuru Content Associate Heather Centorbi 440.234.4531 x115 hcentorbi@wtwhmedia.com @wtwh_SocialXprt Tom Lazar 440.234.4531 x106 tlazar@wtwhmedia.com @wtwh_Tom Regional Sales Manager Neel Gleason 312.882.9867 ngleason@wtwhmedia.com @wtwh_ngleason Regional Sales Manager Courtney Seel 440.523.1685 cseel@wtwhmedia.com @wtwh_CSeel
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Windpower Engineering & DEVELOPMENT does not pass judgment on subjects of controversy nor enter into disputes with or between any individuals or organizations. Windpower Engineering & DEVELOPMENT is also an independent forum for the expression of opinions relevant to industry issues. Letters to the editor and by-lined articles express the views of the author and not necessarily of the publisher or publication. Every effort is made to provide accurate information. However, the publisher assumes no responsibility for accuracy of submitted advertising and editorial information. Non-commissioned articles and news releases cannot be acknowledged. Unsolicited materials cannot be returned nor will this organization assume responsibility for their care. Windpower Engineering & DEVELOPMENT does not endorse any products, programs, or services of advertisers or editorial contributors. Copyright 2013 by WTWH Media, LLC. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, or by recording, or by any information storage or retrieval systems, without written permission from the publisher. Subscription rates: Free and controlled circulation to qualified subscribers. Non-qualified persons may subscribe at the following rates: U.S. and possessions, 1 year: $125; 2 years: $200; 3 years $275; Canadian and foreign, 1 year: $195; only U.S. funds are accepted. Single copies $15. Subscriptions are prepaid by check or money orders only. Subscriber Services: To order a subscription or change your address, please visit our web site at www.windpowerengineering.com Windpower Engineering & DEVELOPMENT (ISSN 2163-0593) is published seven times per year in February, April, May, July, September, November and a special issue in December by WTWH Media, LLC, 2019 Center Street, Suite 300, Cleveland, OH 44113. Periodicals postage paid at Cleveland, OH and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to: Windpower Engineering & Development, 2019 Center Street, Suite 300, Cleveland, Ohio 44113
FEBRUARY 2013
CONTRIBUTORS TO WINDPOWER ENGINEERING
LIGGETT
Hirschfelder
Bondareff
Araki
PIERCE
Galvilae
Hall
Shine
BRIGGS industry market. He is also a Trenton State College graduate and is an active member of the NFPA, ODVA, IWCS and ULs Client Test Data Pro Data. Allen Hall is the CEO of Pinnacle Lightning Protection LLC, based in Williamstown, Mass.Mr. Hall holds a BSEE degree from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and has worked extensively in the aerospace and wind-energy markets for the past 17 years providing lightning-protection designs. Greg Shine is the President of Shine Wire Products Inc and WXGuard lightning diverters. Shine Wire is an ISO:9001-2008 and ITAR registered manufacturing company. Greg graduated from Saint Anselm College in 1983. Katy Briggs, the Head of Section for DNV KEMAs Energy Analysis group, manages a staff providing wind resource and energy assessment services to the wind-energy industry including developers, utilities, investors, and government agencies. Ms. Briggs has represented DNV KEMA at wind power conferences, speaking on energy assessment methods and remote sensing. She has a Masters Degree in Physics from the University of Washington and a Bachelor of Science in Applied Physics from Pacific Lutheran University. Naomi Pierce has worked at Second Wind since 2008. As marketing communications manager, she serves as a technology evangelist for the companys remote sensing systems. She manages the companys website, and edits and co-writes white papers, articles, and blog posts. Before that, she ran a design and web development firm for 19 years, where she designed and edited everything from websites to scholarly books. Ms. Pierce has a B.A. degree in Latin American History from Harvard University.
Dan Liggett works at geoAMPS, a developer of software to manage land rights and infrastructure assets. altAMPS is one of the line of geoAMPS products that leverage online, offline and mobile technologies within the land rights, infrastructure assets and data management markets. Oliver Hirschfelder, Global Wind Energy Director with Capital Safety, works with wind farms, manufacturers and construction and service firms to provide fall-protection equipment and services for those who work at heights. Hirschfelder says the company offers training courses, with multiple operating sites worldwide and a commitment to quality, innovation, and safety. Contact him at ohirschfelder@capitalsafety.com. Joan Bondareff focuses her practice on marine transportation, environmental, and legislative issues. She represents clients in many industries and state and local governments in matters related to: maritime regulations and public policy, environmental law, government relations, international law, federal grants, and port security. Prior to joining Blank Rome, Ms. Bondareff was chief counsel and acting deputy administrator of the Maritime Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation. She was also former majority counsel for the House Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries.Ms. Bondareff also serves as the Vice Chair of the Virginia Offshore Wind Development Authority. Hidenori Araki recently joined Nord-Lock Inc. as a Field Application Engineer. Araki will focus on analyzing bolted joint issues and joint optimization in various industries such as mining, energy, oil/gas, and transportation.He graduated from Northwestern University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering and Management Sciences for statistical analysis and simulation modeling. John Galvilae, the Director of Engineering at LAPP USA, has 25 years of experience as a design developer in the wire and cable industry, specializing in the industrial automation and robotics
FEBRUARY 2013
F e at u r e s
contents
FEBRUARY 2013 vol 5 no 1
44 Improving wind power with energy storage

Most electrical-power sources do not easily turn on and off, so storing excess power in large batteries and recalling it can improve grid reliability. Such storage makes renewable energy sources, such as wind, more valuable. Sizing the battery should be a three-party effort.
Cable designs to meet wind industry standards
Adhering to industry standards and paying attention to the type of physical exposure the cable will experience lets design engineers pick cables that will provide wind turbines a long and uninterrupted service life.
>>
50

D e pa r t m e n t s
03 Editorial - Lessons in leadership 08 Wind Watch - 12-m ring generator, cutting O&M costs,
WindTech, wooden towers, and space-frame blades
58 One way to grow a wind company - A case history

Congress recently gave the production tax credit a one year reprieve in the hope it will push the wind industry past a tipping point that lets it operate without government assistance. So at the end of 2013, what type of company will become the growth engine for wind? The experience of one small firm may provide insight.
20 Policy and Projects - Offshore wind 22 Reliabilty - How segmented lightning diverters improve
blade protection
26 Bolting - Counteracting vibration 29 Materials - Heat resistant nanocrystals show promise for
longer, lighter turbine blades
30 Safety - Best practices for climbing wind turbines 32 Filter- What you should know about them and breathers 36 Condition Monitoring - Grease analysis for slow
moving bearings
64 Using remote sensing to reducing uncertainty in wind project energy estimates

Project energy estimates are usually derived from a met tower based, wind resource assessment. This article examines use of remote sensing to reduce uncertainty in such estimates.
ON T HE COVER
A construction crew readies blades for lifts on NKH USAs Project Wagner in California.
Photo: Dennis Schwartz
39 Simulation Software - Managing wind farm payments 42 Turbine of the Month - Siemens SWT-6.0 sports
75m blades
97 Equipment World - Cable ties, fire suppression, and more 104 Downwind - Wind electrifies art
FEBRUARY 2013 WINDPOWER ENGINEERING & DEVELOPMENT
WI N DWATCH
12m ring generator passes prototypes tests, edges closer to production

Early last year, this magazine reported on a prototype generator that would use production methods developed for printed circuit boards to take cost and weight out of a permanent-magnet generator for direct-drive wind turbines (WPE&D, Feb 2012). The developer, Boulder Wind Power (www.boulderwindpower.com), recently reports that a 3 MW proof-of-concept generator has completed testing on a stand in Montana. The 12-m diameter ring generator and power-conversion system were electrically segmented so we could run a variety of critical tests at full-load while minimizing the investment required for multiple design iterations of the electrical system, says Boulder Wind Powers Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer Sandy Butterfield. This electrical-segmentation strategy should also reduce downtime in the field. In the event of an isolated failure anywhere in the electrical system, a fraction of the system can be isolated and taken offline while most of the generator continues producing.
8
Windpower Engineering & DEVELOPMENT FEBRUARY 2013 www.windpowerengineering.com
Open circuit voltage measurements collected on the generator shows good correlation with the prediction formed by detailed 3D electromagnetic, finite-element analysis.
(Left) The 12-m diameter generator shows its segmented design. For scale, there are two people in the top left of the photo.
(Middle left) The close-up of the steel backiron in the BWP proof-of-concept generator shows stiffening ribs that carry loading from the permanent magnets.Under normal operating conditions, analysis shows that the magnetic loads in the generator can approach 1,000,000 lb. (Bottom left) A section of printed circuit-board stator conductors (red) sits in a magnetic field (blue) from the permanent magnets (light grey) placed on a section of back iron from the BWP generator rotor (dark grey).
The proof-of-concept generator and test stand have been moved from Montana and reassembled at the company headquarters in Louisville, Colo. The company says the design may take up to 20% off the cost of wind-generated power. Butterfield says part of the generators success so far comes from the accuracy of BWPs electromagnetic analysis capability. While many machine designs settle for the accuracy provided by 2D analyses, our team has leveraged 3D analysis throughout the design to better understand the various phenomena that are important in our axial-flux machine. Through a collaborative effort with our EM-FEA software providers, we are continually pushing the boundaries of 3D analytical methods, leading to what we believe are some of the largest and most detailed dynamic models in the industry. Butterfield says the air core, a key feature of the BWP technology, allows larger diameters. By eliminating the attractive forces between the generator rotor and stator, our engineering and design team does not have to rely purely on stiffness in the support structure to manage a small air gap between these two components. Free of the stiffness-driven design approach that most other drivetrain designs rely on, BWP can increase diameter to achieve higher power ratings more cost-effectively. A cost-effective 10 MW design may be readily achievable with this technology, he says. Butterfield wont provide a weight because these figures will vary widely within a given platform depending on the rotor speed, which
defines the torque requirements for the drivetrain. The rotor diameter and the noise related tip-speed limitations that a wind turbine manufacturer selects to optimize their products for a particular wind regime and market will have a significant impact on this torque requirement. For example, the mass for any geared or direct drive design may vary as much as 20 metric tons when comparing a design optimized for a 3 MW turbine with a 101-meter rotor diameter to the same design optimized for a 3 MW turbine using a 120-m rotor. The mass of our 3-MW generator designed for a high-torque wind turbine is comparable to that of conventional low-torque 3-MW machine with gearbox. And I can say our generator will be much lighter than state-of-the-art, direct-drive generators. At a recent Chinese wind energy conference, Butterfield says low-torque 3 MW drivetrains weighed about 40 metric tons. He acknowledges that 12 meters is a large diameter and perhaps a bit out of the ordinary. Most think wind turbines should look like they do now small, compact drivetrains in nacelles that look like trailers. Enercons direct-drive designs, like BWPs machine, represent a big change in appearance. If the cost of energy is the issue then cost should be the primary metric, and the rest of the issues should be secondary considerations. Besides, there is no satisfactory 10-MW drivetrain design sufficiently lightweight and cost-effective. The industry will have to do something different, he says. Butterfield adds that superconducting generators, often considered an alternative for turbines in excess of 10 MW, are quite a ways off. Theyll have to be proven on a small scale beforehand, and recent efforts have not been encouraging. Superconducting devices work best in steady state. They dont like thermal cycling, and wind turbines are all about thermal cycling, shut downs, and start-ups. So it will be difficult to make a superconducting generator work on a tower bobbing around with constantly changing power levels, he says. Regarding the next step for the generators development, Butterfield will only say that the company is designing prototype generators for multiple clients turbines, but he wont name the companies or when they might launch. WPE
FEBRUARY 2013
W I N D W A T C H
The map of Danish offshore installations is available at: http://www. offshorecenter. dk/log/filer/ plakat25aug2009.pdf
International initiative aims to cut O&M costs in half

Editors note: Although the initiative is primarily focused in Europe, lessons learned will be useful to U.S. construction and O&M companies as the offshore wind effort grows on this side of the Atlantic. 10
The EU has pledged about 1.9

million in a three-year project called ECOWindS to gather knowledge and detail the experience gained from installing, operating, and maintaining offshore wind farms in the UK, Germany, Denmark, and Norway. The project goal is to chop operation and maintenance costs in half. The project will be guided by the Offshore Center Danmark (www. offshorecenter.dk) a group described as an innovation network. The biggest challenge of establishing offshore wind farms is that they are harder to install and maintain than onshore versions. This makes it complicated to produce power at competitive prices, hence the goal of much lower O&M costs. The North Sea is where the first, large offshore wind projects took
FEBRUARY 2013
shape and where producers, suppliers, and consultants have gathered their experience, says Offshore Centers director Peter Blach. The North Sea has become the worlds hotspot for offshore wind technology with a record number of new projects in planning stages. This is why weve taken the initiative to establish a cross-national development project focusing on how the offshore wind sector can best do research into and develop methods for installing, operating, and maintaining wind turbines. The aim is to drive down costs related to operating offshore wind farms and providing cheaper power for consumers. The project is also to ensure the survival of many small and medium-size companies, and strengthen European competitiveness in the market for offshore wind turbines. WPE
Control the wind? It isnt possible.
Control its effects on the grid? Its possible and necessary.
ouve got a dilemma. You face strict grid interconnection requirements designed to limit the impact of intermittent wind energy on the grid. Non-compliance can result in production curtailments that reduce wind plant profitability.
S&C has the answer. With 100 years of experience in electric power systems, we deliver VAR compensation solutions for new and existing wind energy plants of all sizes, in any location worldwide. Well work with you from the very beginning of your project to develop a cost-effective approach customized for your plant.
2011 S&C Electric Company 655-A1105
Our experienced teams offer a broad range of servicesincluding power system analysis studies and complete engineer-procure-construction solutionsthat assure timely completion of your VAR compensation system. And we offer field-proven products that maximize plant availability. Our PureWave DSTATCOM Distributed Static Compensator provides fast, continuous VAR compensation that today enables the production of gigawatts of wind energy. Its design, based on 1.25 MVAR building blocks, improves reliability and minimizes production curtailments. Let S&C help you comply with grid interconnection requirements and maximize your return. Visit us at sandc.com/control-vars. Or call us at 773-338-1000.
S&Cs PureWave DSTATCOM Distributed Static Compensator
Scan this QR Code on your smartphone to learn more about our custom solutions for you
W I N D W A T C H
Wood to replace steel? For turbine towers, yes!
ore steel is being used in the wind energy industry than in shipbuilding, according to some estimates. The 20% forecasted annual growth in wind will further increase steel consumption and drive its price up. One company suggests the industry might be better served using a sustainable raw material, wood. This alternative can do the same job as steel and possibly better. One wooden tower can reach hub heights up to 200m, says its design firm. The result: increased revenues from wind power. Using wood for a 100m tower can save about 300 tons of sheet steel, says Henkel (www.henkel. com), who has worked closely with Germanbased TimberTower GmbH (www.timbertower. de). For onshore wind, there is a need for alternatives to the commonly used tubular-steel towers. No previous concept, says the company, whether concrete towers, steel girder masts, or hybrid towers made from concrete and steel have been able to show long-term promise. Conventional tubular-steel towers require an immense amount of maintenance to protect against corrosion. Henkel says wood is an attractive alternative for wind power. The key advantages include protection against corrosion, ease of transportation, lower costs than steel, and reduction in CO2 emissions. And the company ensures a lifecycle of 20 years.
Using wood for a 100m tower can save about 300 tons of sheet steel and increase hub heights to 200m.
12
FEBRUARY 2013
TimberTower says its design has greater stress resistance, can be built significantly higher, and is 20 to 30% cheaper to make than steel towers.
W I N D W A T C H
The TimberTower is manufactured as an assembly of glued, laminated timber panels, and surface components. No dowels, nails, screws, or bolts are used to hold this timber construction together. Workers assemble the tower onsite into a closed, hollow body with a hexagonal, octagonal, or dodecagonal cross section. The base measures 7.0 x 7.0m and the top, 2.90 x 2.90m. A waterproofing membrane is placed on the wood to protect it from the elements. The segments are transported in 40ft. containers. The fasteners are integrated in the towers individual components, along with a ladder and lift system. Round, steel adapters connect the nacelle to the tower. The base has a mass and diameter similar to tubular steel towers. The wooden tower weighs about 90 metric tons, with the top-mounted nacelle and rotor, adding another 100 tons. This wind tower is one of the most innovative projects in the history of wood, says Walter Stampfli, General Manager of Purbond. It is already looking like it wont be the last, because the expertise that Henkel has gained from this project is getting attention in the relevant engineering communities. We have the most advanced adhesives for the manufacture of load-bearing timber elements and constructions able to meet the standard specifications applicable in almost all countries, says Stampfli, alluding to the development results achieved over the last two years. Back in 2008, the first eight-storey timber building was
constructed in London with Purbond adhesives, while the first 10-storey high-rise was built in Melbourne. And in Canada, a construction project involving a 30-storey building is also in the offing. The way we see it, this tower offers nothing but advantages, says TimberTowers General Manager, Holger Giebel. It has greater stress resistance, can be built significantly higher and is 20 to 30% cheaper to make. The Purbond adhesive joints had to prove their suitability. Each one has received a certificate of worthiness from the DIBt, Germanys institute of building technology. A TimberTower holding a 1.5 MW wind turbine could supply electricity to around 150 households in Germanys Lower Saxony. Whats more, the potential raw timber in Germany is about 78 million cubic meters per year for the next 40 years. At present, only about 55 million cubic meters of wood per year are being felled in Germany. Taking into account residual wood and firewood, this amounts to an estimated annual collection of about 64 million cubic meters of wood from the forest. This shows that considerably more wood could be used without damaging the sustainability of the forests. Partners from Germany and Austria manufacture the wooden and surface elements. A PEFC certificate held by wood suppliers guarantees that the raw material used originates from ecologically, economically and socially responsible forest management. WPE
The Purbond adhesive joints had to prove their suitability. Each one has received a certificate of worthiness from the DIBt, Germanys institute of building technology.
FEBRUARY 2013
13

W I N D W A T C H
14
The cutaway depicts a new manufacturing concept for wind blades that would entail covering a steel frame with tensioned fabric. This approach could significantly reduce production costs and make wind more economical.
Space frame promises 100m blades, lower wind-power costs

airplanes. Similar structures are used in recent architecture. For instance, the unmistakable aesthetic of the Denver International Airport is built with fabric. The fabric and spaceframe design has already found work in the wind industry. GE has used it to construct some towers because of its lighter weight and lower cost. Researchers are beginning the blade project with commercially available fabric, but as research progresses, Lin expects changes to the fabrics composition. Wrapping a steel frame with a fabric presents other cost savings: The clamshell molds that shape fiberglass into turbine blades cost millions to build are part of an expensive and sensitive production process. The proposed blade architecture will be built as resilient as fiberglass, made to work for 20 years without regular maintenance to the tension on the fabric. Still, researchers have a lot of work ahead of them. For instance, they are unsure how such blades will respond to lightning strikes. Lin says there are tradeoffs for every type of technology. While the steel frame may be a complicating factor, the fabric would be easy to replace in the event of damage. Another characteristic to consider: How will the aerodynamic qualities of a fabric blade different from that of conventional designs? Developing larger wind blades is the key to expanding wind energy into areas we wouldnt think of today as suitable for harvesting wind power, Lin said. Tapping into moderate wind speed markets, in places like the Midwest, will only help grow the industry in the years to come. WPE
Researchers have announced a project they say could fundamentally change the design and installation of wind blades, bring the cost of wind energy in-line with fossil fuels and allow for more developments in moderate wind-speed markets. The project hinges on a designthat wraps tensioned architectural fabric around a metal space frame, much like early aircraft wings. Its estimated that to achieve the national goal of 20% wind power in the U.S., wind blades must be 50% longer, a figure that would be almost impossible to reach given constraints imposed by current manufacturing methods. The proposed design would simplify production of blades exceeding 120-m, and because they could be assembled on site, they can reduce exorbitant transportation costs. A collaboration among GE, the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, researchers expect to demonstrate the technology by 2015. According to GE, the design could reduce blade costs 25 to 40%. We want to bring costs down to a point where we are no longer so dependent on the PTC, a federal incentive that makes many wind projects financially feasible, says Wendy Lin, a principal engineer at GE. If we can do that, the U.S. industry will be more consistent and blade suppliers will grow in a more stable fashion. The use of fabrics to reduce weight and provide cover dates back to World War I, when it was used on
FEBRUARY 2013
uptime. anywhere.
Industrial Ethernet Switches for Wind Applications. Red Lion understands every network environment is not the same. That is why our new N-Tron and Sixnet industrial Ethernet switches are designed to meet the extreme conditions faced by wind farms. Built-in redundancy coupled with robust reliability ensures on and offshore wind infrastructures like yours stay up and running around the clock. Red Lion provides uptime anywhere so you can get the most out of your network investment.
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2012 Red Lion Controls Inc. All Rights Reserved.
I www.redlion.net I www.sixnet.com I www.n-tron.com
W I N D W A T C H
WINDTECH
First WindTech event earns high grades
In Sweetwater, Texas, wind turbines
rise above the horizon in every direction. It takes an army of wind energy technicians to keep them all running, and the quality of their training is critical to the longevity of the machines. In late November, wind energy technicians and students arrived at Texas State Technical College West Campus for a two-day hands-on training event. WindTech 2012 brought attendees face-to-face with working professionals and offered them an opportunity to network, learn handson techniques, and engage with the latest technology. The inaugural event was organized by the college, the Texas Wind Energy Clearinghouse and Windpower Engineering & Development magazine. Out there in the field or in the classroom, workers may not have the opportunity to try out new equipment or meet leaders in their industry, said Courtney Seel, a manager with the magazine. At WindTech, attendees enjoyed an unparalleled opportunity to meet with others, learn, and work with the latest equipment. The event took place inside and out, with industry professionals speaking in classroom settings on a variety of topics, from turbine monitoring to blade maintenance. The Sweetwater Fire Department even performed an aerial rescue demonstration, which received coverage in local media. Among the event attendees was 25-year-old Andrew Grant. A student in the wind energy program at the technical college, he has also started work as a wind technician with AES. He helps oversee 67 Vestas turbines at one of the companys Buffalo Gap sites. He is exactly the type of person events planners say they had hoped to attract.
(Top) Hands-on presentations were a big draw for technicians and students at the first WindTech in Sweetwater, Texas. An instructor from Spyder, a manufacturer of suspended access platforms, preps students before they assembled the next part of a platform.
(Bottom) More hands-on work awaited technicians at the Sika presentation. Those attending learned to mix, apply, and sand epoxies for blade repair and coatings.
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WINDTECH
Grant went to many of the classroom sessions, where he found one on gearbox-damage assessment particularly helpful. He also participated in the hands-on events, which included the application of epoxy resins to damaged blades, the handling of torqueing tools, and the use of suspended-access platforms the latter of which attendees could obtain a certification in through presenting company Spider. Its great to know how to do it, and if the company Im working for ever purchases a suspended platform, then Id be able to use it, Grant said. Also, having employees already certified in it would encourage that company to purchase something like that. The turnout at the event, which numbered about 200, was bolstered by students of the college, many of whom will be working in the wind industry in a few short months. TSTC Coordinator Griselda Sanchez, said the demand for wind technicians is overwhelming. So far, 248 graduates have been through the Wind Energy Technology program at the school. Currently, 69 students are enrolled. Our students can benefit tremendously from WindTech simply because this conference allows them to see so much first hand, Sanchez said. I can talk to a student about blade repair, but nothing is better than them being able to repair one for themselves in a lab. Wind technicians like Grant, although present, were scarcer. Seel says more focus will be on getting technicians to future events. It was a great first event, she said. Our goal for this year is to increase attendance by building programs that are essential to local wind-farm managers, so they lend their workers for a day to learn about some of the latest technology and practices thats what WindTech is all about. The WindTech Events Facebook page will post places and times for its four events in 2013. WPE
W I N D W A T C H
FEBRUARY 2013
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W I N D W A T C H
Wind work around the U.S.

