Over the past decades, the number of wind turbine installations has risen. As the need for renewable energy sources has grown and so too has the need for their maintenance

Modern, everyday life depends on electricity so the global demand for electrical power is growing and wind turbines are making a major impact on the power generation market. Once they are installed, they offer an environment-friendly, renewable energy source. However, as with any electromechanical equipment, it needs to be properly maintained in order to remain reliable and continue delivering clean energy, even after the manufacturer’s warranty has expired.

Ron Bridges, Account Manager for Sulzer, who has considerable experience in the wind power generation sector, looks at the choices operators face when the warranty period expires on their generators.

Electricity is essential to everyday modern life. Turning on the lights, watching television, getting a cold drink out of a refrigerator or riding a train – electricity is all around us and something we can’t imagine our day without. Even though it’s required for almost everything that we do, we won’t necessarily stop to think about where the electricity we’re using is coming from.

Over the past decades, the number of wind turbine installations has continued to increase as the need for renewable energy sources has grown and so too has the need for their maintenance. Specialist service providers are needed to make sure that the turbines keep turning and generate electricity.

Since wind turbines were first commissioned on an industrial scale, the technology and design of the components has progressed rapidly, enabling units over 1 MW to be installed with an expected working life of around 20 years.

PLANNING FOR WARRANTY

Wind turbine manufacturers offer a warranty period of five to ten years, where the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) has a contract with the owners to deliver maintenance and repair projects. When this expires, owners are able to seek out more cost-effective suppliers, but any savings must not be at the expense of quality or expertise.

Wind turbines built by the same OEM will contain many common components from the same manufacturers, but this is not always the case when it comes to the generator. Very often, two identical models of wind turbine will contain generators from different suppliers, which can make maintenance programs more complex.

Such a specialist field requires considerable expertise to be able to handle the numerous designs and offer upgrades that can improve reliability and efficiency. Sulzer has extensive experience in generator maintenance and repair, with many specialist engineers involved in the wind turbine industry. This expertise covers all manufacturers of generators, and the processes used to deliver a timely repair have been honed over many years.

OPTIMISING AVAILABILITY

Once a generator has arrived at the service centre, it is important to establish the technical details of the machine and carry out a series of initial tests and discover the precise condition of the generator. These are followed by the tear-down and visual inspection, which offer additional information on the work that needs to be carried out. From here, the reliability and availability of the turbine will be determined.