Wind turbines are one of the most powerful and widespread energy source all over the world. Actually humans used the energy of the wind centuries and even millennia ago. However modern technologies of wind power service became available with nowadays rapid industry development.
Wind Turbines in the World
People came up with wind energy use many centuries ago. Egyptians invented wind energy propelled boats, which floated along the Nile River in 5000 B.C. By 200 B.C Chinese created simple windmills pumping water, while vertical-axis windmills with woven reed sails were grinding grain in Persia and the Middle East.
Nowadays wind power plants are scattered all over the world.
Picture 1. Wind Turbines Location Map
Wind technologies are one of the most fast-growing energy facilities. This fact means, that wind power service became actual branch of world business. Taking into account situation in Europe, leading contries in this domain are Germany, Great Britain and Spain.
Picture 2. Amount of Wind Power Production in Europe
(data up to end of 2013)
According to the numbers at picture above we can say, that wind turbines systems have huge meaning for European economics and cost of living. To consider development scale of this industry in the US, we must mention following facts:
- The U.S. wind sector accrued more than 100,000 workers in 2016. It has been one of the fastest-developing and expanding industries in American for last decade. It has huge meaning not only for economics and businesses, but also for labor marker.
- Wind turbines increase U.S. industry growth and U.S. competitiveness. Wind power industry has an annual economic impact of about $20 billion on the U.S. economy. The United States nowadays have can strongly compete in the globally clean energy economy.
Picture 3. Wind Energy in USA
Advantages of Wind Technologies
One of the biggest reasons why wind technologies are so popular is that they are environmentally friendly. Wind turbines don’t pollute air and surrounding. Producing of electricity trough them doesn’t require huge amount of resources and costs on them. It also gives great opportunities for users of wind energy. It has much lower price then any other selling electrical source. Moreover, due to its inexhaustibility the price is always stable.
Another advantage lies in the convenient placement of wind turbine plants. They can be installed even on existing farms or ranches land and they won’t cause problems for people living next to them.
Maintenance of Wind Turbines
As any energy producing facility, wind turbines need proper maintenance. First of all, it is important to know important facts about wind turbines construction and principle of their work.
Wind turbines have a simple principle of work. Standard wind turbine has two or three propeller-like blades turn around a rotor, that is connected to the main shaft and creates energy.
Modern wind turbines can be divided into two basic groups:
- the horizontal-axis variety
- and the vertical-axis design
Wind turbines can be placed on land or offshore in large bodies of water: oceans, seas etc.
Wind turbines convert the kinetic energy into mechanical power. The most crucial for wind power service are the inside parts. The core parts of the internal mechanism are generator and gearbox (pic.4). The generator is approximately 34% of the price of wind turbines. It contains within itself control of the electric drive and most likely a gearbox. System also includes adjustable-speed drive or continuously variable transmission for converting speed to high level of rotation, which is suitable for generating electricity. Generator is kind of engine or pump, which ultimately produces electricity.
Wind turbines have striking efficiency. One modern wind plant can produce up to several MV of electricity. So we can say that wind farms are in no way inferior to other types of stations.
To keep plants in run it is necessary to maintain regular wind power service. It is important to change gearbox oil. If not to keep an eye on wind turbine and oil state there can take place malfunctions. Unproper care can lead to rusting of metal, oil leakage and even to ignition and explosion.
Picture 4. Wind Turbine Structure
Wind Power Service Difficulties
Generally, modern wind towers can reach a height of almost 300 meters. So maintenance is rather hard and dangerous for technicians. When it’s necessary to change gearbox oil, they have to conduct wires of service equipment through all the length of tower by hands. That is not only hard work, but also an operation that will take not less then one day. Long term stop of wind turbine engine means significant loss of costs and electricity. Not mentioning the fact, that wind farm can count in total dozens of machines.
Innovative Wind Power Service
There are new technologies that can facilitate wind power service. Of course, big service companies have lifts that makes gearbox oil change and other operations much easier. But GlobeCore company invented an alternative option.
GlobeCore engineers designed special machines that enables easy and quick maintenance. Maintenance with both units take less than one hour.
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CMM-G is a wind turbine oil changer that enables number of automatic treatments: oil changing, gearbox fushing, oil draining and other. This machine can operate with wind turbines height up to 105 meters.
- CMM-GL is a smaller and and more compact configuration of wind power service machine. It is applicable for turbines up to 60 meters.