In a bill that averts the so-called fiscal cliff, Congress passed an extension of the wind energy tax credits. Known as the PTC, its extension had been in question for much of the year which hobbled wind-project proposals across the United States. The extension will help new projects rise in 2013, but questions remain about what happens after that. In any case, heres whats happening now:
A turbine for techs in training Devils Lake, North Dakota

Finally, the Lake Region State College has met numerous regulatory challenges and its 1.6-MW turbine is running. In the works since 2003, the turbine is a working classroom for students in the colleges wind energy program. The college has North Dakotas only wind energy technician program.
In the last moments of 2012 Milton, Vermont

A four-turbine project on Georgia Mountain is now connected to the grid, just in time. The project had a Dec. 31 deadline to be eligible for a 30% federal incentive. Electricity from the $28 million, 10-MW project is sold to the city utility.
It really adds up Tehachapi, California

MidAmerican Wind, a subsidiary of Warren Buffett-owned MidAmerican Renewables, has completed installation of the 300-MW Pinyon Pines I and II projects. The facility consists of 100 Vestas 3-MW turbines. MidAmerican Renewables now owns more than 1.25 GW of wind capacity.
All at once Wichita, Kansas

The 66,000-acre Flat Ridge 2 wind project, which spans four counties, is now creating enough electricity to power 160,000 homes. Made up of 274, 1.6-MW turbines, the $800 million farm is the largest ever in Kansas to be built at once, rather than in phases.
Powering homes and local businesses Ellsworth, Kansas

Wind Capital Groups 201-MW Post Rock project is now selling electricity to Westar Energy under a longterm power purchase agreement. The farm, which uses 134 of GEs 1.5-MW turbines, created 150 jobs and attracted about $1.5 million in economic activity for local businesses during construction.
A harmonious beginning Rotan, Texas

WKN USA opened Project Mozart, a 30-MW development that is the first phase of a larger 250MW project. Mozart, which consists of 12 Nordex N100 2.5-MW turbines, connects to the local grid and is expected to deliver energy for more than 6,000 households annually.
More money, more projects Raymondville, Texas

Duke Energy Corp. received two $110 million loans for the North American Development Bank to build a duo of farms. The 200-MW Los Vientos I project will use 87 Siemens AG wind turbines. The 202-MW Los Vientos II project in nearby Cameron County will use 84 Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. turbines.
Between a river and a hard place Healy, Alaska

The remote 24.6-MW Eva Creek Wind Farm made it by just six inches. That was the space between the REpower MM92 turbine components traveling on a railroad car and the overhead beams on a bridge crossing the Nenana River.
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POLICY
What is holding back offshore wind?

nlike oil and gas programs, where lessees know that refineries will purchase the oil they find, offshore wind developers are left largely to their own devices to identify the companies who will purchase their resource. The lack of extensive coordination between state and federal laws and policies has been one factor that has stymied development of offshore wind. The other is the price point at which offshore wind can be delivered compared to the decreasing cost of natural gas. Joan M. Bondareff
Of Counsel Blank Rome LLP
state hands. And the policies for purchasing and encouraging offshore wind have varied greatly among the Atlantic States. It is important for the U.S. to have a single coordinated policy for federal leasing and state offtake (or power purchase) agreements if wind development in the U.S. is to catch up with that in Europe.
A complex situation
Bringing wind generated power to shore presents its own challenges. Some developers, especially utilities with power stations located close to shore, are proposing direct transmission cables between the offshore wind farms and the local power stations. In contrast, the Atlantic Wind Connection (AWC), a consortium of Trans-Elect and Atlantic Grid Development, sponsored by Good Energies, Google, and Marubeni Corporation, has proposed to construct a single transmission line or backbone to connect all the offshore wind farms and bring up to 7,000 MW of offshore wind into the electric grid. AWC estimates their link will supply power to 1.9 million households. In May of last year, BOEM found there was no competitive interest in such a backbone and has begun an environmental review of the project. The backbone also has to be permitted by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). While BOEM is the principal federal leasing authority for offshore wind on the outer continental shelf of the U.S., and has recently issued two notices of proposed lease sales for Wind Energy Areas off Virginia and Rhode Island/Massachusetts, the actual sales will not occur until sometime in 2013. Other agencies may also weigh in with regard to their specific concerns, for example, shipping, wildlife protection, and aviation. For instance, a year ago the Coast Guard began a Port Access Routes Study
Studies show benefits

Two recent studies have once again touted the potential benefits of offshore wind. One report was prepared by IHS Global Insight for the Atlantic Wind Connection (the developer of the backbone to connect all offshore wind farms with one transmission link), and released last October at the AWEA Conference in Virginia Beach, Virginia. This report predicted that developing 7 GW of wind off the Atlantic coast would lead to a total of 173,000 new jobs and an increase of $4.6 billion in federal, state, and local government revenues. A similar and recent report prepared by the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) confirmed that we are at a Turning Point for Atlantic Offshore Wind Energy. The NWF report concluded that developing offshore wind (52 GW) could generate $200 billion in new economic activity, create 300,000 jobs, and sustain power for about 14 million homes while still protecting marine wildlife. Whichever study you rely on, the potential is great for renewable energy and job creation. Authority for offshore wind leasing beyond state waters is in the hands of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) of the Department of the Interior. However, BOEM cannot dictate to states and consumers whether to accept or buy the power generated by the wind farms. This is left strictly in
FEBRUARY 2013
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POLICY
to identify potential conflicts between offshore wind development and shipping lanes, but has not completed the study. The Department of Defense has reserved the final say on whether offshore wind farms interfere with their missions especially off the coast of Virginia. None of these issues will be resolved until the final leases are awarded and specific terms incorporated. This is a critical time for the development of offshore wind farms. As the recent studies indicate, there is huge potential for offshore wind and its attendant job creation, including for the construction of offshore supply vessels. But the threat of changing policies and lack of a level playing field with other sources of energy makes it challenging to compete. There is no single one-stop shop of federal permitting that simplifies the application and approval process. The same goes for financial incentives. Only the well-heeled developer can afford to pursue the process to completion, and only the patient consumer can expect one day to benefit from this clean source of abundant energy off our Eastern Seaboard. WPE
More reading:
Whither Offshore Wind? by Joan Bondareff, Of Counsel at Blank Rome, was first published in Blank Romes quarterly maritime newsletter, Mainbrace (November 2012, no. 3). www. blankromemaritime.com.
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RELIABILITY
How segmented lightning diverters improve blade protection
L
Allen Hall President Pinnacle Lightning Protection LLC www.pinnaclelightning. com
Greg Shine President Shine Wire Products Inc. www.shinewire.com
ightning damage to wind-turbine blades is one of the most frustrating and expensive in-service issues confronting operators today. Damaged blades lead to costly and time-consuming repairs and extended periods of downtime. Over the last several years, the wind community and lightning researchers have studied lightning effects on wind turbines and have added segmented lightning diverters to improve the lightning protection of blades. Historically, glass-fiber reinforced plastic (GFRP) blades have used heavyduty lightning receptors spaced along the blades span with a large down conductor located through the center of the blade, providing a low resistance path from the receptors to the nacelle. The receptor and down conductor approach has shown success at conducting lightning energy. However, lightning punctures of this blade design are, unfortunately, still a common occurrence. Lightning punctures of the GFRP blades occur when the receptors are not ideally located or if the dielectric strength of the blade structure is insufficient to prevent lightning from penetrating the blade. Typical strikes of 5 to 20 kiloamperes that puncture the blade can delaminate the GFRP structure (typically in 25 to 75 mm diameters) or disbond small lengths of the blade. Larger lightning punctures can structurally degrade the blade to the point of failure. As the wind industry has grown, so has the number of lightning-punctured blades. These damaged blades affect the bottom line operational costs of a turbine, and the
Segmented lightning diverters consist of a line of small metal segments (0.3-mm thick, 10-mm wide) on a flexible substrate that, when exposed to lightning conditions, form an ionized channel above their surface to direct the lightning energy toward a grounded metal structure.
industry is now driving to improve the lightning protection of blades. Recent lightning research has found that lightning strikes tend to occur at the blade tip and rarely attach further than 4 or 5 meters from the tip. This conclusion follows common logic that lightning will tend to strike the highest object (Ben Franklins lightning rods are a good example of this.) In fact, most lightning attachments occur within the first one to two meters of the blades tip. As turbines and blades grow taller, they will initiate more lightning events, showing increased damage near the tip. Blade design engineers are now focusing on the use of segmented lightning diverters to enhance the lightning protection of both existing and new blade designs. Segmented lightning diverters were originally developed for aerospace use, and for over 40 years they have protected the GFRP nose cones on aircraft. These specifically designed devices consist of a line of small metal
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Windpower Engineering & DEVELOPment
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R E L I A B I L I T Y
Segmented lightning diverter directing current to a lightning receptor
The yellow lightning has struck the tip of a blade where it is guided by the lightning diverter to a down conductor beneath the surface of the blade
Typical segmented lightning diverter configuration
To improve the lightning protection on a blade inservice, segmented lightning diverters (dotted brown lines) are arranged at the blade tip to guide lightning to the existing lightning receptors.
segments on a flexible substrate that, when exposed to lightning conditions, form an ionized channel above their surface to direct the lightning energy toward grounded metal structure. Segmented diverters are approximately 0.3 mm thick and 10 mm wide and can conform to the complex curvatures of the blade. Their function is illustrated Segmented lightning diverter. A typical installation of segmented diverters to an in-service GFRP blade, the following image, positions three segmented diverters from the outermost receptor to the tip, leading edge, and trailing edge of the blade. A standard two-part epoxy or double-sided tape is commonly used in the field to bond 24
the diverters to the blade surface. Capable of conducting multiple lightning strikes, these segmented diverters force the lightning energy to the existing receptor. This simple modification can significantly reduce lightning punctures to the tip of the blade thereby keeping it in-service longer. The success of segmented diverters in-service has expanded their use to new blade designs. During lightning testing per IEC 61400-24, segmented diverters are commonly used to improve the effectiveness of the receptors and minimize blade punctures. As a result, turbine manufacturers are now including
segmented diverters in their advanced blade designs, including blades that incorporate carbon fiber. Improved lightning protection on blades results in significant savings in operational costs. Segmented lightning diverters, added to existing blade protection systems, are an integral component to these savings. WPE
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FEBRUARY 2013
Hidenori Araki
Nord-Lock www.nord-lock.com
FASTENING, JOINING, & BOLTING
Counteracting vibration and settlement in bolted joints
The angle alpha on the washer cams exceeds the thread pitch angle beta, so vibration cannot loosen the tightened bolt.
ind turbines are home to a range of critical bolting applications. From the blades, rotor disc, the nacelle, all the way down through the tower and the foundation, bolted joints are major considerations. Hence, an effective bolt securing system is critical for safe and efficient operation of these massive feats of engineering.
Because many wind turbine joints are subject to vibration, regular maintenance is required to keep the nuts and bolts tight. This means lugging heavy, highpowered tools up a tall tower, more often than anyone would like. Another factor affecting windturbine-bolted joints is settlement. It is the loss of preload due to the settling
of thick surface coatings or composite materials, and other design challenges. Surface coatings protect bolts and material from corrosion while composite materials are used for their impressive strength-to-weight ratios. These and other conditions can play a role in negatively affecting bolted joints. So its no surprise that an improperly tightened
After tightening the fastener (left) the slightly conical washers flatten and the serrations engage the contact surfaces (middle). Because the cam angle () is greater than the thread pitch (), the wedge-locking effect prevents rotation of the fastener. After some time, the joint settles and the fastener sinks into the surface material. The washers immediately deflect and their spring effect (Fs) counteracts the slackening movement or elongation (L) of the bolt, thereby preventing the joint's loss of preload.
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How clamp load changes with time

The graphs show the clamping force changing with time for four different fasteners and washers. Nord-Lock X-series performs better than alternatives when compensating for slackening in static conditions and in preventing rotation of the fastener when the joint is exposed to vibration in the dynamic phase. The graphs also show that all bolted joints have a functional preload range in which the joint is safe. Problems start as soon as the preload falls outside the functional range. If the preload is too high, materials yield. If it is too low, the bolted parts separate or slide.
joint, or one that no longer holds the load, can result in damaged equipment and additional maintenance costs. One option used for these applications is a multifunctional wedgelocking washer, the X-series from NordLock. This bolt-securing system consists of a pair of pre-assembled washers that are installed cam-face to cam-face. Tightening the bolt or nut lets the teeth grip and seat the mating surfaces. The washers are locked in place, allowing movement only across the face of the cams. The washers have a cam angle , which is greater than the thread pitch . So any attempt of the bolt-nut assembly to rotate loose is blocked by the wedge effect of the cams. To deal with both the spontaneous bolt loosening (from vibration and dynamic loads), and joint settlement and relaxation found in wind-turbine bolting, this next generation of washers introduces a spring effect from a slight conical profile. The cams provide the wedge effect that prevents bolt
loosening while the spring effect compensates for the loss of preload due to settlement. To see how different products function in various circumstances, look at how preload in a bolted joint changes over time. The graphs above illustrate the performance of traditional bolts used with composite material joints. Nord-Lock classifies the process in two phases: a static phase in which settlement is measured and a dynamic phase when vibration is added. The results compare how four designs counteract slackening and handle vibration. X-series washers keep the joint tight, thus eliminating the problems associated with loose bolts common in critical wind turbine bolting applications and the need for frequent maintenance checks. Furthermore, the device reduces labor costs, makes the job easier for workers, and makes the turbine more profitable for its operators. WPE
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MATERIALS
Heat resistant nanocrystals show promise for longer, lighter turbine blades
Massachusetts Institute of Technologys (MIT) Department
of Materials Science and Engineering (DMSE) researchers havedesigned alloys that form extremely tiny grains, called nanocrystals. These alloys, only a few nanometers across, retain their nanocrystalline structure even in the face of high heat. Such materials hold great promise as high-strength structural materials that resist impacts. These might be useful building turbine blades longer and lighter than conventional structural materials allow. Graduate student Tongjai Chookajorn guided the effort to design a new class of tungsten alloys with stable nanocrystalline structures, while fellow graduate student, Heather Murdoch, came up with the theoretical method for finding suitable combinations of metals and the proportions of each that would yield stable alloys. Chookajorn then successfully synthesized the material and demonstrated that it does, in fact, have the stability and properties that Murdochs theory predicted. They, along with advisor Christopher Schuh, the Danae and Vasilis Salapatas Professor of Metallurgy and department head of DMSE, are co-authors of a paper in Science magazine. The tungsten-titanium material that Chookajorn synthesized, which has grains just 20 nanometers across, remained stable for a full
An electron microscope image of the structure of a new tungstentitanium alloy after being exposed to 1,100C for a week. The alloy retains its nanocrystalline structure. (Credit: Chookajorn et al,/Science)
week at a temperature of 1,100C. This temperature is consistent with processing techniques such as sintering, where powdered material is packed into a mold and heated to produce a solid shape. This means this alloy could easily become a practical material for a variety of applications where its high strength and impact resistance would be important, according to the researchers. For decades, researchers and the metals industry have tried to create alloys with ever-smaller crystalline grains, says Schuh. But, he adds, Nature does not like to do that. Nature tends to find lowenergy states, and bigger crystals usually have lower energy. Looking for pairings with the potential to form stable nanocrystals, Murdoch studied many combinations of metals that are not naturally found together and have not been produced in the lab. The conventional metallurgical approach to designing an alloy doesnt think about grain boundaries, Schuh explains, but rather focuses on whether the different metals can be made to mix together or not. But, he adds, its the grain boundaries that are crucial for creating stable nanocrystals. So Murdoch came up with a way of incorporating these grain boundary conditions into the teams calculations. So why go through the trouble of designing such materials? Because they can have properties that other,
more conventional metals and alloys do not. For example, the alloy of tungsten and titanium that the MIT researchers developed and tested is likely exceptionally strong, and could find applications in protection from impacts, guarding industrial, or military machinery, or for use in vehicular or personal armor. But the researchers stress that this fundamental research could lead to a wide range of potential uses. This is one case study, but there are potentially hundreds of alloys we could make, says Schuh. The key to designing nanocrystalline alloys, they say, is Finding the systems where, when you add an alloying element, it goes to the grain boundaries, and stabilizes them, Schuh says, rather than distributing uniformly through the material. Classical metallurgical theory, does not expect such a selective arrangement. This research opens up the use of microstructurally stable nanocrystalline alloys in high temperature applications, such as engines for aircraft or power generation. The U.S. Army Research Office funded the research. WPE
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FEBRUARY 2013
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Oliver Hirschfelder
Capital Safety www.capitalsafety.com
SAFETY
Best practices for climbing wind turbines

Turbine construction and maintenance are physically demanding and dangerous activities, which is why worker safety cannot be compromised. This makes it critical to address these unique challenges to safeguard the health and well being of your crew. Start by promoting these four safe practices on your job site:
1. Be aware: Understand OSHA and ANSI standards.
Because working at height is a fundamental part of turbine construction and maintenance, fall protection is one of the most critical safety considerations. Windturbine towers reach several hundred feet, exposing crews to the dangers of working at extreme heights. Familiarize yourself with OSHA regulations and ANSI standards. Workers elevated at a height of six feet or more, a common occurrence in the wind industry, are required to use fall-protection equipment. Your goal should be to ensure that your team is acutely aware of potential fall hazards and prevention methods. O&M team leaders are also responsible for equipping workers with the training and knowledge needed to use the products correctly. To guarantee compliance, workers should have access to user-friendly and comfortable equipment that works with them, not against them, throughout the duration of the workday. Dont forget to communicate the importance of fall-protection equipment in saving lives.
Develop and practice a rescue plan. First, practice prevention. But if an injured worker needs lowering to the ground, the nacelle should have evacuation equipment or descent systems.
3. Be prepared: Develop a rescue plan.

An accident on a wind turbine poses an unusual challenge. A worker could fall on top of the nacelle or inside the tower, or the turbine could be located offshore or in a rural area with limited access to emergency services. Practice prevention from the beginning and develop a comprehensive rescue plan prior to any tower work so workers know exactly what to do in an emergency. Its crucial to customize the content of a plan so that it suits a unique working environment and addresses all potential fall scenarios. For example, create a section to outline the common hazards that could occur during turbine maintenance, such as a fire, electrocution, or risks from wildlife and insects. Keep rescue evacuation equipment or descent systems the nacelle in the event of a fall. Remember, its better to be proactive, rather than reactive.
2. Be protected: Use industry-specific equipment.

During wind-turbine construction and maintenance, workers are often on the job at height for prolonged periods. Remember that serious injury from falls is possible, but that such injuries are preventable with the proper safety equipment. Provide your workers with dependable, durable fall-protection equipment suited for the high-risk tasks specific to the industry. Invest in products such as powered climb-assist equipment, which helps workers climb the internal ladders of wind turbines. Their benefits include reducing worker fatigue by providing support and weight relief while ascending and descending a turbine ladder.
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SAFETY
Powered climb assists, such as this one from Capital Safety, hooks onto a workers safety harness to give that person a pull up to conserve their energy and make climbing less stressful.
4. Be safe: Analyze the work zone.

