It is estimated that operation and maintenance costs could account for up to 30% of the energy cost, and manufacturers recently indicated that the cost of operation and maintenance is around £30,000 per turbine per year in the UK. The cost of offshore servicing is exaggerated by the cost of equipment, particularly vessels, as the price is driven up by competition from the oil and gas industry. Weather constraints can also affect budget and increase costs.
The current generation of wind turbines require servicing once every six months, and take between 40 and 80 man hours per year. Typically a major overhaul will be carried out every five years, and would need 100 man hours. Cancellations due to weather are estimates at 15% of service visits, so can have a significant effect on schedule and cost.
Substantial investment is being put into the development of more reliable drivetrain systems, to reduce the amount of maintenance. One area of development is computer controlled monitoring systems to react to faults, or highlight potential failures that can be rectified before they cause complete breakdown. SCADA (System Control and Data Acquisition) systems transmit signals and alarms between the turbine and the onshore control centre. Minor faults can be resolved remotely from the control centre, while more serious problems can be diagnosed early to reduce down time.
Summary
Wind turbine drivetrains (read also more here) as a concept, and at component level are undergoing rapid development. As one of the most significant contributing factors to the down time for wind turbines each year, the drivetrain is being revolutionised; along with the wind energy industry as a whole. It is unclear at this stage which technology will prove most suitable for mass production in the long term, so planning an operation and maintenance routine is a fluid process that must evolve with the design of each new system. As wind farms venture further out to sea in search of higher winds, so the turbines will increase in size, and may even exceed 10MW. The drivetrain solutions to suit that next generation of wind turbines will require their own custom maintenance plans.
Thousands of wind turbines will need to be installed over the next ten years if European energy targets for 2020 are to be met. This increase in volume of maintenance will change the landscape of the operation and maintenance sector of the wind energy industry. The cost of servicing is already at a very high level, because it requires specialist equipment, highly trained technicians and is reliant upon weather conditions.
Better reliability of the components within the drivetrain and longer service intervals built into design, can reduce the frequency of visits and cost of maintenance. Computer monitoring systems should also be utilised to relay detailed information back to the control centre, but also used interactively to diagnose and repair faults. Automated maintenance, such as filter changes, can be implemented into design to make the turbine as ‘self sufficient’ as possible.
The next round of development across Europe will see several wind farm installations, and much of the new technology being developed will be utilised to make this generation of wind turbines more economic and efficient; some of the innovations will be on ‘trail’ under very real conditions. To minimise the cost surrounding breakdowns and repairs due to unreliable components, strategies to improve the reliability and serviceability of drivetrain systems should be implemented, and should be seen as a vital part of the design process.
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2nd Drivetrain Concepts for Wind Turbines
Don't miss the "2nd Drivetrain Concepts for Wind Turbines" Congress, taking place 17-19 October 2011 at the Swissôtel Bremen, Germany.
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