Turbine climbers should abide by all the general guidelines for safe work practices including using a properly installed fall-arrest system, securing loose tools and parts, avoiding climbing within the six-foot fall distance of a climber above, and resting regularly while climbing. Equipment or tools falling from overhead work is a common occurrence during regular turbine upkeep. Make sure workers understand the importance of correcting or reporting any loose or damaged parts found on the tower or nacelle. Consider outfitting workers with tool lanyards, devices that tether tools to their belt or harness, to help prevent injury and damage while improving productivity. Additionally, ensure that workers only climb the tower when the turbine is locked out and not in operation. They should also be mindful of closing platform doors after passing through them and wiping grease or oil from the ladder or climbing surfaces. To maximize safety, workers should follow all instructions and rules given by the equipment manufacturer, the turbine manufacturer, and site maintenance staff. As the world relies more on alternative energy, the wind-power industry is focused on the futureespecially the future of its workforce. Take a step toward a safer future by promoting these few best practices and others to ensure wind-turbine workers remain safe in a challenging environment. WPE 31
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Lanyards attach to tools so that if dropped, they only fall so far, and can be retrieved by the user.
FEBRUARY 2013
FILTERS
What you should know about gearbox filters and breathers

Filters and breathers on windturbine gearboxes must work under conditions found in no other industrial setting. Gearbox oil, for instance, undergoes large viscosity changes due to a wide temperature span and operating conditions. And then there is potential for a high water content in the oil from humidity and condensation. Most current maintenance practices are OEM specified, but as units come out of warranty, their owners are driving for more industry standards and specs, says HYDAC Technology Corporations Meagan Santos (www.hydacusa.com) The sales engineer made these comments during the recent WindTech 2012 event in Sweetwater, Texas, and provides them as guidelines for O&M techs and system designers regarding care and maintenance of this lubrication equipment. For instance, Santos says that gearbox breathers are a first line of defense against airborne contaminants. The devices let the gearbox take in air as it cools while filtering water vapor and solid contaminants before they enter the fluid system. When gearboxes warm up, breathers should let air escape while keeping oil mist and splash inside. When a breather blocks up, the pressure differentials in a warming gearbox can push oil out its labyrinth seals and onto nacelle floors. Filters, of course, remove particulate matter from the lubricating oil, to a degree. On a two-stage filter from our company, for example, the first stage removes debris 10 m and larger while the second catches particles 50 m and larger. On cold startups when the oil is thick and slow to move, a valve lets the
A few maintenance strategies

Although there are more, HYDACs Meagan Santos suggests these gearbox maintenance strategies.
The cut away shows a little internal detail of a typical two stage, gearbox-oil filter. Such units weigh about 20 lb empty.
Dont underestimate the importance of breathers Take a proper oil sample of 50 to 100 ml. Labs can provide guidance. Use wind-energy specific oil analysis labs and make sure they know the sample comes from a wind turbine. Otherwise, they treat it differently. When the lab returns a report, take action guided by the oils condition. Maintain the correct oil level in the gearbox and hydraulic power unit. Follow proper filter changing procedures.
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FEBRUARY 2013
F I L T E R S
The typical lubrication schematic for a multimegawatt wind turbine is suggested by AGMA 6006. The offline circuit to the right is for a separate pump and filter unit that may be connected to remove smaller particles, or water, or both. AGMA 6006 and ISO 4406 suggest an oil cleanliness requirement of -/16/13. The lube circuit should be capable of maintaining these values.
oil bypass the 10 m filter. Generally, the flow rate and oil temperature, often 10 to 30C, governs when the bypass valve begins closing for finer filtering. The springs on bypass valves vary but a common setting is for about 4 bar (about 59 psi). The main filter, the outer portion with the pass protection, handles the bulk of the oil flow. Santos points out that the pump motor on the oil line often has two speeds. It runs at low speed till the oil temperature reaches about 30 to 35C and then increases to high speed. OEMs often adjust the switchover conditions. On occasion, someone may decide that the oil should run cooler, so they switch the pump speed to the higher setting. But what that can do is increase the pressure and bypass the 10 m filter when oil should be going through it. That is not good. Most gearboxes include a cooling circuit that typically passes oil through an air-to-oil heat exchanger. There is always oil in the heat exchanger, even during cold ambient conditions we want some oil passing through the cooler to prevent freezing. This is similar to leaving a faucet dripping in freezing weather. In our example system, normal oil flow is to both the gearbox lube system and the cooler, starting at 45C, the thermal valve begins to shut off flow to the gearbox, forcing oil flow through the cooler before proceeding to the gearbox lube system. Before topping off a gearbox, says Santos, make sure it needs oil. The standard recommended oil level is half way between min and max in the sight glass. So wait about 30 min after shutdown before reading the oil level. It takes time for the oil to settle and pour out of the cooler. It has small passages for oil and passages for air. You cant see through it because its a convoluted
The gearbox breather, from HYDAC includes a desiccant that absorbs water vapor. The material changes color to tell it needs changing.
FEBRUARY 2013
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F I L T E R S
path to generate turbulence and good heat transfer. So it takes a long time for oil to drain out, she says. On occasion, the wind tech should remove about 100 to 120 ml of oil from the gearbox for laboratory analysis. A report will come back with a variety of information, one being the amount of particulate in the oil. An ISO code provides a count for three particulate levels: those larger than 4 m across, larger than 6 m, and larger than 14 m. For example, consider a count on a report of 22/18/13. The accompanying table quantifies each value. (AGMA does not quantify this first value in the three, hence the dashes in their figures.) For the example, the 22 means the oil sample held between 2 million and 4 million particles greater than 4 m across. A complete analysis report also details the chemicals in the oil sample. Companies can request a particular cleanliness level in delivered new oil. When changing filters, says Santos, you wont need a big wrench to complete the job. Just hand tighten the filter-housing lid until it is snug and then back off turn, she adds. Some O&M teams do change its O-ring as a matter of course. But there is a tendency to tighten the filter-housing lid as much as possible and that can damage the O-ring. Water may be a problem and can be removed with temporary offline filters. Santos also cautions that there are small filters and breathers in the brake and hydraulic systems that are often overlooked. Those should be changed on OEM requirements. WPE
An oil analysis will include an ISO code of three numbers that describe the quantity of particulate contamination, such as 22/18/13. Decoding the middle number 18, for example, tells that there are between 130,000 and 250,000 particles larger than 6 m.
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Sources of an oil sample Bulk oil from gearbox after factory test at the gearbox manufacturers facility
Required cleanliness targets per ISO 4406 -/15/12
Oil added into gearbox at any location -/14/11
Bulk oil from gearbox after 24 to 72 hrs in service -/15/12 and after turbine commissioning (pressure fed systems only) Bulk oil from gearbox sampled per the operating and -/16/13 maintenance manual (pressure fed system only)
The table comes from the American Gear Manufacturers Assn Standard for Design and Specification of Gearboxes for Wind Turbines. The values in the last line, /16/13, are also the ISO 4406 targets for cleanliness.
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C O N DI TI ON
MONITORING
Think grease analysis to monitor slow moving bearings

Vibration sensors used to monitor
bearings that spin at 10 rpm or more do a reasonably good job of listening for trouble. Such sensors are sufficient detecting problems in gears and bearings almost as the first wear appears. But what about bearings that barely move, such as pitch bearings? They dont turn more than a few degrees, not enough to generate a signal. How can an O&M crew know the health of those? Grease analysis is one way. Three locations on a turbine are candidates: Pitch and yaw bearings, and main shaft bearings on a few particular turbines. Pitch bearings are good candidates for grease analysis because they do not move much, often just 10 to 15 degrees, says Lee Byrum, Wyoming Area Manager for Monitek (www.monitek.net). Should a neglected bearing seize, the turbine may not be able to protect itself in high wind. In a worse case, it could lead to the destruction of the turbine. Grease analysis is an excellent way of monitoring the bearing, says Byrum. To take a sample from a bearing, use an electrical cable tie and push it gently past the bearing seal into the grease. When you extract the cable tie, there will be lubricant on it, she says. Then, says Monitek Senior VP Ross Mackellar, Put on some clean latex gloves, and transfer the lubricant from the cable tie into a clean sample bottle. Those used for oil samples will work. And about one-fourth of a bottle is sufficient. Take a sample from each pitch bearing, each in separate bottles. The bearing seals are usually pliable enough 36
P a u l D vo ra k , E di to r
to allow slipping in a cable tie, but that really depends on the manufacturer. If you cannot, a bearing seal normally has a vent somewhere around the periphery. Remove the vent for access to the grease. If you encounter a seal or design, that does not allow getting a cable tie into the bearing, it is permissible to collect grease that has seeped past the seal. However, this is less than ideal lubricant because grease that has seeped outside the bearing can collect external contamination. The next location is the main rotor bearing and particularly on bearings with conventional configurations, those in which rotor shaft has an interference fit into the gearbox. GE and Siemens have used this configuration. Also, the V82 and V87 models from Vestas normally have two rotor bearings supporting the main-rotor shaft. The bearings are either in a single housing or two separate housings. The extraction technique is similar to the pitch bearing: Extract a grease sample from between the rollers and the same quantity. Lastly, sample the yaw bearing. Because the bearing is so larger, take samples from four different quadrants, one sample per quadrant. These can go into the same bottle, says Mackellar. Normally, the yaw bearing is accessible from the yaw deck just below the nacelle. Be sure to label the samples properly, with the field name, the turbine location in the field, such as W4 turbine, the point of grease extraction, the technicians initials, and a date of extraction. It is not
FEBRUARY 2013
necessary to identify the brand of grease. Oils are a different matter so their analysis will need a manufacturer and brand. After the lab receives the samples, analysis separates debris into ferrous and non-ferrous material, and it provides a commentary on morphology and density. That information will come on a typical result sheet. We take a photo of what we see, and well send the photo of a patch test, says Byrum. The lab does not comment on the chemical composition of the grease, only what it carries. We use the grease as a vehicle to carry the wear debris so its manufacturer or chemical composition is unnecessary, she says. We also use a magnetic technique to separate the ferrous material from the nonferrous. And its all hands on microscope and analysis work. Byrum adds that the techniques used by Moniteks lab have been developed over many years as a service center for the mining industry.
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C O N D I T I O N
M O N I T O R I N G
The report was generated for critical hoist but a similar a report would be generated from grease from a turbine bearing. After two samples, often six months to a year apart, the lab can generate a trend line like that in the reports upper right corner.
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Windpower Engineering & development
37
2013
D a n Ligge t t / geoAMPS/ w w w.g e o a m p s .c o m
SOFTWARE
A better way to manage wind-farm payments

Developing and managing a wind farm
involves more than erecting turbines and hoping the wind blows. There are many complex tasks associated with such a project. Costs and financial risks are high. Plenty can go wrong, and it often does. Professionals in the wind-energy industry say one big pain point in managing a wind farm is dealing with payment obligations. As individuals who manage household budgets, we can relate. Bills arrive on different days each month and are due on a varied schedule. With the advent of online banking, people found that writing checks and manually balancing the checkbook is less than ideal. Wind companies need a version of online banking. Without such effective technology, wind companies face manual calculations that require at least two weeks of staff time, with multiple staff members involved each month. Still, payments can be late or wrong. As the accompanying illustration shows, there are many variables in meeting ongoing payments for a wind farm. Lease and royalty payments go out to multiple landowners. The amounts might have to be divided into percentages for the multiple owners of one parcel. Some payments are adjusted by the Consumer Price Index, others by the Gross Domestic Product Implicit Price. Some payments are adjusted by simple interest, others compounded annually.
The chart shows the many variables to meeting ongoing payments that keep wind farms working. Payment software altAMPS improves an organizations efficiency by completing a large volume of payments while considering the many variables and payment adjustments.
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S O F T W A R E
Landowners can be individuals, married couples, corporations, or trusts. Little is static in this field. Landowners change their address, married couples get divorced, while ownerships often change by reverting to estates or going into probate upon a landowners death. And corporations are bought out or closed. To address these and many other conditions that ebb and flow in business, wind companies have resorted to various means with varying degrees of success. Many work from spreadsheets while some still work from paper. In either case, the information must be input manually through each payment cycle. Many calculations must be done quickly, but the information on spreadsheets can be erroneous or
The list and pie chart from the lease dashboard in geoAMPS provides a sample of its output. The amounts are owed on leases that might comprise the several wind farms owned by one company. Such information would let owners and finance officers plan disbursements in a more orderly manner.
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S O F T W A R E
Filtration & Fluid Management Sensors & Measurement Fluid & Motion Control
inconsistent. It is complicated and time-consuming to track all the triggers that determine the timeline for individual payments. Manual tweaking of so many adjustments can result in errors or slow the payment process. Missing payments or issuing incorrect amounts mean major headaches for the wind company. Neighboring landowners talk to one another so if one learns his neighbor got a check but he has not, hes on the phone to the wind company. A landowner may find an underpayment upsetting, but so is an overpayment which means a lower payment on the next check. Its a lose-lose scenario for the wind company. Oil and natural gas development companies entering the wind arena face unique challenges. Their existing software worked fine for oil and gas projects, but, due to the variables in leasing, not so well for wind farms. The good news is that a comprehensive and flexible payment program is available with software that automates the process of meeting payment schedules, such as lease and royalty obligations. The altAMPS program automates this essential aspect of operating a wind farm. Its capability is one function that technology company geoAMPS has developed as part of the endto-end management functions that altAMPS performs for wind and other alternative-energy projects. In much the same way that online banking has made it easier to manage household budgets, software such as altAMPS automates the process of meeting wind-farm payments. The software includes lease management, automatic reminders, a payment tracker, and scheduler capabilities. It features a royalty-payment calculator that automates development, construction, royalty, and other types
of payments based on complex calculations and varied timelines. After updating payment data, the software picks up where it left off. Despite its many functions, the learning curve for new altAMPS users is shallow. Only a half-days training is necessary for a windproject developer or agent in the field. New clients often remark they are surprised the software is so intuitive and easy to learn. They expect it to be capable of automating ongoing payments and other aspects of wind farm development and management, but the overall ease of use is an added benefit. A power user a data manager who will use the software extensively can be proficient with three to four days of training. Then with webinars, ongoing support from the developer, and daily system use, a power user can obtain expertise in about three months. Clients also say they are pleased with how the software helps meet compliance with audits and other organizational policies. Operating a wind farm is far more complex than making sure the rotors are turning. Meeting ongoing payments is understandably a major challenge. The right technology can help meet that challenge. WPE
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FEBRUARY 2013
T U R BI N E
OF THE MONTH
Worlds largest rotor 20% lighter than traditional design
Wind turbine manufacturer, Siemens (www.siemens.

com), has developed the SWT-6.0 with a rotor diameter of 154m to meet the demanding conditions of offshore wind. Unique to the model is the B75 rotor blade, which is 75-m long making it the worlds largest fiberglass component cast in one piece. These IntegralBlades have no adhesive joints and are 20% lighter than traditional blades, says the company. One of these turbines could supply up to 6,000 European households with clean energy. The SWT-6.0-154 also has special aerodynamic profiles to deliver optimum performance at a wide range of wind speeds which helps lower the cost of wind energy.
The B75 blade is the worlds largest fiberglass component cast in one piece. Manufacturing it posed several challenges for the project team. In particular, the mold had to consist of two parts so that it could be transported.
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T U R B I N E
O F
T H E
M O N T H
Siemens B75 rotor weighs about 25 tons. Each rotor consists of three B75 rotor blades, including the hub. The rotor is lifted by cranes to the top of the wind turbine tower. Once rotating, tip heights will reach 200m.
The new 6-MW turbine is a milestone in wind energy technology, says Henrik Stiesdal, CTO, Siemens Wind Power. Compared to our first 30-kW turbine, developed 30 years ago, the new SWT-6.0154 will produce over a thousand times more energy per year. The rotor-blade development is equally impressive. The first blade of the 30-kW turbine was five meters long, about the length of a minibus, while the new 75-m rotor blades have a length about that of an Airbus A380. It is the largest wind turbine rotor in operation to date. The company expects the turbine to become the workhorse for the expansion of offshore wind power. The turbine is the third direct-drive model developed by Siemens. It significantly simplifies the wind turbine design. For instance, its towerhead mass of roughly 350 tons with a nacelle weight of 200 tons makes the SWT-6.0-154 one of the lightest machines in its class. The nacelle features a helihoist platform that gives service technicians easy and safe access. The nacelle also houses fewer parts than geared wind turbines providing easy access to key components. The company says this combination of durable design and relatively low weight reduces offshore infrastructure, installation, and maintenance costs. The SWT-6.0-154, erected at a national test center in sterild, Denmark, was formally released at the inauguration of the test center last October. Siemens is also changing industrial standards for component testing by running every component through a simulated 25 years of accelerated lifetime testing. WPE
The first SWT-6.0-154 offshore wind turbine will work in sterild, Denmark. The directdrive machine is equipped with the worlds longest rotor blades, each measuring 75m.
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FEBRUARY 2013
43
A Grid Battery System from A123 provides storage and controls in one transportable enclosue. Such units can be sized to store from kilowatt to 500 MW and more.
FEBRUARY 2013
Improving wind power by

Storing excess power and then recalling it to stabilize the grid makes renewable energy sources, such as
storing its energy

wind, more valuable. Sizing the battery, however, should be a team effort between grid and wind-farm operators, and storage system designers.
he wind industry has been a mixed blessing to transmission operators. For instance, as wind-farm outputs rise, the power grid shifts from predictable and dispatchable generation to one that is variable and non-dispatchable. Renewable sources also tend to be geographically concentrated and often isolated, creating transmission constraints. In response, renewable-energy developers and grid operators are shaping strategies to meet these changes, including deploying grid scale, energy-storage systems as efficient solutions for smoothing the output of wind-power generators and to control fluctuations in the energy flowing onto the grid. By tapping stored reserves when the wind slows and recharging storage when it picks up, batteryenergy-storage systems in particular can help control the rate at which wind power flow onto the power grid.
Rhys Foster/ principal grid systems engineer/ Energy Solutions Group/ A123 Systems
www.a123systems.com
FEBRUARY 2013
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ENERGY
STORAGE
U.S. utilities are moving forward with large projects to showcase the viability of energy storage in batteries as ramp-management solutions. These will demonstrate that wind power and storage can deliver clean, reliable energy in complementary ways. Before initiating a battery-based, energy-storage project, it is important that utilities and power producers work with the technology provider to determine an optimal size of a battery system to meet the requirements for a wind-ramping application. Actual versus synthetic data A sound approach to right-sizing a battery-based storage system begins with an evaluation of accurate historical data. Simulating the performance of the proposed system on real data that taken from a renewable power source allows for a detailed, time-dependent analysis, which has substantial advantages over statistical or stochastic methods. These are probabilistic statistical analyses, usually incorporating forms such as Monte Carlo simulations. Although stochastic methods allow considering synthetic data (from a computer model), care must be taken in this synthesis to capture the true nature of the data. Although static analyses often require less computation time than a timedomain analysis (particularly for large, or high temporal resolution, data sets), there are several advantages of the time-domain
analysis. First, the time-domain approach allows modeling a control system, which can gauge the effectiveness of a proposed algorithm, the systems expected stability under a wide variety of simulated conditions along with the potential effect of equipment response times, measurement delays, and control parameters, such as gains, deadbands, and limits. In addition, the time-domain approach allows real-time system modeling, which can help determine time-dependent thermal effects as well as battery performance during all thermal and power-related conditions. This technique also allows visualizing events which can be used to capture edge cases to determine the exact sequence of events that lead to customer-requirement violations and system boundary conditions, such as battery depletion, overcharge, overcurrent, and over-temperature. The major challenge to using a full, timedependent solution is the computational complexity it requires computers to calculate the system response to millions of data points many times. These will determine optimal settings for a given set of customer requirements. Further, the overall model is only as good as the component models of which it is comprised, thereby requiring that technology providers have reliable dynamic models of their storage element and other key subsystems. As a result, not every energy storage provider willingly invests in the necessary infrastructure and internal model development required to adequately perform
a time-domain analysis. The outlined advantages make the approach far more effective in modeling a battery based, energy storage, so it is prudent for utilities to work with vendors able to conduct a detailed analysis. This will ensure they are deploying a system that meets all requirements, such as economic investment, physical footprint, and technical performance, and will continue to do so for the expected life of the project. A battery sizing strategy Right-sizing a battery system is a detailed undertaking that involves several tasks. These start with an evaluation of historical data against the technical requirements put forth by the customer. Understanding the application requirements is of particular importance to interpret its reporting requirements. Based on the system requirements, plotted representative operating data (line frequency, voltage, and real power are typical) can reveal aberrations such as missing data and uncharacteristic jumps. Because line conditions change frequently, unusual stability would also be suspect. It is important to verify that a sample rate of data along with power demand supports the update rate of the system requirements, and that the data set is representative of extremes as well as providing an overall average (which may be separate data sets). When aggregating the output of multiple
FEBRUARY 2013
The Grid Storage System is for a 16 MW installation in Chile.
The cumulative frequency distribution is for ramp rates at a U.S. wind farm.
turbines, additional averaging occurs that reduces the volatility often seen from a single turbine. The primary reason for this usually is the spatial diversity of the wind speed seen by individual turbines. This diversification can be taken into account when matching data to system requirements. After collecting the data, a statistical analysis can be performed to check distributions such as frequency of errors, ramp rates, or power pulse durations, which should provide at least one bound to the solution set. For example, the Cumulative frequency distribution of ramps graph shows the two-second, one-minute, and threeminute ramp rates as observed at a U.S. wind farm during a single month. The graph shows a logical progression of increasing variance with increasing time frame, which can be used to extrapolate a lower-bound power requirement. This statistical analysis allows creating a more accurate time-domain matrix of power and energy-system sizes. The Ramp management graph shows historical data and a few key analysis outputs during a typical day at a U.S. wind farm, with a candidate
system performing wind-ramp management to meet project requirements, such as power and response time. A next step is to assess the sensitivity of the systems requirements to changes in power or energy. Of particular importance are zero crossings for inviolable requirements, changes in curvature for less stringent requirements, and relative costs of energy versus power. Avoiding areas of steep sensitivity provides additional margin to account for changes in input data, delays in control response, and impacts of aging. The Violations versus energy graph is a theoretical surface plot of violations at given power (MW) and energy (MWh) intersections during the course of a year. In this case, the zero crossing occurs at about 9MW, 4MWh. The definition of a violation depends on customer or regulator requirements. In the case here, a violation is recorded when the ramp-rate (rate of change in real power) exceeds pre-defined limits. After generating a surface plot of violations, it is prudent to consider irregularities in the analysis that may impact system size. For example, if a particular time in a 24-hr period exhibited an abnormally high number of violations, the energy-storage system would be sized to compensate. Another factor to consider when refining the analysis is the availability of practical increments of storage and power conversion components. If a particular energystorage unit requires significant over-sizing to account for rare anomalies in the number of observed violations, it may be inefficient and therefore necessary to evaluate more modular and scalable solutions. Another factor to consider is the effect of aging on the system based on the simulated operating environment, which can also impact maintenance requirements. In the case of lithium ion batteries, cells inherently lose some capacity and exhibit increased impedance over time, which must be incorporated into the analysis to ensure the system continues to meet its requirements throughout its operational life. Finally, considering site-integration issues, accessibility, maintenance schedule, concurrent-use requirements, and input variability all contribute to developing a more accurate proposal for the initial site layout. It is important to ensure an expansion capacity that
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E N E R G Y
S T O R A G E
Ramp management refers to meeting power demand (grid) with supply (wind and battery). The inset shows more detail of a 30-min segment in a typical afternoon at a wind farm. For instance, as wind power surges at about 1460 hr, the battery (in red) absorbs some of the power.
meets service-life requirements and possible changes in data volatility or requirements.
More renewable energy to come The penetration of renewable energy sources continues to increase. AWEA reports that the U.S. has surpassed 50,000 MW of wind generated energy with more than 4,700 MW added in 2012 alone. This also increases the demand for grid-energy storage. In addition to a theoretical understanding of how energy storage can complement wind power, it is important to understand the practicalities of evaluating, selecting, and deploying an energy-storage solution. Accurate and detailed data based on time-dependent analysis can provide a strong understanding of the operational requirements of a storage system. This, in turn, allows a more accurate rightsizing of a solution that can have significant impact on the value of the system, particularly in a return-on-investment. As such, it is critical to conduct a thorough analysis of information to bridge the gap from raw data to real answers regarding the size and capabilities needed for an energy storage system. WPE
The surface plot tells where violations will occur at the performance limits of a proposed power storage system. Plots of this sort are used to better gauge the size requirements for a storage system.
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FEBRUARY 2013
Cables used in a drip loop are susceptible to continued strain due to the axial rotation of the nacelle relative to the static tower. Twisting such large cables in temperatures down to -40C, and making sure their jacket and insulation tolerate common turbine lubricants requires selecting them on more than voltage and current.
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John Gavilanes Director of Engineering/ Lapp USA www.lappusa.com
Cable
Adhering to industry standards and paying attention to the type of physical exposure the cable will experience requires that design engineers and maintenance crews pick cables that will provide wind turbines a long and uninterrupted service life.
designs
industry standards
Code changes in North America As the wind industry expands, the need to ensure the proper installation and safe operation of wind turbines has prompted mandates that provide clearly written safety standards. While utilities are monitored by government agencies, non-utility applications are guided by the National Electrical Code (NEC). In 2011, a new section called Article 694 was added to the NEC to ensure installation safety of small wind electric systems. NEC Article 694 covers small wind power turbines rated for 100 kilowatts (0.1kW). To establish consistency and prevent confusion, UL has drafted several subjects corresponding to wind-turbine generating systems: UL Subject 6141: Large Wind Turbine Systems (WT) and Electrical Subassemblies, and UL Subject 6142: Small Wind Turbine Systems and Electrical Subassemblies. Wind turbines with entrance access are defined as large per UL 6141.
odays wind turbines are assembled from a vast array of sophisticated components subject to damage from their harsh operating environments. Among the most critical and overlooked components in turbine systems are the cables that handle power and data transmission. Cables for wind-energy applications must be selected carefully because they can fail when exposed to temperature extremes, chemicals, and electromagnetic interference (EMI) found in wind turbines. Cables must also be rigorously tested to make sure they meet industry standards. Heres an update on the current state of standards for wind turbines in North America, as well as a more in-depth look at the factors design engineers and maintenance crews should consider when selecting cabling for wind-turbine applications.
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D R I V E T R A I N
D E S I G N S
The illustration shows

where cables are needed in a generic nacelle.
They are grid-connected and used for utility applications. Wind turbines without entrance access are defined as small per UL 6142. They are not connected to the grid and are considered non-utility. As the industry grows and the emphasis towards revision of standards continues, UL 6141 and 6142 will be upgraded to include new requirements. In addition, corresponding UL Standards focus on specific internal components within the wind turbine. For example, Rotating Electrical Machines must meet UL Standard 10041. Electric Generators must meet UL Standard 10044. Cables are permitted in UL Standard 10041 AWM (appliance wiring materials), but only with exceptions. For instance, Section 20.2 allows use of either standard building wire or AWM. Section 20.4 permits AWM, provided it has an insulation thickness appropriate for the insulation material type and meets stringent cable construction requirements. While UL Standard 10041 allows for the AWM option, building wire is a listed product, qualifying it as an NEC compliant wiring method. Its worth noting, however, that AWM is not an NEC acceptable wiring method, so it may be subject to potential acceptance issues during an inspection. Inside a wind turbine, cable trays or raceways route and support cables to accommodate power for the various operating systems. To address safety concerns regarding the performance of cables under operating conditions inside a turbine, UL released an outline of investigation for Flexible Motor Supply Cable and Wind Turbine Tray Cable. This outline, referred to as UL 2277, permits a 1,000V rating and specifies safety and performance requirements for cables intended for a trays or raceways in the wind turbine. UL 2277 mandates that cables used in a cable tray or raceway in the wind turbine must also meet all performance criteria of UL 1277, known as the Tray Cable standard. Design considerations In addition to the guidelines set forth by these standards, there are other physical and electrical factors to consider when specifying cables for wind turbines. For instance: Grease, oil, and hydraulic fluids.
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FEBRUARY 2013
Meeting the welding demands of the wind tower fabrication industry
AR11-106 The Lincoln Electric Co. All Rights Reserved. www.lincolnelectric.com
D R I V E T R A I N
D E S I G N S
Wind-torsion attributes and test standards

The drip loop in wind turbines tower cables are subjected to a severe degree of strain, so it is critical to use cables that can withstand it. This strain, in the form of vertical torsion, is created when the turbine nacelle turns. When selecting a cable for this application, look for cables that have been designed specifically to accommodate the torsional stresses caused by repeated turns within the turbine. Lapp has developed torsion and bending-test equipment to ensure that its cables will continue to perform under extreme conditions. For the test, cables are set up in a vertical formation, connected to a current source, and subjected to the required cycles of torsional twisting at the specified test angle. A computer monitors the number of test cycles 24/7 and records the data. After reaching the required test-cycle interval, testing is complete. The number of completed cycles, however, does not indicate a cable failure has occured. Because of this stringent testing, Lapp has established the industry-standard cable attributes WT-01 and WT-02 to evaluate torsional cable performance. WT-01 passes the minimum UL 1277 Cold Bend Test at 20C. WT02 passes the 40C Cold Bend Test. Some products pass the UL 1277 Cold Impact Test at 40C.
FEBRUARY 2013
Low temperature exposure. Depending on geographic location, the wind turbines operating environment can quickly become cold and remain that way for extended periods. This makes it critical to consider whether the selected cables can withstand cold conditions. Once the jacket has been compromised, the insulated conductors are exposed and subject to the surrounding environment. This can create a potentially hazardous condition. To avoid these issues, look for cables that maintain their handling performance at the lowest temperature extremes. A few cables designed for use in wind turbines can pass the 40C cold impact test per UL and CSA standards.
Transfer Impedance (Zt mOhm/m)
Many components within the wind turbine require grease, oil, or hydraulic fluid to function correctly. Oils and grease prevent premature wear on gears and bearings, and hydraulic fluid is necessary for brake systems. However, these lubricants can attack and degrade certain cable jacket compounds. Accidental contact is considered routine in several areas of the wind turbine, so cables can be exposed for long periods of time. The jacket is the first line of defense for the cable. Oils, grease, and hydraulic fluid can attack a cable jacket through different mechanisms. For example, absorption by the compound results in its swelling to the point where the jacket weakens and falls apart. Another mechanism, extraction of the softening components from the compound, causes the jacket to eventually harden, shrink, and crack. Once compromised, chemicals migrate through and begin to attack the insulation. To avoid these problems, make sure the selected cables are resistant to these types of chemicals and are compliant with UL standards Oil Res I and Oil Res II requirements.
The test equipment used by Lapp USA includes a network analyzer with precision tube to measure the transfer impedance of a shielded cable. The transfer Impedance test is performed per EN 5028916 / IEC 6215343 Ed2 Surface Transfer Impedance Triaxial Method.
Electromagnetic interference and shielded cables

Because wind turbines use many electrical systems, electromagnetic interference is a common concern. Cables are highly susceptible to it. Because transfer impedance is a key parameter in determining the shields performance of a cable, select a cable with low transfer impedance. Its also worth noting that the type and quality of the cable shield and how it is terminated can improve noise immunity.
Frequency (MHz)
The transfer impedance, measured in milliohms/meter, shows that shielded

cable from Lapp USA performs better than generic shielded turbine cable.
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D E S I G N S
For a torsional twist test, cables are terminated and secured at one end. The other connects to a current source while being tested. A computer keeps the cycle count and monitors the current.
Flame resistance. If a fire occurs in the wind turbine, vertically exposed groups of cables can act as flame conduits from section to section, so it is critical to specify cables with high flammability resistance. You can verify a cables flammability resistance by making sure it has been tested to the stringent requirements of the CSA FT4 flame test. This test requires loading groups of cables within a vertical tray ladder and then exposing them to an extreme, intense, and horizontal flame for 20 minutes. Certain criteria must be met regarding flame spread, such as cable charring and damage, and self-extinguishing characteristics. The FT4 flame test provides assurance that flames will only progress vertically to a certain point and then selfextinguish. In Europe, most cables offered for wind turbines only comply with the UL VW1, CSA FT1, or the IEC 603321.
Matching wind-turbine tasks to qualified cables
Electromagnetic interference and shielded cables. Because wind turbines are comprised of many electrical systems, electromagnetic interference (EMI) is a common concern. Cables are highly susceptible to it. This is especially true in models with space constraints, where a noise source is often located near sensitive equipment, increasing the likelihood of failure from EMI. Shielded cables help provide protection against sudden high current surges that may occur on a cable connected to sensitive equipment, such as the CPU of the wind turbine. Protection against current surges is a primary reason shielded cables are required in certain areas of the wind turbine. To provide the best protection, look for a product that incorporates the correct shielding design into the cable construction. Because transfer impedance is a key parameter in determining the shields performance of a cable, select a cable with low transfer impedance. Its also worth noting that the type and quality of the cable shield, and how it is terminated can also improve noise immunity. Specifying the proper cabling is a simple way to keep wind turbines up and running. By adhering to industry standards and paying attention to the type of physical exposure the cable will see in use, design engineers can pick cables that will provide long uninterrupted service life even in the severe environments common to wind farms. WPE
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FEBRUARY 2013
A few UL electrical standards for wind turbines

Here are a few UL standards that pertain to wind turbines. Operations and maintenance crews and designers should be familiar with these. UL Subject 6141 Large wind turbine systems. These requirements cover large wind turbine systems (WT) and electrical subassemblies. With respect to this standard, large wind turbines are those in which a user or service person may, or is intended to, enter the turbine to operate it or perform maintenance. These WT are for use in utilityinteractive, grid-tied applications that operate in parallel with an electric power system (EPS) to supply power to common or stand-alone loads. This standard includes requirements for WT intended for EPS grid connections at transmission, sub-transmission, and distribution levels, depending on the specifications of the specific WT. UL Subject 6142 Wind turbine generating systems, small. These requirements cover small wind turbine systems and electrical subassemblies. With respect to this standard, small WT are those in which a user or service person is not intended or required to enter the turbine to operate or to perform maintenance. These units are for use in stand-alone (not grid-connected) or utility-interactive applications. Utility-interactive, grid-tied WT operate in parallel with an electric power system to supply power to common loads. UL Subject 2277 Outline of investigation for flexible motor supply cable and wind turbine tray cable. This outline covers requirements for Wind Turbine Tray Cable rated 1,000V, 90 to 200C dry and optionally rated 90C wet. It also covers the requirements for Flexible Motor Supply Cable rated from 1,000 or 2,000V and 90C dry. UL 10041 - Standard for rotating electrical machines general requirements. This Standard applies to rotating electrical machines and linear motors, ac and dc, rated for 7,200V or less. It is used to evaluate motors intended for field and factory installations. The requirements of this Standard that address the risk of fire do not apply to a motor provided with a metal enclosure where there are no openings in the enclosure through which molten metal, burning insulation, flaming particles, or other ignited material could fall onto flammable material, or through which a flame could be projected. UL 10044 Standard for electric generators. UL intends that users read this Standard with the general requirements of UL 10041. Requirements in this Standard supplement or amend the requirements in UL 10041. The requirements of UL 10041 apply unless modified by this Standard. This Standard covers electric generators, that when coupled with prime movers, such as engines or electric motors, are used to produce electricity. It covers generators (dc machines) and alternators (ac machines) rated 7,200V or less. CSA C61400108 - Wind Turbines - Part 1: Design Requirements. This part of IEC 61400 specifies essential design requirements to ensure the engineering integrity of wind turbines. Its purpose is to provide an appropriate level of protection against damage from all hazards during the planned lifetime. This standard is concerned with all subsystems of wind turbines such as control and protection mechanisms, internal electrical systems, mechanical systems, and support structures. This standard applies to wind turbines of all sizes. For small wind turbines, IEC 614002 may be applied.
FEBRUARY 2013 Windpower Engineering & DEVELOPMENT
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Congress recently gave the production tax credit a one year reprieve in the hope it will push the wind industry into self-sustaining operations. So at the end of 2013, what type of company will become the growth engine for wind? The experience of one small firm may provide insight. Photo: Dennis Schwartz
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FEBRUARY 2013
A case history
One way to grow

a wind company
Paul Dvorak, Editor
he renewed PTC comes with new language, such as projects must begin construction to qualify for the credit. An exact definition of begin construction has not been identified. But the right verbiage might be enough to initiate 10 or 100 wind farms and push construction into the following year. The close of 2014 may look surprisingly like that of 2012. Then what? Constructions new pulse may come from unlikely sources, entrepreneurs such as Florian Zerheusan and his 10 man WKH USA (www.wknusa.com). Is it possible that with enthusiasm and drive, small companies like WKN USA can power U.S. wind construction? Zerheusans tale may be instructive. The early years Right out of college in Germany in 1999, Zerheusan moved to the U.S. and began work in the investment banking field. While Germany built a respectable wind industry in the 90s, the U.S. had done little in the same period. Other than the old technologies built during the 80s in Palm Springs, Tehachapi, and Altamont, few projects using new technology were going up. Developers such as Florida Power & Light and Babcock seemed to be leading the way in the early 2000s, says Zerhusen. In that, he saw an opportunity, wrote a business plan, and researched the German market for the most viable candidate to establish a U.S. presence. There, he found WKN AG, one of the top three wind developers in Germany, now partly owned by Siemens. The owner of WKN AG was a visionary who had previously hired a young and successful CEO, so the president took another chance on the then 25-year old Zerhusen. The company liked the business plan, so they agreed to fund it to
FEBRUARY 2013
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C A S E
H I S T O R Y
A few project thoughts from a power purchaser

The city of Riverside, Calif. will be the sole off-taker of the 6 MW produced by Project Wagner. The city is also functioning as the projects scheduling coordinator with the California Independent Service Operator (CAISO) the states centralized grid operator. We worked closely with the Project Wagner team to get the contractual arrangements in place, says Bob Tang, Power Contracts and Projects Manager for the city. The utility board approved the contract arrangement in late November and as of late December, the project was being synchronized to the grid. By the time you read this, the city council will have given final approval of the projects PPA. We have diversified our portfolio, so a small resource of six megawatts does not bother us that much, he says. Tangs office also assisted with activities that commissioned the wind farm. When the project goes into commercial operational, Riversides will schedule the output of the facility with the CAISO on a day to day basis. Tang says the California energy market recognizes the variability of wind resources. Under the CAISOs Participating Intermittent Resource Program, the project will contract for wind forecasting services with a company sanctioned by the ISO. The wind forecaster will predict the wind generation on every hour of the day. The forecast will be fed back to the ISO and made available to the scheduling coordinator. For California wind developers, Tang suggests being aware of one big issue facing them: the interconnection process with the ISO. It takes a lot of time to get the interconnection in place to transmit the turbines output. Connection facilities must be built and that is a lengthy task, he says. So any renewable-energy resource developer should make that part of its long-term scheduling and planning with an off-taker. We are talking years. At a minimum of two and possibly several more depending on the necessary transmission or distribution infrastructure, he says. CAISO has streamlined its interconnection process several times in the past few years but its still complicated, Tang admits. Developers frequently complain that the interconnection process is convoluted and costly. Even the interconnection check list that CAISO provided is complicated. So make sure you take into account the time factor and secure your queue position in the process early in project planning, he says.
establish a U.S. subsidiary, he says. Maybe to no surprise, the initial company funding gave him a shoe string budget. Could he deliver? The one-man company developed its first project in three years and successfully sold the project to a large utility, raising over $100 million in the process. This let Zerhusen expand is team. The company successfully managed the construction of Project Snyder which uses 21 Vestas V90, 3-MW wind turbines on 105-m towers. The project still has the tallest towers at any wind project in the U.S. This one project took four years from start to finish. What began as one idea from one individual resulted in the hiring of hundreds to high-paying positions during the development, construction, and operational period of the project. Zerheusan points out that it already has and will continue for the next 20 years to generate millions in revenues, taxes, and other benefits to the local, state, and federal stakeholders. The project will generate enough energy to supply 10,000 homes annually. Compared to a similar size conventional coal fired power plant, Snyder will displace 180,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year from the environment in terms of energy generation (equivalent to CO2 emissions from 35,000 cars/yr.) The industry has been busy. Small and large private equity funds as well as utilities have established their own operations that have funded the development and construction of over 50GW nameplate capacity installed in the U.S. to date. To prepare WKN USA for growth in the next decade, Zerhusen asked its board to bring on a larger partner. With the agreement of the board, BayWa AG, a multibillion dollar trading conglomerate from Munich, Germany, acquired a 70% stake in the company through its wholly owned BayWa r.e. (renewable energies) unit. BayWa AG was established in 1923 and employs over 17,000 people, mostly in Germany. The investment let the company build two of its existing development projects and actively pursue acquisition opportunities in the market. With the new major shareholder, Zerhusens business plan
60
A worker holds a guide rope tight

during blade lifts at Project Wagner.
Photo: Dennis Schwartz
FEBRUARY 2013
WINDTECH
EVENTS 2013
The premier series of handS-on wind power events
Windtech Mission Statement:

The WindTech program is designed to provide wind technicians the opportunity to network, learn handson techniques and engage with the latest operations and maintenance technology presented directly from leading vendors in the market.
IOWA LAKES, IA
May 13-15 Iowa Lakes Community College
PALM DESERT, CA
June 4-6
College of the Desert
COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE, OR

October 1-3
Columbia Gorge Community College
SWEETWATER, TX
November 12-14
Texas State Technical College
Website: www.WindTechEvents.com
Email: WindTechEvents@ WTWHMedia.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ WindTechEvents
Twitter: @WindTechEvents
C A S E
H I S T O R Y
The area about 100 mi east of Los Angeles is home to many turbines and saw the first build-outs in the 1980s. Some of those 100 kW units are retiring and being replaced with far fewer utility scale turbines. For instance, Project Wagners two 3-MW turbines can replace 60 of the smaller versions. Photo: Dennis Schwartz
has expanded from pure-play developer to constructing and owning the assets. It is not our goal to become an IPP so we will seek an exit for our operating assets when the numbers make sense. Project Wagner WKN USAs most recent work, Project Wagner, is a modest two-turbine venture that the company acquired in 2011. After completing development, it began construction of the project in late summer 2012 with commercial operation in December 2012. The project is funded and owned by WKN USAs parent BayWa. The size of the project was limited to the property available, the power purchase agreement, and interconnection requirements into the local grid. We saw an opportunity to acquire and construct the project within a year in our backyard and are excited about
the relationship we were able to build with Riverside Public Utility, with whom we have a long-term power purchase agreement. Although some may dismiss such a modest wind farm, consider that the two 3-MW turbines produce the equivalent power of 60 of the old 100-kW machines that populate most of the San Gorgonio Pass. These V90s are the most modern turbines in the valley. WKN USA has decided not to avoid small
projects in future. Many large developers shy away from anything less than 50 MW. We have projects in development that are as small as 6 MW and larger than 100 MW. As projects become larger, we prefer to partner during the construction and operational period. So we enjoy this development sweet spot. We bought Project Wagner a year ago and acquired the permits. The turbines are now being synchronized to the grid as we speak, he says.
Get Engaged
Technology Development Installation
Though we pride ourselves on producing fine print publications, we understand its important to receive your information on your own terms. Maybe you prefer podcasts, webinars, or social media like Facebook, Twitter or Linkedin? We get it. And at Windpower Engineering & Development and Solar Power World we embrace it. Youll find the same breaking news, product innovation, technical developments and resources however you choose to engage with us. Its up to you! Online at www.windpowerengineering.com and www.solarpowerworldonline.com On Facebook. Weve got 13,700 on solar and 12,500 on wind, but we want yours! @Windpower_Eng (5,800 followers) @SolarPowerWrld (5,500 followers) On Linkedin at Windpower Engineering & Development and Solar Power Worlds groups On Windpower Engineering & Development and Solar Power Worlds Google+ pages On the Engineering Exchange www.engineeringexchange.com
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FEBRUARY 2013
A partial WKH USA portfolio

Project and location Project Snyder, Texas Capacity 63 MW Turbines V90-3.0 MW Commissioned Enel North America Inc. 21 Vestas Dec. 2007 and sold to
Project Mozart, Texas 30 MW
12 Nordex December 2012
Managing WKN USA expanded business plan to develop, construct, and operate the projects. Through our new majority shareholder BayWa, we now have the ability to extract maximum value from the value chain as a developer, says Zerhusen. For example, the project in Palm Springs let WKN USA engage civil and electrical contractors directly to build all infrastructure needed to construct the project. We worked with various subcontractors before on previous projects, such as Dressel for the foundations and roads while establishing new relationships with companies such as Bragg for cranes and the heavy lifting. No financing was involved because BayWa AG was able to balance sheet the project the company funded it 100% with equity.
N100-3.0 MW Project Wagner, California 6 MW 2 Vestas December 2012 V90-3.0 MW
Challenges and lessons Zerhusen says the biggest challenge building in seemingly always-windy Palm Springs is finding a few days in the course of the year that allow construction at the height needed. For much of the year, the strong winds prevent erecting towers, nacelles, and rotors. We were able to find that period, so fortunately we had no wind delays. A second challenge involved the 3 MW turbines. They are the largest in the valley and probably the most sophisticated. Most local crews are familiar with 1.5 MW and smaller
units, so the larger turbines were a learning experience for everyone, although there are two other V90s elsewhere in San Gorgonio, he says. So what has he learned? Each project lets you identify weaknesses. If you address them correctly and apply them to the next project, they make you better. There is always room for improvement. So WKN USA will continue to build top quality renewable energy projects and take full advantage of the strong backing found in our majority parent company BayWa AG. WPE
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FEBRUARY 2013
63
Using remote
sensing
uncertainty in
{
Katy Briggs / DNV KEMA Energy & Sustainability / www.dnvkema.com Naomi Pierce / Second Wind / www.secondwind.com
to reduce
energy estimates
wind project
ccurate energy production estimates are key to successfully financing a wind power project. The most important input for an energy estimate is a wind resource assessment, during which the future performance of a planned wind project is commonly evaluated based on historic wind data combined with one or more years of on-site measurements. Consultants who evaluate the wind resource for project financing quantify the uncertainty that stems from various site conditions and wind resource assessment methods. When other factors are equal, a more thorough resource-assessment campaign makes it possible to reduce uncertainty and obtain more favorable financing, which increases the projects value. This article looks at reducing uncertainty and increasing project value by adding incremental measurements to a wind resource campaign. A cost-benefit analysis conducted by DNV KEMA Energy & Sustainability1 compared the costs of additional measurements and calculated the resulting increase in project value from each measurement method. In the study, additional measurements from
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ASSESSMENT
Spatial variation contributes the largest source of uncertainty because there are usually many fewer measurement points than proposed wind turbine locations.
Individual uncertainties are described on the left and how these uncertainties contribute to the overall uncertainty appear on the right. In this example the largest uncertainty, spatial variation, takes up a larger piece of the pie when considering its impact on the overall uncertainty.
sodars and met towers are shown to provide cost-effective ways of increasing project value. Wind resource assessment The classical approach to wind resource assessment uses anemometers and wind vanes mounted on met masts to measure wind speed and direction. A recent class of wind measurement technology, remote sensing, has been introduced to the commercial wind industry on a wide scale. Remote sensing technology includes sodar (sonic detection and ranging) and lidar (light detection and ranging) which are a class of instruments that measure wind characteristics by emitting sound or light waves and use their echoes and reflections to calculate wind speed and
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direction at various heights above ground. Wind project developers are typically not choosing between met masts and remote sensing systems. Rather, they are choosing whether or not to supplement mast-based campaigns with remote sensing. Unlike met masts, which measure at discrete points, sodars and lidars typically measure across the turbine rotor area and provide horizontal and vertical wind speeds and wind direction at more heights. This higher data coverage can be a valuable part of the wind resource assessment. Financing Wind project financing takes many forms, including direct equity investments, tax
equity investments, and project debt. Most projects have some combination of these. Project debt and the change in energy estimate uncertainties impact the amount of leverage a project may carry. Leveraging a higher level of debt generally provides a higher return on the direct equity portion of the project financing. Wind resource uncertainties drive the probability distribution of expected energy production for a project. The illustration One and 20 year energy production shows 1-year and 20-year probability distributions for a typical project. As seen in the blue 20-year curve, the P50 energy production level is the central energy production estimate; the probability of producing more than this amount of energy over the 20-year expected life of the project is
FEBRUARY 2013
50%. The P99 level represents an energy production value that has a 99% probability of exceedance over the life of the project. The red one-year curve represents the values for any one year within the 20-year project life. The shape of these distributions is determined by the energy assessment uncertainties and the variability of the wind resource. The wider the spread between the P99 and the P50, the more uncertain the energy estimate. Lenders typically size project debt at a level that can be serviced even at the P99 energy production level. For example, the debt size may be calculated with a debt service coverage ratio (DSCR) of 1.0 times the one-year P99 cash flows. In other words, at a given interest rate, what annual debt payments can be made, or covered, by the project with the annual cash flow that is generated if the project produced energy at the one-year P99 level? With this common method of debt sizing, the wind resource uncertainties that drive the P99 energy production value have an important role in the project financing. A strategic approach to reducing uncertainty To make the greatest impact on the project financing by reducing wind resource uncertainty, a project developer must evaluate the uncertainties and focus on reducing the largest uncertainty categories. The average and typical uncertainty values are presented in the table Sources of uncertainty and the illustration Average of uncertainty from 200 preconstruction assessments. These are based on a survey of about 200 North American pre-construction energy estimates of utility-scale wind farms conducted by DNV KEMA. However, for any given project, the distribution of uncertainties will be different based on the size of the project, complexity of the terrain, height of the proposed turbines, duration of the wind measurement campaign, availability of historical wind data, and other factors. For example, the charts in Distribution of energy uncertainties illustrate a project in which the variation in wind resource across the project is not well characterized by the on-site measurements and therefore there is a large spatial variation uncertainty. Large uncertainty categories disproportionately impact the overall uncertainty (and thus the difference between the P50 and the P99 energy estimates) because uncertainty categories are combined in a non-linear manner, by taking the square root of the sum of the individual uncertainties squared. To get the most value out of their investments, developers should focus additional effort on reducing
The red and blue curves illustrate the 1-year and 20-year energy production probability distribution for a wind-power project.
FEBRUARY 2013
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WIND
ASSESSMENT
duration, and the number of measurement locations, affect uncertainty in wind resource assessment. Uncertainty is reduced mainly through additional measurements. Measurement options for reducing vertical extrapolation and spatial variability uncertainty are discussed below. Reducing vertical extrapolation uncertainty Wind turbines used in new projects are typically taller and have larger rotors than
the largest areas of uncertainty in their projects. Reducing uncertainty through measurement Choices of measurement height, location, Sources of uncertaintya
Measurement Measurement accuracy: the uncertainty in the accuracy of measurements due to
Average
Typical range
Accuracy of instruments Measurement interference such as sodar echoes or tower effects Data capture and data validation; quality control and validation
Vertical extrapolation: the uncertainty associated with extrapolation measurements to the turbine hub height and across the turbine rotor Historic climate: the uncertainty of estimating the long-term wind resource based on a short onsite measurement period, typically 1 to 4 yrs. It includes:
2.4 %
1.5% to 3.5%
2.0%
1% to 3%
Uncertainty in measure correlated predict (MCP) analysis Quality and consistency of long-term data sets
Future variability: the variability in the wind resourceb. It includes:
2.3%
1.5% to 4%
Inter-annual variability of wind over the project life Changes in wind speed frequency distributions Changes in longer-term average wind speeds
Spatial variability: the uncertainty associated with estimating a wind resource at each turbine location. It includes:
2.1%
1% to 3%
Uncertainty associated with limited measurements across the site Uncertainty introduced by wind flow modeling
Energy losses: the uncertainty associated with estimating energy losses. It includes:
2.5%
1% to 4%
Turbine availability and performance issues Wake losses Environmental and electrical losses
2.0%
1% to 3%
a. Uncertainty values are listed as one standard deviation and a percentage of wind speed. b. The future variability values presented in the table are based on the 20-year variability. A one year or year-to-year variability is typically 4% to 6%.
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Windpower Engineering & DEVELOPMENT FEBRUARY 2013 www.windpowerengineering.com
previous turbine models. Typical turbine hub heights are 80 to 100m, with some in Europe reaching to 140m. Rotors are also larger, commonly spanning 80 to 120-m in diameter. A typical 60-m met mast cannot measure winds at heights covered by the blades of modern utility-scale turbines. However, within the North American wind market, 60-m met masts are commonly used because of the additional permitting required to install a mast taller than 60m. To estimate wind speeds across the turbine rotor, the wind industry typically extrapolates wind-speed measurements from lower heights because cross-rotor measurements are not commonly available. Information about the surrounding terrain, vegetation, and the atmospheric conditions are often used in the extrapolation. The vertical extrapolation methods are rooted in the assumption that data gathered at lower heights represents conditions at higher heights. However, this is often not the case and it leads to error and uncertainty in the extrapolated wind speeds. A study by Second Wind of 111 data sets compared measured data to extrapolated data; it found uncertainties in annual energy production calculations ranging from 3.0 to 4.2%.2 The uncertainty associated with vertical extrapolation (wind shear) can be reduced in two ways: by measuring at higher heights which reduces the need to extrapolate, and by validating the shear extrapolations with measurements from sodars, lidars, and taller met masts. For example, if measurements have been made using a 60-m met tower for three years, deploying a sodar nearby for an additional year to measure at heights from 40 to 140m can yield a better understanding of the wind shear profile. Hub-height sodar data can be used directly in an energy assessment without vertical extrapolation and to identify unusual shear patterns across the turbine rotor. Spatial variation uncertainty Additionally, the sodar data can help the analyst identify possible sources of error when data are extrapolated horizontally to other locations. Spatial variation (wind flow modeling) uncertainty results from the differences in wind characteristics across a project site due to terrain, surface roughness, and other elements. Measurements are typically taken at a few locations within the project area, but the wind resource must be evaluated at all locations where wind turbines will be deployed. For example, a project spread over many miles may measure the wind resource at 5 locations but plan to install wind turbines at 80 locations. To evaluate the wind resource across the site, the wind industry relies on wind-flow modeling. There are several different types of such models, each based on empirical models or simplifications of physical equations, including linear flow models, non-linear flow or computational fluid dynamics models, and dynamic mesoscale atmospheric simulation models. Studies have found significant error and uncertainty in these wind flow models. For many projects, the greatest share of uncertainty in wind resource assessment is the spatial variation
How much rotor sweep the instruments capture
Remote sensing systems capture data from 100% of the area swept by a wind turbines rotor.
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ASSESSMENT
(wind flow modeling) category. The most effective way to reduce this uncertainty is through additional measurements to better characterize the wind flow across the site. Cost benefit analysis A previous white paper by DNV KEMA evaluated costs and benefits of two scenarios to reduce wind resource uncertainties: a tall turbine scenario and a complex terrain scenario. Tall Turbine Scenario: A project is planned to have 100-m hub height turbines. With only 60-m mast measurements, there is a large vertical extrapolation uncertainty. To reduce this uncertainty, the existing 60-m met mast measurements are augmented with a short-term sodar measurement, a long-term sodar measurement, or a 100-m met mast. For these cases, DNV KEMA determined that incremental measurement investments of $38,000 to $155,000 can yield increased debt sizes of $2.0 million to $4.4 million when a project is financed. Complex Terrain Scenario: A project located in complex terrain has too few measurements to fully characterize the variation of the wind across the site. Therefore, there is a large spatial variation uncertainty. To reduce this uncertainty, the existing 60-m met mast measurements are augmented with an additional 60-m mast, additional sodar measurement, and the addition of both a sodar and a 60-m mast. For these cases, DNV KEMA determined that incremental measurement investments of $40,000 to $99,000 can yield increased debt sizes of $1.9 million to $3.9 million when a project is financed. Conclusion Thorough resource assessment campaigns are important for understanding expected energy production and increasing project value. Sources of uncertainty should be evaluated and measurement campaigns should be adapted to reduce the largest uncertainty category to have the largest benefit. A cost-benefit analysis showed that additional remote sensing or met mast
measurements provide increased project returns and larger debt size. To determine the most appropriate measurement campaign for any particular project, a cost-benefit analysis should be conducted based on the specific circumstances of the project. For more information and a cost-benefit analysis of different technologies see: www.secondwind. com/dnv-kema-white-paper. WPE
For further reading 1 DNV KEMA Energy & Sustainability and Second Wind, Reducing Uncertainty in Wind Project Energy Estimates: A Cost-Benefit Analysis of Additional Measurement Campaign Methods, 2012. (Available at www.secondwind.com/ dnv-kema-white-paper). 2 Walls et al., Understanding and Quantifying the Uncertainty in Tower Extrapolation and AEP estimations using SODAR, Second Wind, 2010.
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FEBRUARY 2013
2013
LEADERSHIP in WIND ENERGY
2013
he wind industry is in a transition mode that over the next couple years will take it from one partially supported by the Production Tax Credit, to one in which it is fully self sustaining. Making the transition will take leadership from OEMs and suppliers alike. OEMs in particular will have to provide more reliable and efficient equipment turbines that turn out more power than previous similar models, and then need less maintenance all around. Although the go-go years in the wind industry seem behind us, they are more likely ahead of us. Wind power is just too good to turn off. Turbines have reached healthy sizes with 3 to 6-MW units coming off production lines, and with their shake-down cruises almost over, they are ready for duty. None of this happened without good leadership from technically competent companies. Just think, the wind farms that are under construction in 2013 should be working till 2033 and possibly longer, when many of us will be retired. What will the wind industry look like then? With proper leadership, it will be quite different, but still healthy, thriving, and looking forward to the next two decades. To keep the energy flowing, we at Windpower Engineering & Development say its important to recognize industry leaders. In the pages that follow youll see the accomplishments of fellow engineers and designers in a range of categories. Your vote for one or more of the companies listed (classified by industry) will be recorded at our website through October 2013. Winners will be recognized in our 2014 Renewable Energy Handbook.
introduction
V O T E O N L I N E A T:
www.windpowerengineering.com/leadership Your vote will identify an engineering firm you think has provided leadership in the wind power industry.
Categories for nomination include: Bearings Electrical and electronic equipment Fastening and joining Fluid Power Hardware and components Turbine OEMs Sensors Simulation services Support services Towers
FEBRUARY 2013
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2013
Abaris Training Composites are our livelihood. Weve been specializing in advanced composite training in all industries since 1983. Abaris Training Resources, Inc. 5401 Longley Lane Suite 49, Reno, NV 89511 USA (800) 638-8441 (775) 827-6568 Fax: (775) 827-6599 email:info@abaris.com Over time, weve trained more than 19,000 students, in fields ranging from aerospace to automotive, on how to make composites, how to repair them, and how to use them to fit specific applications. Our courses are hands-on as well as theoretical, supplying students with troubleshooting techniques that save both time and money. We provide strong technical foundations in the classroom, and then go to workshops where students fabricate and repair actual parts. Students are also encouraged to bring practical problems to class. Personality is always part of our training philosophy. We enjoy doing what we do and that attitude comes through to our students. Creating an atmosphere where students can learn is a priority for Abaris Training. Our classes combine friendliness and an at-home feel with technical accuracy and the latest technology. Instructors at Abaris Training have taught proper composite repair since 1983; to date they have taught over 19,000 students worldwide. Their vast experience and knowledge of advanced composites keep them among the top in their respective fields. Their hard work has kept them current with the latest skills and techniques in composites. At Abaris, the focus is strictly on training. Currently, there are twenty-six different courses in various disciplines of advanced composite instruction. Classes at the Abaris facilities in Reno, Nevada and Griffin, GA range from five to a maximum of twenty-four students. Students are expected to attend a minimum of eight hours each day. If a student needs to stay longer to understand a days subject matter, the instructors gladly review with the student to ensure the material is fully understood. The Abaris mission is to train people how to use composites correctly, and the facilities are designed specifically for that purpose. Class lectures are conducted in traditional settings, stocked with material samples, actual composite parts, and technical/product literature from a variety of suppliers and organizations. The training laboratories parallel typical composite shop layout with exceptional cleanrooms, trim rooms, and adjacent workshop and process facilities. Students spend 40-60% of their time in the labs practicing acquired skills through intensive, hands-on instruction. When students leave an Abaris Training class, they are confident and enthusiastic, and return to their jobs with practical, hands-on expertise. In addition, students then have access to a large network of composite professionals, technicians, and material suppliers through Abaris continually growing source-network.
windpowerengineering. com/leadership Voting for this company will identify it as a leader in the wind power industry.
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FEBRUARY 2013
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Innovative solutions for tomorrows world
ARGO-HYTOS the future of fluid technology With modern technical challenges becoming more complex as time goes on, it is vital to find system partners who can offer an integrated approach Argo-Hytos, Inc. P.O. Box 28 1835 N. Research Dr. Bowling Green, OH 43402 supported by a wealth of experience. When it comes to industrial and mobile hydraulic systems, two names appear repeatedly: ARGO and HYTOS. These names stand for intelligent Ph: 419-353-6070 Fax: 419-354-3496 info@argo-hytos.com www.argo-hytos.com system solutions names that have given new impetus to modern fluid technology, time and again. We view ourselves as an international contact partner implementing innovative and individually designed system solutions. We draw on our vast wealth of know-how and experience in fluid and motion control technology and filtration in mobile and industrial hydraulics. Our strategy is based on modular product concepts combined with global value added and active crossselling in all our product areas. At ARGO-HYTOS we strive to provide customized and system solutions for our customers, no matter how big the challenge.
Any company wanting to survive in tomorrows marketplace has to start breaking new ground now by focusing on innovations today. ARGO-HYTOS is tackling this challenge by constantly seeking new ways to secure tangible benefits for its clients through functional integration, ongoing costcutting and continuous quality improvement. We hold ourselves to the highest standards in quality and efficiency. These are our declared goals, as many of our past achievements have already verified. Take the worlds first composite hydraulic filter, for example, or the first return-suction filter and the first largeseries high-pressure filter up to 690 bar (10,000 psi). All of these products have set new benchmarks and all are products that have become the standard in the fluid technology sector. We at ARGO-HYTOS think far beyond the field of filtration technology. We use our modular fluid and motion control technology products to implement intelligent solutions in the smallest possible space. We have mastery over the interface between hydraulics and electronics, and we take advantage of ultra-modern magnetic and proportional technologies to achieve complex solutions that deliver cost-effective precision. ARGO-HYTOS is one of the innovators when it comes to sensors and measurement technology. For instance, we developed the first particle counter calibrated to ISO 11171, operating in conformance with the new ISO Standard 4406. This breakthrough instrument provides reliable monitoring for hydraulic systems, guaranteeing their ability to function and ensuring their reliability. To maintain our innovative strength, ARGO-HYTOS reinvests a high percentage of our profit in research and development A commitment to quality Constant quality is the basis for high-caliber products that precisely meet the defined requirements to ensure smooth operation, but quality is more than a matter of systems and processes. First and foremost, it has to govern the thinking of everyone involved, not only in production, but also in administrative areas, development work and marketing activities. This is the approach that makes ARGO-HYTOS a dependable partner: quality is an integral element of our corporate philosophy, firmly rooted in the minds of our employees, a source of fresh inspiration day after day. By maximizing production depth at its two (remove) manufacturing facilities, ARGO-HYTOS can directly influence all the decisive processes, ensuring optimal control over all the quality criteria. This is supported by universal and continuous quality management certified to ISO 9001, covering not only production but all other areas of the company. The Automotive Production Division is also certified to ISO/TS 16949 (QS 9000), meaning that it operates in conformance with the globally recognized quality standards for the automobile industry. ARGO-HYTOS places great emphasis on environmental awareness, as attested by the certified environmental management system in line by the criteria specified in DIN EN ISO 14001.
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Aurora Bearing Company was founded in 1971 and manufactures the worlds most complete range of rod end and spherical bearings. Configurations range from 2-piece economy commercial and molded race construction through 3-piece precision Aurora Bearing Company 901 Aucutt Rd. Montgomery, IL 60538 Ph: 630-859-2030 Fax: 630-859-0971 aurorabearing.com designs. Aurora also produces a full line of military spec rod ends, spherical bearings, and journal bushings. Custom designed rod ends, spherical bearings, and linkages are a specialty. For more information, contact: 630-859-2030 Fax: 630-859-0971
Aurora Bearing Cos new LCOM Spherical Bearings outperform LS bearings

Like all Aurora Bearing spherical bearings, the LCOM series features a one piece steel raceway, swaged around the ball for a smooth, precise, close tolerance fit, along with the benefit of the strength and vibration resistance of steel. In addition, this series is optionally available with Auroras proprietary AT series PTFE liner, for a zero clearance, self lubricating fit. Aurora LCOM Spherical Bearings were designed to offer a higher level of performance with dimensional interchangeability for the LS spherical bearing category; a market segment which has remained largely unchanged since the 1950s. LS bearings are characterized by being of 3 or 4 piece construction, with an inner ball, an outer ring, and a one or two piece brass, bronze, or copper alloy race between. Since the early 1950s users of these bearings, which are also marketed with a FLBG, RS, or VBC prefix, have had to accept their low strength and poor vibration resistance due to the low strength race material. Auroras LCOM bearings incorporate superior materials and manufacturing processes to overcome the performance deficiencies associated with LS bearings.
COMM-M Bearings are stronger choice for DIN ISO 12240-1 applications
Metric spherical plain bearings built to DIN ISO 12240-1 (formerly DIN 648) schedule K often are made with inner races or rings made of brass, bronze or copper. For many low demand applications these bearings have proven to give satisfactory service. However, in applications with high loads or high vibration levels or both, the bearings can quickly develop excess clearance due to a deformation of the relatively soft race material. This weakness is addressed in the Aurora Bearing Companys COM-M series spherical bearings. Like all Aurora inch dimension spherical bearings, these metric bearings all feature a 1 piece steel raceway, cold formed around a chrome plated, alloy steel ball for strength, precision, and structural integrity. Aurora COM-M series bearings are available in sizes from 3mm to 30mm., and follow the dimensions of DIN 648 schedule K. Bearings are optionally available with Auroras self lubricating AT series ptfe liner, for a smooth, zero clearance fit that is self lubricating and maintenance free.
www.aurorabearing.com
Maintenance free & corrosion resistant rod ends from Aurora

The Aurora CM/CW-ET series rod ends offer a combination of features unique in the rod end industry. Instead of the low strength steels typically found in stainless rod ends, the ET series features bodies made from heat treated 17-4PH material. Not only do they offer excellent corrosion resistance compared to conventional rod ends, they provide greater load capacity, strength, and durability as well. The ET series comes standard with Auroras exclusive AT2100 PTFE liner. This, combined with a heat treated 440C stainless ball, gives a durable, zero clearance, self lubricating, maintenance free bearing interface to go with the benefits of the heat treated body. Their two piece design allows exploiting these high performance features to be exploited at an economical price. The Aurora ET series bearings can be used to enhance the performance of equipment in wash down, marine, and other environments that require extra corrosion resistance.
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Aztec Bolting Services, Inc. is the premier provider of bolting services and products for bolting applications. With more than 116 years combined experience, our sales team can find the right solutions for your torque or tension requirements. Custom or standard, no job is too big or too small. We offer a broad range of the finest tools available on the market today for sale or rental, including hydraulic tools that can yield up to 80,000 ft./ lbs. We deliver anytime, anywhere, 24 hours a day. The integrity of bolts, seals, flanges and process equipment is key at Aztec. Our services are generally performed with hydraulic torque wrenches for a faster, safer method in the breakout of large or frozen bolts, and a more accurate means of tightening those same bolts. That results in a huge savings in manpower and equipment costs. Working alone, or onsite with your labor force, Aztec is committed to delivering the right solution, to meet your timing and budgetary requirements. When the work is critical, Aztec has the knowledge and experience to get the job done.
Tools for wind turbinesconstruction and maintenance

Wind energy is globally recognized as the smartest and cleanest renewable energy alternative to fossil fuels. Aztec Bolting is at the forefront of wind turbine construction and maintenance. Vigorous research, innovative designs, and superior technology identify Aztec Bolting as an industry leader providing the finest wind-turbine tools. The company also has a presence in wind-generation construction and maintenance. We are ISO 17025 Certified and a member of AWEA. We have been supplying quality wind turbine tools and equipment since 1987. As we are currently celebrating 25 years in business, we have added new state of the art facilities, including an ISO 17025 Calibration Lab for services and repairs. Our hydraulic torque-wrench systems are fundamental in wind turbine applications. Aztec Bolting is a licensed distributor of Enerpac Bolting Products, including the Enerpac S-Series and Enerpac W-Series hydraulic torque wrenches and Enerpac torque multipliers. We also proudly carry Norbar hand torque wrenches, Norbar torque multipliers, Norbar Electronics and Stahlwille torque and hand tools. Our extensive hydraulic torque-wrench inventory is essential to wind turbine applications, specifically regarding tower flange and nacelle maintenance and repairs. In addition to our quality Enerpac, Norbar torque wrench products and Stahlwille products, we provide the finest in hydraulic tensioners and hydraulic power consoles to facilitate any wind turbine application. Our Enerpac and Aztec Bolting Custom Design hydraulic tensioners are renowned for their power and reliability. Our wind turbine foundation tensioners are designed to fit most all foundation layouts. Aztec supplies exclusively designed hydraulic power consoles that complete your torque wrench system and are an invaluable centerpiece to your collection of wind turbine tools. As expected, Aztec Bolting offers only the finest in Skidmore-Wilhelm bolt testers and Aztec static and dynamic test stands and calibration equipment. Norbar and Stahlwille are first in quality for calibration and testing equipment for all critical bolting applications and an important addition to your set of wind turbine tools.
Aztec Bolting Services 520 Dallas Street League City, TX 77573 Toll Free: 800-233-8675 Ph: 281-338-2112 Fax: 281-332-1780 bolting.com
An Example: Enerpac S-Series

Aztec Bolting offers the finest in industry technology, and is proud to support the Enerpac S-Series Hydraulic Torque Wrench. The Enerpac S-Series is the fundamental square-drive torque wrench. This incredibly versatile torque wrench is light and sleek, yet muscular, delivering up to 25,140 Ft/lbs of torque. S-Series torque wrenches have 360 degree swivel manifolds and durable rigid steel design. Another example of a quality tool is the Enerpac W-Series Steel Hexagon Torque Wrench sets the standard in versatility, reliability, and durability. The innovative W-Series sports a pinless construction with quick release drive and auto crank engagement. This hexagon torque wrench has a 360 degree swivel manifold and you wont need tools for changing hexagon heads. And because Aztec Bolting is an authorized national distributor of Enerpac products, you can count on a lifetime warranty. Aztec Bolting and Enerpac products are guaranteed.
FEBRUARY 2013
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Bosch Rexroth is the world leader in the drive, motion and control technologies that power todays most advanced manufacturing systems. We supply hydraulics, pneumatics, electric drives, motors and control systems, and linear motion and assembly technologies to more than 500,000 customers worldwide. Virtually anything that is manufactured from a paper container to a world-class automobile can be made with greater efficiency and higher quality through the use of Rexroth products and expertise. We have been at the forefront of innovation for a broad range of manufacturing technologies, engineered to handle tough applications in partnership with our customers: OEMs, machine builders, automation integrators and end user manufacturers. Our unique, in-depth experience across a wide range of industries gives us insight into complex application and performance challenges insight we apply as we collaborate with you on the tasks you bring us, leading to ingenious solutions. Whether you depend on us for individual products or complete systems, our technologies are perfectly matched to reduce time, effort and cost from planning and start-up to daily operation. So you benefit from increased productivity sooner, while lowering overall technology ownership costs.
FEBRUARY 2013
The Drive & Control Company

Our investments in sustainable technologies include award-winning new concepts for building structures that utilize Rexroths proven, easy-to-assemble aluminum structural framing, innovative bus-sharing technologies that help reduce electricity consumption in automated systems, and hydrostatic regenerative drives for mobile equipment. And we are one of the worlds leaders in supplying gearboxes and directional controls for wind energy turbines, to help advance the commercial growth of renewable energy solutions. Rexroth technology and expertise focuses on helping you address and answer core manufacturing system design and operation challenges you face every day: Productivity: Beyond greater uptime and reduced downtime, Rexroth components give you advantages in speed, capacity and precision allowing you to do more, faster, with less waste. Energy Efficiency: Regenerative electric drives, pneumatic components engineered to use less air, extremely low-friction linear components combine to reduce energy consumption and enable more energy-efficient assembly and automation performance. And only Rexroth offers a 4EE total system approach to achieve significant energy savings an approach we deploy in our own factories worldwide. Lean Manufacturing: We create pioneering technologies and machine concepts that engineer waste out of production, and equip any manufacturing operation manual, mixed or fully automated with platforms that can help lean become a fundamental force in your success. Ease of Use: Designing and integrating our components into your systems is faster and easier than ever due to our relentless emphasis on consistent graphical interfaces, a common look and feel and components engineered across different technologies to fit well together in compact, space-saving configurations. Connectivity: Our commitment to open standards gives you the most flexibility and efficiency in communications between components, machines and factory networks using a single all-Ethernet bus, linking together mechanical, electronic and pneumatic functions for complete mechatronics solutions. Better Cost of Ownership: Everything Rexroth designs and builds reduces costs and delivers long-term value from higher reliability and productivity to less maintenance and faster changeovers. Only Rexroth offers the unique combination of high-performance manufacturing technology, proven reliability and world-class automation expertise that you need to help solve your most difficult manufacturing challenges. Keep costs down, maximize productivity and build a sustainable future now. We have realigned our business to our customers industries and applications with experts ready to consult on the specific challenges you face. The solution you need. The partnership to get you there. Exactly.
Bosch Rexroth Corporation 14001 South Lakes Drive Charlotte, NC 28273 Phone: 800 REXROTH (739-7684) Fax: 704-583-0523 www.boschrexroth-us.com
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Bronto Skylift manufacturers high-reach truck-mounted aerial devices from 36m to over 112m working height for wind turbine blade and tower inspection, maintenance and repair and other applications. Bronto machines have been used in Europe for over 40 years and have been time-tested in the toughest conditions. Over 6000 Bronto aerials have been built and are in operation throughout the world With advanced controls and one-button automatic leveling of the outriggers, Bronto aerials can be driven onto the site, then set-up and elevated to the overhead area in 15 to 20 minutes or less. When elevated, Bronto machines can withstand winds speeds up to 28mph (12.5m/s) and can lift up to 1000-pounds in a 8-foot x 3-foot, fully-enclosed platform. Theyre safer faster, and more productive than any other method of accessing turbines currently in use and meet all OSHA, ANSI and CSA standards.
Bronto aerials provide a faster, safer and less costly way to perform maintenance and inspection on wind turbines With over 40 years experience in designing and manufacturing aerial work platforms, Bronto Skylift is the world leader in high reach access equipment and the preferred machine used on wind farms throughout Europe for maintenance and inspection. Turbine blades need to be inspected for potential bonding or laminating defects. And they need to be cleaned regularly to eliminate dust and insect buildup, which can deform the shape of the airfoil and degrade performance. A recent survey says that as many as 60% of US wind turbines may be behind on maintenance. Towers need to be inspected for weld integrity and to inspect for any possible manufacturer defects or structural damage that might have occurred during transport or erection. Aerial work platforms are by far the safest and most productive method of accessing turbine blades. And, they produce huge savings in both time and money for operators of wind farms over methods like rappelling or using a crane basket. When using aerial work platforms workers are lifted to the overhead area in an 8-foot x 3-foot platform that they control directly from the platform. They control how fast it rises and where it is positioned, and they can lift up to 1000-pounds of men and materials to full working height in a matter of minutes. And, because the platform is telescoped up from a stable base on the ground, it can withstand winds speeds up to 28 mph (12.5m/s) when fully elevated. Bronto aerials can also be configured with a variety of options that increase productivity when elevated. They can be equipped with electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic and water lines running inside the telescoping boom from the ground to the platform so that workers can operate powered tools and washers in the platform. This not only saves time, it is much safer as it eliminates having lines or hoses running down from the overhead platform to ground level. In addition to being safer and more versatile, Bronto work platforms are also the simplest and fastest way to access overhead areas. They can be driven directly to the tower and, with their advanced controls and one-button automatic extension and leveling of the outriggers, they can be positioned, setup and elevated to the overhead area in 15 to 20 minutes or less from the time they arrive on site. Compared to other methods, on a multi-tower site this can save considerable time and money in transportation and set-up costs alone. With the availability of Bronto aerial work platforms in North America, inspection and maintenance of wind turbine towers and blades has moved to a new level. Wind farm operators are now able to perform overhead tasks faster, safer and at less cost, while improving the efficiency and power generating potential of turbines.
Bronto Skylift
For more information on Bronto Skylift aerials contact: Steve Starling (352) 895-1109 sstarling@bronto.us www.bronto.fi.
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Deublin is the leading manufacturer of precision rotating unions for water, steam, air, hydraulic, vacuum, coolant and hot oil service. With manufacturing and / or Deublin 2050 Norman Drive, Waukegan, IL 60085-6747 USA Phone: 847.689.8600 Fax: 847.689.8690 www.deublin.com sales offices in 17 countries worldwide, Deublins international headquarters is located at 2050 Norman Drive West, Waukegan, IL. As the proven leader for the manufacture of precision rotary unions for wind turbine hydraulic pitch control, Deublin continues to focus on reliability and performance. Our hydraulic rotary unions for wind energy applications are available in configurations ranging from monoflow to fourpassage designs, with central passages for cable connection to electrical slip rings. Each Deublin rotary union employs a proprietary, controlled leakage sealing technology. Durability features such as water resistant construction and hardened stainless steel rotors provide unparalleled lifecycle reliability over millions of cycles. This significantly reduces downtime and maintenance costs for both on- and offshore operations. All unions are 100% factory tested under operating pressures to ensure that each union is completely operational upon receipt and ready to install. In addition, Deublin is certified as an Authorized Economic Operator (AEO), which provides assurance that Deublin s supply chain is approved as both secure and customsreliable.
Deublins Headquarters.
Hydraulic Unions and Slip Rings for Wind Turbines, Request Catalogs WE102 and SR102.
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Dexmet Corporation manufactures precision expanded metal foils and polymers for applications in aerospace, power generation, filtration and automotive industries. Dexmet was founded in 1942 and is based in Wallingford, Connecticut. For over 60 years Dexmet has been at the forefront of expanding technology and has redefined the standards for micro mesh materials providing the greatest range of products and capabilities for foil gauge metals and thin polymer films. Dexmet manufactures thin, light-weight precision expanded Copper and Aluminum from .001 thick and widths reaching over 48 that can meet specific weight, conductivity and open area requirements required by aerospace or wind generation applications. Precision MicroGrid materials from Dexmet are the industry standard for expanded materials used in lightning strike protection, on carbon fiber structures with OEM aircraft manufacturers as well as EMI/RFI, and ESD protection for sensitive internal instrumentation. The Dexmet Quality System is ISO 9001:2008 and AS9100 certified. As the power output requirements increase for wind turbines, wind generator manufacturers are moving towards larger blades to rotate these larger turbines at lower wind speeds. As the wind blades increase to over 45 meters in length, blade construction is moving away from the more traditional all fiberglass construction to utilize more carbon fiber. The carbon fiber provides a substantial weight savings and increased strength to combat the extreme stress loads exerted on the blades during operation. Carbon fiber, however, is conductive and more prone to be struck by lightning. Without proper protection, they are susceptible to severe damage and catastrophic failure. For two decades Dexmet has been working with aircraft designers developing precision expanded MicroGrid foils for lightning strike protection on carbon fiber composite aircraft and its components. Benefiting from the development work done in the aircraft industry, Wind Blade Manufacturers are now realizing the importance of having the proper lightning strike protection for larger carbon fiber blades and incorporating Dexmets precision expanded MicroGrid materials into their designs. Dexmet MicroGrid materials are thin, open area products applied to the top adhesive layer of the composite and are capable of achieving the critical conductivity required to dissipate a destructive lightning strike, protecting the carbon fiber layer below. Dexmets expanded copper and aluminum MicroGrid meshes are essential at extending the life of carbon fiber composite blades. In addition to protecting blades, lightning strike materials can also be incorporated into the composite turbine nacelles for additional protection of the structure. Dexmet MicroGrid Proven Lightning Strike Protection Proven Technology For Lightning Strike Protection Highly Conductive Patterns Matched To Specific Requirements Open Area Design For Easy Dry Or Wet Layup Without Delaminating Easily Repairable For Low Maintenance Costs And Minimal Downtime
Dexmet Wallingford, CT 203-294-4440 www.dexmet.com
MicroGrid Materials For Wind Generator Applications As with Aerospace applications, weight is always critical so Dexmet provides different conductive materials to minimize the weight based on the different strike zones. As with all rotary blades, lighting is more prone to hit the leading edge and the outer blade surfaces towards the tips where the highest amount of static energy is generated. For these locations, the heavier, more conductive materials are utilized. As you move towards the root of the blade, a lighter weight material can be incorporated to reduce weight and cost. The variability with Dexmets expanding process provides the capability of producing a custom material based on desired weight, conductivity, or open area to meet exact application requirements. To learn more about the benefits of Dexmet materials, witness its lightning protection performance or understand how it can reduce your maintenance costs and down time, contact us at products@dexmet.com or visit our web site and let us show you how to incorporate the innovative MicroGrid materials into your composite designs and start recognizing the benefits today.
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DISC-LOCK International, headquartered in Culver City, Calif., manufactures a complete range of safety fastening solutions for transportation, industry and the military including trucks, trailers, buses, wind turbines 6101 W. Centinela Avenue Suite 280 Culver City, CA 90230 Ph: 877.944.9352 and towers and solar energy. DISC-LOCK products include; Locking Washer, Safety Wheel Nut, Vibration Proof Locking Nut, Truck Frame Fastening System, Rail Car Fastening System, Armor Fastening System, Shear Wrench, www.disc-lock.com info@disc-lock.com Tension Control Bolt and Hex Head Bolt. Established in 1980, DISC-LOCK International distributes to all 50 states in the U.S. and 31 countries worldwide. DISCLOCK is a minority-owned business.
DISC-LOCK (TM) International manufactures and sells several types of secure, safe, durable and robust fastening solutions for the wind energy industry world-wide. In the universe of fasteners, vibration, shock and stress all combine to become the enemies of bolted joints and their respective fasteners. DISC-LOCK has created a fastening advancement to combat these enemies. The distinguishing technological innovation of the DISC-LOCK fastening systems that set them apart from traditional fasteners, revolves around the patented cam-action of the DISC-LOCK nut along with the free-spinning characteristic of the nut. The DISCLOCK locking washer also exhibits the cam-action profile. The DISC-LOCK Locking Nut utilizes the cam-action innovation to eliminate the risk of loosening in the wind energy industry including towers, turbines and other highvibration situations. Since the angle of the cam on the nut is greater than the pitch angle of the thread on the bolt, a wedging action occurs and the DISC-LOCK Locking Nut locks and will not loosen, thus keeping the bolted joints together. Some industry officials have stated that the DISC-LOCK nut does make a major contribution to safety and it is the most significant improvement in vibration-proof fasteners for years. With a minimal investment by companies in the wind energy industry, there is a tremendous return on this investment due to the elimination of equipment failure and accidents caused by fastener loosening. DISC-LOCK fasteners can increase productivity and reduce maintenance cost by eliminating equipment downtime caused by conventional fastener failure. The manufacturer of a wind tower or turbine may hold to the principle that their customer has a responsibility to maintain and tighten nuts and bolts properly and that they will do this. However, field experience shows that this is not the case and is best considered to be a goal. Along with providing a vibration-proof fastener solution for the wind energy industry world-wide, DISC-LOCK fasteners use an environmentally-friendly coating which provides anti-corrosion protection for the fasteners in addition to safeguarding our environment. A common characteristic shared by all fasteners in the DISC-LOCK product line is that they are easy to install, remove and are reusable. Other types of safety fasteners are not reusable because they must be cut or burned off, thus destroying the fastener. In keeping with the innovative tenor of DISC-LOCK engineering, the technicians and professionals that use and install DISC-LOCK fasteners have access to specialized tools manufactured by DISC-LOCK. One such tool is the Shear Wrench that is designed to eliminate torque from passing to the operator, reducing fatigue that can cause carpal tunnel syndrome which is a compensable injury and not desirable. Engineering and technological advancement have remained paramount at DISCLOCK throughout the years and is exhibited by previous achievement awards. DISCLOCK was honored with the Brakes Fleet Safety Forum Award for Excellence in 2003 and the Institute of Transport Management Award of Excellence in 1997. World-wide application of DISC-LOCK technology is reflected in being specified by agencies ranging from the Government of India Ministry of Railways to the NATO forces that use NSN (National Stock Number) designated parts.
FEBRUARY 2013 www.windpowerengineering.com
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With 7,000+ MW of energy under contract, EDF Renewable Services is the leading North American provider of Operations & Maintenance Services. With our 25 years of EDF renewable services O&M Bus. Dev 858.521.3575 O&MBusDev@edf-re.com edf-renewable-services.com experience we maximize project profitability and ensure the performance of your investment for the long term. As part of a global organization, we bring a depth of experience to every project.
EDF Renewable Services, our O&M group, understands renewable energy facilities represent a substantial investment - often in the hundreds of millions of dollars. We are the industry leader in O&M services, earning the respect and confidence of our partners and delivering the best possible service and results. EDF Renewable Services offers the full range of services for established renewable energy projects - operations, management, procurement, routine and emergency maintenance, retrofits and upgrades. As the largest provider of third party O&M in North America, our O&M team services over 6,340 turbines, 18 different turbine types, and 200 + inverters, which generate over 6,690 MW of electricity. Our Operations and Maintenance Team ensures ongoing profitability for project owners. Services include project administration, full-service maintenance, spare parts procurement, 24/7 remote monitoring and operations management from our Operations and Control Center (OCC) and scheduled and unscheduled maintenance.
Trusted Leader in Operations & Maintenance
With trained technicians, in-house equipment repair depots, proven practices and procedures, and over twenty years of field service experience, combined with a superior safety record, EDF Renewable Services adds immeasurable value year after year. Our experienced on-site team of over 450 full-time wind technicians and 50 supervisors, managers, and support staff, means EDF Renewable Services is fully equipped to manage the balance of plant and day-to-day operations of your wind project. Our maintenance plans incorporate manufacturers recommendations and include both scheduled and unscheduled maintenance options. Our team has extensive experience with nearly every variety of wind turbine and provides the highest quality maintenance services and safety standards performed by trained EDF Renewable Services technicians.
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Encoder Products Company (EPC) is a world-wide leader in the design and manufacture of rotary encoders. EPC manufactures a diverse line of AccuCoderTM brand advanced incremental and absolute rotary encoders for OEM and MRO customers in nearly every industry, including Wind Energy.
New Standards In Rotary Encoder Design

Inventors of the original Cube encoder, Encoder Products Company (EPC) has delivered numerous firsts in encoder design. Many EPC innovations have not only been widely imitated, they are now industry standards.
Advanced Sensor Technology

EPCs Advanced Opto-ASIC sensor design integrates many previous board-level functions into a single chip with uniform material properties. This allows for a generous sensor-to-disk air gap, resulting in clean, stable signal output over a wide range of operating conditions, including temperatures up to 120C. EPC also uses precision hall-effect sensors in a growing line of single-turn and multi-turn absolute encoders.
Encoder Products Company www.encoder.com
A modern, vertically integrated 100,000 sq. ft. facility in Sagle, Idaho serves as both Global and Americas Division headquarters. The Asian and European Divisions are supported by EPCs China and UK facilities. EPC products are available through a network of qualified industrial distributors and resellers as well as direct sales channels
Engineered For Harsh Duty

The Model 725 Industrial housing option incorporates features ideal for wind energy. In this design, an internal hollow-bore encoder is coupled to the units external shaft and secured by an internal flex mount, minimizing the effects of shaft loads. An exclusive double-lip true-IP67 shaft seal and dual O-ring case seals keep dust and dirt at bay. Bearings are rated to loads of 80 lbs axial/radial. All these features combine to isolate the encoders electronics from particulates, moisture and other external hazards. This novel encoder-within-an-encoder concept is also found in the MA63S multi-turn absolute encoder.
Absolute Perfection
For azimuth and pitch control, many tower designs incorporate multi-turn absolute encoder feedback. EPCs Models MA63S and MA36S/H incorporate a novel magnetic-based energy-harvesting technology that powers the turns-counting circuitry, regardless of power status, shaft direction or speed. Reliability is enhanced due to the lack of batteries, gear trains or capacitors.
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Helwig Carbon Products, Inc. is one of the last American owned manufacturers of carbon brushes, brush holders, and grounding systems for bearing and Helwig Carbon 8900 West Tower Avenue Milwaukee, WI 53224 800.962.4851 414.354.08886 Fax www.helwigcarbon.com lightning protection. Our carbon brushes and brush holders are used on wind generators, wind pitch motors and grounding applications on wind turbines. Our products are custom designed for your application to give maximum life and lower overall maintenance costs. We serve a wide range of industries including power generation, steel, paper, motor repair, elevator, railroad, transit, and OEM.
Constant Force Brush Holders Custom designed and engineered for all turbine applications. Lightning Protection Superior performance and protection against high surges. Bearing Protection Stops major causes of bearing failure.
Quality Carbon Brushes and Holders for Wind Energy

Generator Brushes Approved for use on Winergy, Hitachi, ABB, Marathon and other generators.
The Helwig Advantage

Engineering Expertise Expert problem solving to maximize product performance and prolong brush life. Research and Development In-house grade development targeted specifically to your application. Manufacturing Excellence All parts are manufactured in Milwaukee, WI - USA, and backed by ISO 9001:2008.
Call us at 800-962-4851. Visit our website at www.helwigcarbon.com.
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Henkel Corporation, a global leader in adhesives, sealants, structural bonders, lubricants and maintenance/repair chemicals offers innovative solutions for wind turbine manufacturing (OEM) and the aftermarket (O & M). Henkel Corporation One Henkel Way Rocky Hill, CT 06067 Ph: 800-LOCTITE (562-8483) www.henkelna.com/ windpower For OEMs, Henkel provides composite mold-release agents and GL-approved high-performance polyurethane adhesives for rotor blade assemblies that provide superior long-term dynamic fatigue strength. Our O & M solutions offer products engineered for the maintenance and repair of blades, nacelles, towers and bases. These include polyurethane compounds for blade edge and tip repair, structural bonders, component sealers, threadlockers and retaining compounds, corrosion protection, nonslip safety coatings, base grouts, cable and flange sealants and cleaners. Henkel operates worldwide with leading brands and technologies in three business areas: Laundry & Home Care, Beauty Care and Adhesive Technologies. Founded in 1876, Henkel holds globally leading market positions in the consumer and industrial businesses. Henkel employs about 47,000 people with sales of $21.7 billion in fiscal 2011. 1. Henkel offers the only GL-approved two-part polyurethane adhesive for bonding turbine blades. Macroplast UK 1340 is Macroplast UK 1340 the only two-part structural offers superior tensile fatigue strength in bonded polyurethane adhesive to pass blade sections. the rigorous testing standards established by Germanischer Lloyd (GL). As blade length increases, stresses on the blade are magnified. Our adhesive provides superior tensile fatigue strength and cures in less than 80 minutes at room temperature dramatically reducing production time while minimizing thermal loading that can lead to stress cracking. Macroplast UK 1340 allows manufacturers to build stronger, higher quality blades, while enabling faster blade production and greater yield per mold compared to conventional epoxy systems. 2. Henkel pioneered the first sub-component test for evaluating changes in blade design. Turbine blade testing is expensive (up to $1 million per test), and time consuming. Henkel engineers developed a method for evaluating blade performance by component variables for a fraction of the cost. The Henkel Beam a 6 long test module is a custom-fabricated composite structure made to the unique specifications of the blade manufacturer. Changes and variations in blade design, dimensions, material composition and adhesive can be evaluated quickly and economically. The beam is installed in a fixture, and then subjected to stresses (static and dynamic) per the specifications of the blade designer. The data collected is then projected across a full scale design. The significantly lower cost of the Henkel Beam test allows the process of developing more efficient blade designs to be accelerated, and shortens the time to market for manufacturers.
Henkel Products are used for tip repair, edge erosion, and impact damage.
3. Henkel Is A Single Source Supplier For Manufacturing and O & M We offer a full spectrum of adhesives, sealants and coatings for the entire life cycle of the wind turbine from blade, tower, base and nacelle assembly to maintenance and repair. Our OEM offering includes not only structural adhesives, but other products used in component manufacturing like Frekote mold release agents and Loctite threadlockers, thread sealants, retaining compounds and gasketing materials. Henkels O & M program includes products for the assembly, installation, maintenance and repair of blades, nacelles, towers and bases. These include structural bonding adhesives, component sealers, surface and corrosion protection coatings, non-slip safety coatings, base grouts, cable and flange sealants, retaining compounds and cleaners.
FEBRUARY 2013
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We are the people and data you can count on!
Herguth Laboratories, Inc. delivers high quality, full service analysis of oil, fuel, grease, refrigerants, coolants and other maintenance fluids. Our lubrication analysis, equipment condition monitoring, and rapid solutions to tribological (wear and tear) problems help you reduce costs, increase productivity, avoid equipment downtime and extend equipment life. We provide the most advanced and comprehensive testing capabilities of any independent oil analysis laboratory in the world today. At Herguth Laboratories, quality means customer service. Our customers tell us that they enjoy working with us because our values and culture are significant contributors to the success of their initiatives. Our worldclass skills and innovative techniques lead the industry in helping clients find answers to complex lubrication problems. Herguth tests to ASTM and industry accepted standards and is ISO 9001, ISO/IEC 17025 and 10CFR50 Appendix B certified. By setting a high standard for lubrication analysis, Herguth Laboratories, Inc. makes a tremendous impact on client businesses with outstanding customer service, 95% on-time performance, high quality data validation, ease of access to data and multiple locations. Through advanced analysis and equipment condition monitoring, we can trend your equipment and lubricant conditions to help you place regular maintenance cycles into effect. When you need answers, our experts will call you with the results and help you make critical decisions. With easily accessible and measurable results, Herguth
Herguth Laboratories 101 Corporate Place Vallejo, CA 94590 www.herguth.com (888) HER-GUTH
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Since 1968
Since 1968
HYTORC Unex Corporation 333 Route 17 North Mahwah, NJ 07430 Tel: 201-512-9500 www.hytorc.com
HYTORC makes industrial bolting safer and simpler. With over 40 years of experience focused entirely on developing the highest quality industrial bolting systems, HYTORC is the most trusted name in the industry. From wind turbines to steel mills and mining equipment to refineries and nuclear power plants; we have developed solutions for every bolting application imaginable. For custom projects, our highly experienced engineering team is at your service to design the most efficient solution for your job with simple operation and economical pricing in mind. Our latest product line features patented industry-firsts like reaction arm-free torquing to eliminate dangerous pinch points, hands-free operation to keep tool operators at a safe distance from the application, and industry-leading bolt load accuracy to reduce nut loosening and joint failure. With authorized repair facilities located all over the World, all of our products are covered by our worldwide one-year no-questions-asked warranty. Our mission is to make our customers jobs as hassle-free as possible.
HYTORC makes bolting jobs in the wind turbine safer and simpler. With over 40 years of experience focused entirely on developing the highest quality industrial bolting systems, HYTORC is the most trusted name in the industry. From steel mills and mining equipment to refineries, nuclear power plants, and wind turbines; we have developed solutions for nearly every bolting application imaginable. For custom projects, our highly experienced engineering team is at your service to design the most efficient solution for your job with simple operation and economical pricing in mind. For bolting jobs and maintenance checks in wind turbines, simplicity and tool fitment are of paramount importance. With the right tools and accessories, even jobs in the tight spaces of the nacelle become simpler and safer for the tool operator. Together with wind turbine specialists and leading turbine manufacturers around the world, HYTORC has developed custom fixtures for nearly every application on the most popular turbine models used around the world. With the new fixtures in use, turbine technicians have seen dramatically reduced maintenance times and bolting related incidents have been eliminated. In production environments, the possibilities for customized bolting solutions are unlimited along with the opportunities for time reduction. HYTORC has worked together with leading wind turbine manufacturers to examine bottlenecks caused by bolting issues in their production lines. We have developed specialized bolting systems that allow for simultaneous tightening of multiple bolts with quick on and off operation as well as customized reaction fixtures for safer operation. Regardless of what the issue is, a simple consultation is all that is required to start on the path to improvement. HYTORC is consistently improving upon existing products, and developing new tools, based on feedback from the people that use our tools every day. Our latest product line features patented industry-firsts like reaction arm-free torquing to eliminate dangerous pinch points, hands-free operation to keep tool operators at a safe distance from the application, and industry-leading bolt load accuracy to reduce nut loosening and joint failure. With authorized repair facilities located all over the World, a one-day turn-around is usually available. All of our products are covered by our worldwide one-year no-questions-asked warranty, which includes free parts and labor. Our latest product line is available with a leak-free guarantee when used on any type of pressurized vessel. Our mission is to make our customers jobs as hassle-free as possible and we will do everything in our power to accomplish that.
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Since 1959, the Lapp Group has been producing innovative cables, industrial connectors, accessories, and engineered solutions as a worldwide market leader. Oskar Lapps vision continues Lapp Holding NA Corporate Headquarters 29 Hanover Road Florham Park, NJ 07932 Within 50 years, the Lapp Toll Free: 800-774-3539 Tel: 973-660-9700 Fax: 973-660-9330 Email: sales(at)lappusa.com www.lappusa.com Group has grown to 2,600 employees operating around the world developing, manufacturing and selling more than 40,000 products. Within 17 manufacturing sites, 39 company-owned sales operations, more than 100 foreign representations and worldwide headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany, the Lapp Group people are everywhere you need us to be.
CABLE MANAGEMENT: Strain Relief Cord Connectors Flexible Conduit & Accessories Cable Marking System Cable Carriers & Tracks Shrink Tubing, Braids & Woven Sleeving LAPP SYSTEMS: Assemblies for Drives & Motors
The Lapp Group is the Source For Your Complete Plant Cables, Connectors, Accessories, & Assemblies
WIRE & CABLE: Oil Resistant Flexible Control Cable Flexible Tray Cable Continuous Flex Control & Data Cable Torsional Robotic Cable High Temperature Flexible Control Cable Flexible Cables for Drives, Motors & Assemblies Bus Cables & Industrial Ethernet Cable Flexible European Electronic Cable <HAR> Hook-up Wire, Cable & Cordage On-Site Production Facility CONNECTORS: Rectangular, Circular, and Pin & Sleeve Connectors
today through his wife, Ursula Ida, and his sons, Andreas and Siegbert Lapp.
OUR BRANDS
OLFLEX Cables EPIC Connectors UNITRONIC Cables ETHERLINE Cables SKINTOP Cable Glands SILVYN Conduit FLEXIMARK Marking Systems
>>
Remote Access Ports Molded Ethernet, Devicenet, & Profibus Cordsets Populated Tracks Custom Assemblies FACTORY AUTOMATION PRODUCTS:
Cables, Connectors, Switches, Routers, etc. for Profibus, Ethernet, DeviceNet, AS Interface, FieldBus, & Safety Bus
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Norbar Torque Tools, Inc.
In 1942 the North Bar Tool Company (as Norbar was then known), Norbar Torque Tools, Inc. 36400 Biltmore Place Willoughby, Ohio 44094 Ph: 866-667-2272 Fax: 440-953-9336 www.norbar.us info@norbar.us became the first company in Britain to commercially manufacture a torque wrench. The initial demand was driven by the need for the gasket-less cylinder head of the Rolls Royce Merlin engine to be accurately tightened. Bill Brodey and his partner Ernest Thornitt obtained a license from Britains war-time Government to begin manufacture of torque wrenches and Norbar was born. Since then, Norbar has continued to invest in the very latest design, manufacturing and quality control technology to achieve the highest level of innovation and precision in the field of torque control equipment.
Torque Calibration, Measurement & Management System

The TruCheck is for click type torque wrenches and comes with a single measurement unit, lbfft. There is only one button on the device and that is to zero the display. Operation is simplicity itself and it is virtually impossible to go wrong. TruCheck has an accuracy of +/-1% of reading over operating range of 147.5 to 1475 lbf-ft. (200 to 2000 Nm) and comes with a traceable calibration certificate. TruCheck 250 (shown) has an operating range of 10 to 250 lbfft. (13.6 to 339 N-m).
Series 2 Pro-Test Professional Torque Tester

Series 2 Pro-Test is an accurate, highly specified and easy-to-operate instrument for testing and calibrating all types of torque wrenches. Pro-Test is priced to make in-house testing both affordable and precise, especially for the smaller industrial and automotive torque wrench users.
Pneumatic Wrenches Extend Torque Ranges with Torque & Angle Control Available
Norbar Torque Tools, Inc introduces a new gearbox design to its family of Pneutorque pneumatic torque wrenches. Models in the new Series are now faster, lighter, smaller and easier to handle than other units of similar capacities. Norbar pneumatic wrenches, when combined with Norbar electronics, can provide accurate control of torque and angle requirements, and provide shut-off capabilities with the ability to log torque data.
New Design in Torque Wrench Evolution

Norbar Torque Tools, Inc introduces one of the most significant new designs in the companys sixty-five-plus year history, the new TruTorque. The aim of the design team was to produce the best possible tool using the latest materials and engineering techniques, at a competitive price. Key objectives were to produce a wrench that is durable and will stay in calibration for as long as possible, even when used regularly in demanding environments. The TruTorque design has been through 100,000 cycles of testing at 100% of rated capacity the only torque wrench in the world to have done so.
USM-3 Ultrasonic Bolt Stress Meter

The USM-3 Ultrasonic Stress Meter measures load and elongation in fasteners, tie bars and shafts of virtually any material from 1/2 inch to over 50 feet in length. Know the precise load, elongation or stress on your critical bolts. Track preload changes over any time period from minutes to years.
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NRG Systems is an independently-owned company that has served the global renewable energy industry for over 30 years. Its measurement equipment, turbine control sensors, and turbine health monitoring systems can be found in 155 countries on every continent, serving electric utilities, renewable energy developers, turbine manufacturers, consultants and research institutes. The companys products are used during the resource assessment stage and the operational stage when asset owners are looking to optimize the performance of their wind farms and improve return on investment.
WHY NRG SYSTEMS IS A LEADER IN WIND:

For over thirty years, NRG Systems has remained dedicated to providing world-class measurement technology for the renewable energy industry. The company was founded in 1982 in Bristol, Vermont when the wind industry was in its infancy. Over that time, NRG Systems has grown from a two-person operation based in an old farmhouse to a global company operating out of two LEEDgold certified manufacturing facilities in Hinesburg, Vermont. NRG Systems pioneered the complete system for wind resource assessment by integrating everything a customer needs to measure the wind, including sensors, a tilt-up tower, a data logger, and accessories. The NRG Complete System has been the industry standard for decades, having been deployed on thousands of wind sites around the world. The company offers four tower sizes and highly accurate sensors, such as the NRG Class 1 and the WindSensor anemometor to collect hub-height measurements at up to 80 meters. Most recently, the company expanded its product offering to utilityscale solar through the introduction of its Solar Resource Assessment system used to collect on-site measurements at potential solar farms. In addition, the company manufactures turbine control sensors that ensure effective operation once wind farms are producing power. These mechanical and ultrasonic sensors measure both wind speed and direction from atop a turbines nacelle, and send signals to the controller that govern cut-in, cut-out, yaw, and blade pitch. Two years ago, the company further expanded into the operations and maintenance segment with the introduction of Turbine PhD, a condition-monitoring system that provides early detection of component failure for more cost-effective wind farm operations and maintenance. Within the industry, the company is well-known for its world-class technical support and people-centered service. With the recent opening of an international distribution center in the Netherlands, NRG Systems offers sales, support and distribution in seven countries around the world including France, China, India, the Netherlands, Spain, the United States, and Canada. NRG Systems also maintains strategic partnerships related to distribution in France, Denmark and Germany. The vision of NRG Systems is to advance a renewable energy future. Six core values form the foundation of the company. A commitment to environmental stewardship, fair employment, profitability, integrity, innovation and dedication are expressed everyday through the companys products, its lean manufacturing processes, and its innovative human resource practices. The company has been recognized as a model employer by Winning Workplaces, the Wall Street Journal, the Vermont Governors Office, and other organizations. Beyond its doors, NRG Systems furthers the development of renewable energy through education and community initiatives.
NRG Systems, Inc. 110 Riggs Road Hinesburg, Vermont 05461 Ph: 802-482-2255 Fax: 802-482-2272 www.nrgsystems.com
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PT Tech has been managing torque in extreme machines in a wide variety of industries for 35 years. PT Techs products can be found in many of the toughest equipment in the world, from computer controlled clutches for diesel engine drives in rock crushers to brakes and clutches in mining operations. Our approach is to bring innovation to the drivetrain by improving the entire system rather than just working on a symptom. We work to improve the overall performance by increasing the productivity, availability, reliability and safety of the equipment.
Gearbox reliability has been an issue for a long time in the Wind Industry. Many advancements have been made to improve the design, components and controls but gearboxes continue to see shorter life than desired. The industry has continued to seek what component, element or load case is missing from the equation.
PT Techs work in advancing the knowledge of transient torque reversals and how they can be mitigated appears to be a major breakthrough. Transient torque reversals can be that missing element in the understanding of drivetrain dynamics. Almost 2 years of field testing have shown that these events appear to occur in all types of turbines and manufacturers, caused by emergency stops, curtailments, grid faults, control faults, wind gusts and more. The near instantaneous load reversal, unwinds the drivetrain and springs back and forth until dissipated, damaging bearings and gearing in the gearbox. PT Techs WindTM was designed to measure and report these transient events from turbines in the field. It accurately measures torque and shaft speed and reports via cellular link or Bluetooth. It is designed to easily install and uninstall from the main shaft of the turbine. The PT Tech WindTC is a torsional control to control these transient reverse load events. It acts as a standard torque limiter for forward loads but it limits reverse loads to 40% of nominal. This acts as a snubber of the torsional reversals in the drivetrain. This easily retrofit solution is inexpensive insurance and protection to the expensive gearbox, adding years of life to the bearing and your bottom line.
PT TECH, INC. 1441 Wolf Creek Trail P.O. Box 305 Phone: 330.239.4933 Sharon Center, OH 44274-0305 wind@pttech.com www.pttech.com
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For over forty years, customers and partners around the world have relied on Red Lion Controls. Our industrial automation and networking products provide critical information and controls to improve productivity, working with numerous devices and diverse protocols to access data. We are a company that people trust. Our company invests in research and development. Our company manufactures reliable, high-quality products. Our company stocks product that can ship today. Our employees care. Our products solve problems. Our products are high performance and dependable. Our products interoperate to create systems. Our products provide business insight. Our products improve productivity to increase the bottom line.
As the global experts in communication, monitoring and control for industrial automation and networking, Red Lion Controls has been delivering innovative solutions for over forty years. Our award-winning technology enables companies worldwide to gain real-time data visibility that drives productivity. The following industrial automation products collect, present and process data anywhere, anytime: Controllers: PID controllers, signal conditioners and data acquisition devices for machine and process control Protocol Conversion: extensive protocol library connects otherwise compatible devices on wired or wireless networks HMIs: combine protocol conversion, data logging and web server capabilities with visualization functionality for PLCs, motor drives and more Panel Meters: a wide range of models and sizes with expansion capabilities that easily adapt to changing requirements Visual Management: enables the display of real-time KPI data and Andon messages on large televisions to drive productivity RTUs & I/O: provides a simple yet powerfulmonitoring and control system for remote sites Red Lion is also building a new industrial networking portfolio that includes: Unmanaged Switches: compact IEEE 802.3 Layer 2 industrial switches with automatic speed, duplex and cable sensing Monitored Switches: enable Layer 2 network performance monitoring via N-View software Managed Switches: provide Layer 2 and Layer 3 networking in a rugged package PoE Switches: designed to transmit power and/or data over an Ethernet network Wi-Fi Radios: IEEE 802.11a,b,g,n hardened radios support data bandwidths up to 300 Mb/s Cellular M2M Routers: provide uninterrupted, secure communication for remote sites To learn more, we invite you to visit www.redlion.net/together or email sales@redlion.net
Red Lion Controls, Inc. 20 Willow Springs Circle York PA 17406 +1 (717) 767-6511 www.redlion.net/ together sales@redlion.net
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Romax Technology is
a global leader in design and analysis of rotating machinery and the ideal partner for multimegawatt gearbox design. Underpinned by 21 years of experience in solving problems and managing risk in drivetrain industries, Romax Technology provides to its clients high quality services in: Germanischer Lloyd (GL) certified multimegawatt gearbox designs, state of the art analysis and software, operations and maintenance consultancy, vibration and SCADA assessment, root cause analysis for drivetrain failures, inspection, gearbox redesign and improvements. Headquartered in the UK, Romax Technology provides a global presence with a further 11 offices in the USA (Boulder, CO and Troy, MI), India, China, South Korea and Japan.
US Technical Center The Rincon Building Suite 2E 2760 29th Street Boulder CO, 80301 Ph: 303 351 5418 sales@romaxtech.com romaxtechnology.com
Rotating Machinery Consultants for the Wind Industry.

As global specialists in the design and analysis of rotating machinery, Romax provide a comprehensive range of services for the development, manufacture and maintenance of wind turbine gearboxes, bearings and drivetrains. Romax is committed to applying technical innovation to improving reliability and profitability of current and new generation multi megawatt wind turbines. Their aim is to address the entire product lifecycle to maximise drivetrain reliability and reduce cost of energy from wind power. Romax offer turn-key solutions for drivetrain design; engineering and strategic consultancy; solutions for drivetrain health management and drivetrain simulation software. With a dedicated engineering team in the Romax US Technical Center the company provides local service to the US wind industry, including a broad spectrum of owners, operators, insurers, rebuilders and research institutes. The US team specializes in monitoring, inspection, design, gearbox re-engineering and providing solutions to the industry to improve reliability and reduce costs. Romax employ some of the industrys brightest minds including strategic thinkers, technology innovators, experienced engineers and world leading software specialists. They have been developing and supplying innovative simulation tools and services for drivetrain, gearbox and bearing design plus analysis and certification to many leading OEMs, owners and operators for over 20 years. Established in 1989 by renowned bearing expert Dr Peter Poon (MBE), today Romax is a global enterprise with 11 offices worldwide, covering the UK, France, USA, Korea, Japan, China and India. For the wind industry, Romax provides a range of solutions covering: Drivetrain design review and optimisation Condition monitoring solutions Drivetrain health management Drivetrain simulation software Manufacturing, certification and testing support Technical, strategic consulting and training
For further information on Romax products and services please visit: www.RomaxTech.com
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S&C: A century of Innovation S&C, headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, applies its heritage of innovation to address challenges facing the worlds power grids. Its 2400 employeeowners continually develop new solutions for electricity delivery and foster improved efficiency and reliability for the intelligent grid. Since 1911, when S&C invented the first practical power fuse, this culture of innovation has lead to the introduction of unique technology that prevents power failures. S&C offers its own field-proven package of solutions allowing systems to heal themselves when problems arise; integrate solar, wind and other renewableenergy sources into the grid; provide storage; and maximize power assets and their efficiency. S&Cs maintains operations around the globe in China, Mexico, Brazil, Canada and the UK.
S&C: Solutions for Wind Energy There are lots of challenges involved in harnessing the wind to generate electricity. As regulations and requirements for wind energy plants continue to evolve, new hurdles are being imposed for connecting them to the grid and maintaining full production. And wind energy plant projects can be delayed by inappropriate equipment selection or incorrect installation, limiting revenue and potentially incurring financial penalties as well. S&C Electric Company can help. We offer comprehensive, field-proven solutions for integrating wind energy plants with the grid in a predictable, streamlined manner, and can address even the most complex issues. Distributed Static Compensators Our reactive power control solutions include proven products such as the S&C PureWaveDSTATCOM Distributed Static Compensator. This fast-compensating reactive power source has been applied at wind energy plants around the world to reduce voltage variations and allow the plants to meet power factor, voltage output, and low-voltage ride-through requirements of grid codes. Theres no need to curtail production of the entire plant when maintenance is needed ... only the generation connected to the affected inverter section is impacted. PureWave DSTATCOM is fully tested at the factory, for quick installation and commissioning. Medium-Voltage Switchgear S&C Vista Underground Distribution Switchgear and System VI Switchgear reliably control power flow from your turbines to the collector substation. They connect gigawatts of wind energy to the grid, worldwide. Both feature a compact, sealed design that protects against animal intrusion and provides superior performance in even the most challenging environments. And both feature switches with a clearly visible open gap and integral grounding capabilityfor a higher level of safety for your operating personnel. Vista Switchgear offers arc-resistant construction too, adding another layer of safety for your personnel.
S&C Electric Company 6601 N. Ridge Blvd. Chicago, Illinois 60626 USA
Ph: 773-338-1000 Fax: 773-338-2562 www.sandc.com
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Schunk Graphite Technology is the North American affiliate of the Schunk Group. The Schunk Group has been producing carbon products for 100 years and now boasts over 60 locations worldwide. Schunk has been involved in the wind industry since 1987 and continues to provide quality carbon brushes and holders for wind turbine generator current transfer, grounding and lightning protection.
Schunk Product Feature

1. Lightning Protection for Wind Turbines Schunk has been heavily involved in the design and practical application of lightning protection for decades. Carbon brushes are ideal for transferring current from a rotating part to a stationary one and we have worked with the industries top turbine manufacturers to develop practical lightning protection systems. Schunk has not only designed multiple systems for pitch, yaw and main rotor applications, but we have also had them independently tested at the University of Kiel in Germany to insure the class of protection desired is met for our customers. For more information about our practical lightning protection for wind turbines, please contact Rob Hefner at robert.hefner@schunkgraphite.com.
Schunk Graphite Technology, LLC W146 N9300 Held Drive Menomonee Falls, WI 53051 Ph: 262-253-8720 Toll Free 888-560-7744 www.schunkgraphite.com info@schunkgraphite.com
2. C80X Phase & Ground Brushes Schunk has demonstrated great field test results on a new brush grade designed specifically for DFIG wind generators. C80X, an impregnated 50% metal graphite brush has been impressing OEM and aftermarket service providers with its great patina film formation qualities and long wear life. With two plus years of testing on three continents, C80X has now been proven to handle both low humidity and high loading conditions, while also showing great wear resistance in normal operating conditions. No brush grade will ever be a cure-all for every unique operating environment, but C80X is close and quickly becoming the preferred grade for DFIG wind generator phase and ground applications. To learn more about C80X and Schunk brushes, contact Rob Hefner at robert.hefner@schunkgraphite.com
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Large Retaining Rings & Wave Springs for Power Generation smalleywindpower.com Smalley Steel Ring Company is a manufacturer of Spirolox Retaining Rings, Constant Section Rings and Wave Springs. Spirolox Rings, also known as Spiral Rings offer a 360 retaining surface and are interchangeable with standard stamped ring grooves. Spirolox retaining rings require no special tooling for removal and have No Ears to Interfere with the assembly. Flat wire wave springs reduce heights by up to 50% while offering the same force and deflection as standard coil springs. Wave springs fit in tight radial and axial spaces. With over 10,000 standard parts to select from, all Smalley parts are available in carbon and stainless steel off the shelf. Special parts can range from .200 to 120 in diameter. There are No-Tooling-ChargesTM on specials. Exotic alloys are readily available.
About Smalley Steel Ring Company

Smalley manufactures retaining rings and wave springs using our unique coiling technology. Smalley has become established as the top manufacturer of spiral retaining rings and flat wire wave springs. Smalley is ISO 9001, ISO/TS 16949, AS9100 and ISO 14001 certified.
Products:
Wave/Compression Springs. Smalley Wave Springs offer the unique advantage of space savings when used to replace coil springs. By reducing spring operating height, wave springs also produce a decrease in the spring cavity. With a smaller assembly size and less material used in the manufacturing process, a cost savings is realized. Wave springs operate as load bearing devices. They take up play and compensate for dimensional variations within assemblies. A virtually unlimited range of forces can be produced whereby loads build either gradually or abruptly to reach a predetermined working height. This establishes a precise spring rate in which load is proportional to deflection. Spirolox Retaining Rings. Spirolox Retaining Rings, available exclusively from Smalley, have No Ears To Interfere with the mating components in the assembly. Spiral rings offer a 360 retaining surface, require no special tooling for removal and are interchangeable with ordinary snap ring grooves. Constant Section Rings. Constant Section Rings are often specified for heavy duty or impact loading applications. Smalley offers eight series of rings from stock in over 1,000 sizes. Laminar Sealing Rings. A Smalley Laminar Sealing Ring is a metallic labyrinth seal consisting of multiple rings in a groove. This arrangement of the rings and the specific orientation of the rings are dictated by the application and the severity of the environment. Hoopster Rings. New from Smalley, Hoopster Rings fit into much shallower grooves than regularsnap rings or retaining rings. Hoopster Retaining Rings are suitable for light to heavy loads and are ideal for thin wall tubes. Manufacturing Proces. Smalleys Circular-Grain Process offers unique flexibility in production. Coiled, not stamped, Smalley products are edge-wound from prehardened, spring-tempered flat wire. A linear grain structure provides exceptional strength and dimensional stability. There are No Tooling Costs for prototype or custom configurations, allowing for low prototype cost and quick deliveries. No-Tooling-Cost Process. Smalleys CircularGrain Process offers unusual flexibility in production. There is no special tooling needed, even for prototype or custom configurations. This results in low prototype cost and quick deliveries.
Smalley Steel Ring 555 Oakwood Rd. Lake Zurich, IL 60047 Ph: 847-719-5900 Fax: 847-719-5999 windpower@smalley. com
Free Samples. Smalley will send samples of catalog items for your evaluation, free of charge. To make a request, simply go to www. smalley.com/samples. From www.smalley.com you can request free samples, catalogs, download CAD models and request design assistance or design your own application specific ring or spring.
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UpWind Solutions is the wind industrys leading third party provider of wind turbine operation and maintenance services, asset management and enhancement. With a UpWind Solutions, Inc. 5444 Napa Street San Diego, CA 92110 USA www.upwindsolutions.com +1 619.791.1050 diverse customer base serving a broad OEM technology portfolio, we provide turnkey services with comprehensive capabilities across the value chain where our people, innovation, low cost per kWh and Higher Standard of Service are the key differentiators. This vision is driven by three specific goals that all UpWind employees understand: 1) We are passionate about delivering A Higher Standard of Service
From the earliest phases in the life cycle of a project, UpWind Solutions deep expertise and innovative solutions can enhance asset performance, whether its providing advice on a development, ensuring the quality of a commissioned wind farm is of the highest standard, helping customers maximize the value of an OEM warranty, or delivering high quality O&M. As an Independent Service Provider that manages a multi-vendor fleet of wind turbines, we leverage cross-platform spare parts capabilities and proprietary solutions for monitoring and assessing asset condition in order to optimize production. Our extensive database of operational data and field inspection records uniquely positions us as the partner of choice for wind farm owners that want to liberate their assets and optimize energy yield. Our portfolio includes: On site Operation & Maintenance, including BOP and spare parts 24/7 Remote Operating of wind turbines (NERC compliant) End of Warranty inspections - delivered via UpWind Reports Sentinel - drive train component monitoring and diagnostics
Analytics - performance optimization software Vortex Generators - maximizing energy yield Repairs, replacements, improvements from foundation to blade tip
2) We will be the best in the world at delivering maximum wind asset performance 3) We will create value for our customers through innovation more for less
Together with our staff of highly trained technicians, our management team is uniquely capable of understanding your needs and delivering success on your terms. Your goals are our goals. Your success is our success. Its that simple.
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EQUIP M ENT
Adhesive works under water
This high viscosity methacrylate adhesive provides durable joints for assembling composites in a variety of environments, including immersion in salt water. SCIGRIPs SG230 HV adheres to vertical or overhead surfaces without movement. The adhesive is two components with a 10:1 mix ratio. Functional with a number of activators, its working times range from 30 to 120 minutes.
W O R LD
It is particularly suited for bonding large structural parts requiring long working times
A tie and support for cable bundles

This cable tie and support provides a safer and easier method for bundling and supporting cables outdoors. The Ty-Rap Deltec Cable Tie and Support System tolerates harsh environments and temperatures as low as -85F. While traditionalmetallic lashings can nick or cut through cable insulation, the Ty-Rap system has no sharp edges. For aerial applications, the supports come with base hanger pieces. Cable straps are preassembled in standard lengths of 10, 13.5, and 27 in. Reels (pictured) are also available.
and for filling deep irregular gaps up to 1.5 inches (39 mm).
SCIGRIP www.scigrip.com
Rovings for non-crimped fabrics

SE 2020 Direct Rovings consist of continuous filaments bonded into a single strand and wound onto a bobbin. The single-end rovings are used to manufacture noncrimped fabrics for use in turbine blades. The boron-free E-CR glass offers improved corrosion resistance. Coupled with enhanced composite properties, itis well-matched for offshore wind farms. The fabrics are suitable for resin infusion or prepreg processes. The roving recently received GL approval.
Thomas & Betts www.tnb.com
3B www.3bfibreglass.com
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Concrete repair at low temperatures
IN-DE-PEN-DENCE: (def)
Not subject to another's authority or jurisdiction; autonomous;
At UpWind Solutions, independence means transparent service, focused on customer needs. Your goals are our goals. Your success is our success. Its that simple.
Repairing cracks in the foundation of a wind turbine will increase the life of the structure. Magna-Crete is a two-part magnesium phosphate material that sets rapidly and has high green strength. It bonds to concrete and other materials. Without a water additive, Magna-Crete may be applied at temperatures as low as -15F. The company says work time may be 5 to 20 minutes while cure time may be 2 hours.
Henkel www.henkelna.com/ windpower
Email us: sales@upwindsolutions.com Call us: +1 619-791-1050 Follow us: www.upwindsolutions.com/linkedin www.upwindsolutions.com
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A torque multiplier with simple calculations
Each gear stage of a Norbar multiplier has a gear ratio of typically 5.45:1, which results in a true torque multiplication factor of 5:1. While the company says other multipliers often require graphs or formulae to calculate the input torque to achieve a particular output, Norbar requires simple multiplication. Norbar claims Handtorque has the most comprehensive multiplier range available. Standard products areavailable for hand torqueing up to 47,500 Nm (35,000 lbfft) and special orders to 100,000 Nm (73,000 lbfft).
W O R LD
Norbar www.norbar.com
Advantage of a torque multiplier
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Blue and green degreaser
Natural Blue is a concentrated biodegradable cleaner and degreaser for turbine blades, as well as a variety of metals and plastics. Diluted with water, the cleaner is suited for wipe down, pressure spraying, and immersion cleaning at room temperature or heated. Application temperature ranges from 60 to 120F. It is non-flammable and non-toxic and contains no ozone-depleting chemicals. The liquid is CFIA approved.
W O RL D
Leveling system sports an iPhone interface

This level system consists of a sensor unit and an iOS unit, such as an iPad or iPhone. The ALiSENSOR Level is a rugged data collector that contains MEMS gyros, accelerometers, inclinometers, and a microprocessor. Data of angular and translational movements are provided via Bluetooth to the iOS unit, which has a user-friendly interface to analyze data. The system comes in two designs: The level core systems includes a 100-mm base and the Level VF includes an L-Shape base, a shaft and cylinder adapter, and two-spindle bit attachments.
Loctite www.loctite.com
ALiSENSOR alignmentsupplies.com
Expansion bolts for shaft alignments

Turbines require fitted bolts to assure proper shaft alignment. Superbolts alternative, a six-piece expansion bolt, has a tapered stud with threads on both ends. The small-end Mechanical Tensioner supplies a large force to draw the tapered stud into an expandable tapered sleeve, creating a large radial load. The large-end Tensioner creates an additional high axial clamp load on the joint. Typically, sleeves are designed 0.005 to 0.010 in. loose in the hole, allowing for variations in tolerance. Other benefits include fast installation and removal and no need for high-powered tools.
Superbolt www.superbolt.com
100
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Cable company adds 600V AWM rating
An industrial ethernet-cable manufacturer has added a 600V AWM approval. The rating for the DataMax Extreme line of cables has been applied to more than 25 part numbers and includes all FR TPE jacketed industrial ethernet cables. The more durable jacket required to meet a 600V approval protects the network from high voltage that may leach from nearby power cables onto data cables and travel into the communication network. Constructions are available in stranded, solid, unshielded, foil shielded, braided shield, 2 pair, 4 pair, 22, 24, and 26 AWG.
W O R LD
TRUSTED LEADER IN OPERATIONS & MAINTENANCE
With 7,000+ MW of energy under contract, EDF Renewable Services is the leading North American provider of Operations & Maintenance Services. With our 25 years of experience we maximize project profitability and ensure the performance of your investment for the long term. As part of a global organization, we bring a depth of experience to every project.
Quabbin Wire & Cable Co. www.quabbin.com
Maximize Profitability Optimize Availability Analyze Performance
O&M Business Development | 858.521.3575 | O&MBusDev@edf-re.com | www.edf-renewable-services.com
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2013
Abaris Training ................................................ 72 Argo-Hytos ..................................................... 73 Aurora Bearing Company ............................ 74 Aztec Bolting .................................................. 75 Bosch Rexroth ............................................... 76 Bronto Skylift .................................................. 77 Deublin ............................................................ 78 Dexmet Corporation .................................... 79 DISK-LOCK ..................................................... 80 EDF Renewable Energy ................................ 81 Encoder Products ......................................... 82 Helwig Carbon Products, Inc. .................... 83 Henkel Corporation....................................... 84 Herguth Laboratories, Inc. .......................... 85 Hytorc .............................................................. 86 Lapp Group ..................................................... 87 Norbar Torque Tools, Inc. ............................ 88 NRG Systems .................................................. 89 PT Tech-EBO Group ..................................... 90 Red Lion Controls ......................................... 91 Romax Technology ....................................... 92 S&C Electric .................................................... 93 Schunk ............................................................. 94 Smalley Steel Ring Company ...................... 95 Upwind Solutions, Inc. ................................. 96
Abaris Training ........................................ 34 Argo-Hytos ............................................. 41 Aurora Bearing Company .................... 69 AWEA ....................................................... 103 Aztec Bolting .......................................... 2 Bosch Rexroth ....................................... 1 Bronto Skylift .......................................... 4 Deublin .................................................... 38 Dexmet Corporation ............................ 17 DISC-LOCK International .................... 34 Dow ......................................................... IBC EDF Renewable Energy ........................ 101 Encoder Products ................................. 40 Enfield Technologies ............................ 70 Helukabel ................................................ 54 Helwig Carbon Products, Inc. ............ 21 Henkel Corporation .............................. BC Herguth Laboratories, Inc.................... 67 Hydraforce............................................... 28 Hy-Pro Filtration .................................... 57 Hytorc ...................................................... 19 Lapp Group ............................................. 23 Lincoln Electric ...................................... 53 NRG Systems........................................... 5 PT Tech EBO Group .............................. 25 Red Lion Controls ................................. 15 Romax Technology ............................... 99
February 2013
The technical resource for wind profitability
Rotor Clip ................................................ 49 S&C Electric Company ......................... 11 Schunk ..................................................... 63 Smalley Steel Ring Company .............. IFC Upwind Solutions, Inc. ......................... 98
INSIDE:
>> Cables for wind work PagE 50
>> generator diameter spans 12m PagE 8
>> siemens swt 6.0 PagE 42
How to build a wind company

PagE 58
WPE FEB 2013 cov_FINAL FINAL.indd 1
2/3/13 2:26 PM
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WINDPOWER is the Source to Find Your Business Solutions
VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR MORE INFO
www.WINDPOWERexpo.org
Solutions for Success
AWEA EducAtionAl SEriES

GENERatING POWER WIth KNOWlEDGE
Scan this code with your smartphone to learn more!
AWEA Regional Wind Energy Summit West

January 14, 2013 4 La Jolla, CA
AWEA Wind Project Operations, Maintenance & Reliability Seminar

January 15 16, 2013 4 La Jolla, CA
AWEA Wind Environmental Health & Safety Seminar

January 16 17, 2013 4 La Jolla, CA
AWEA Wind Power on Capitol Hill

February 5 6, 2013 4 Washington, DC
www.awea.org/events
AWEA Regional Wind Energy Summit Northwest

February 19, 2013 4 Portland, OR
AWEA Wind Project Siting Seminar

February 20, 2013 4 Portland, OR
DO WNWIN D
Wind electrifies art

Two undergraduates at the Georgia Tech
School of Architecture recently claimed top honors in a competition to aesthetically combine land art and electrical generation. James Murray and Shota Vashakmadzes design, called Scene-Sensor, would rise 90 feet over New Yorks Freshkills Park and annually produce an estimated 5,500 MWh. The students say two mounds in the park with a creek between them, channel strong wind flows. The 720-ft long Scene-Sensor would intersect the flow and produce a shimmering spectacle that captures its energy with a metallic mesh containing piezoelectric wires. Visitors could also generate electricity by walking on a nearby bridge, activating ground piezoelectrics. At night, Scene-Sensor would light up and envelop
How it works
Scene-Sensor would use an estimated 208,000 small
reflective panels to capture the wind. Each would be embedded with piezoelectric wires, which convert mechanical energy to electricity when they are stretched. Scientists aim to produce energy-generating textiles with this technology, but the students believe it could be applied to a larger framework. In this case, the wires would bend as thousands of metallic panels fluttered in the wind. Such a design would require less air movement than conventional wind turbines.
Devoted t o all thing s wind, curi ous, and possibly useful.
visitors who climb its internal walkways to the top, where a view of New York City would await. Both students currently work at a Georgia architecture firm and have plans to enter graduate school. Read more about Scene-Sensor at windpowerengineering.com. WPE
104
FEBRUARY 2013
>
Experience the Power of Dow Inside
WHEN ITS YOUR JOB TO CAPTURE THE POWER OF THE WIND.

Specifying cables that wont fail when the wind is blowing. Thats your job. All cable compounds are not created equal. When you choose cables made with the power of DOW INSIDE, you will get reliable cable performance you can count on for the lifetime of your development. The DOW ENDURANCE family of products from Dow Electrical & Telecommunications for MV, HV and EHV underground or submarine cables delivers that peace of mind for a lower cost over the total lifetime of your system. For reliable power transmission and distribution from turbine to grid, theres only one choice. The power of DOW INSIDE. Thats the confidence you need when its your job to keep the power on.
www.dowinside.com
Trademark of The Dow Chemical Company Dow Electrical & Telecommunications is a global business unit of The Dow Chemical Company and its subsidiaries.
Build It. Bond It. Fix It.

Non-skid Coatings Impact Damage Panel Sealing Edge Wear GL-approved polyurethane blade bonding adhesives cure faster and at room temperature to reduce cycle times and energy costs. They offer superior long-term fatigue strength, tensile shear, resistance to aging and creep performance.
Henkel offers complete best-in-class solutions to build, maintain and repair wind turbines from base to blade, tower to nacelle.
Contact us at 1-800-562-8483 or visit henkelna.com/windpower
Tip Damage
Tower & Platform Sealing
Yaw Bearing Sealing
Corrosion Protection Threadlocking Ladder Bonding
Cable Sealing Base Grouting/ Pad Repair
Except as otherwise noted, all marks used are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Henkel and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and elsewhere. = registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Henkel Corporation, 2012. All rights reserved. 9118 (06/19)

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The technical resource for wind profitability

>> generator diameter spans 12m Page 8

>> siemens SWT 6.0 Page 42

How to build a wind company

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