Windpower Engineering & Development October 2018

A FEW GIFT IDEAS FOR THAT SPECIAL WIND TECH

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oin us in the nation’s capital for a timely educational program, recent advances in offshore technology, as well as top-notch networking with those leading the offshore segment into the 2020s.

PROGRAM CHAIRS

Thomas Brostrøm President North America, ørsted

Stephanie McClellan Director, Special Initiative on Offshore Wind, University of Delaware

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

The Honorable Terje Søviknes Minister of Petroleum and Energy, Norway

Register at awea.org/offshore

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HERE’S WHAT I THINK Editor Windpower Engineering & Development mfroese@wtwhmedia.com

A few observations on the progress of offshore wind

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ast October, our founding editor Paul Dvorak wrote an editorial on the developing offshore wind industry in United States (go to tinyurl. com/AFewObservations for a refresher). This issue, we revisit a few of his observations to assess the industry’s progress over the last year.

The good news? The offshore wind development pipeline in the country includes more than 25,000 MW of planned generating capacity, with 2,000 MW expected to be operational within five years.

Currently, Massachusetts is calling for 1,600 MW of new offshore wind energy by 2027, New York is planning for 2,400 MW by 2030, and New Jersey set the biggest goal of 3,500 MW by 2030.

Those are lofty goals and, as Dvorak pointed out in his editorial, there is a lot yet to learn. One idea is to take advantage of European experience, an approach that’s attracted New York offshore wind proponents. The New York Power Authority (NYPA) aims to study effective offshore wind transmission models by focusing on large-scale European projects.

NYPA says best practices and lessons learned from European electrical infrastructure design and transmission networks will guide the state’s procurements of offshore wind.

Another advancement coming from overseas: larger turbines.

Think big. MHI Vestas Offshore Wind recently made it official: its V164 wind turbine has achieved a 10-MW power rating and is ready to buy. The turbine manufacturer says it has already installed more than 100 of its early-model V164 in the UK and Germany and recently pushed the boundaries of its flexible 8-MW platform.

MHI Vestas credits “a stronger gearbox, some minor mechanical upgrades, and a small design change to enhance airflow and increase cooling in the converter” for the 10-MW victory. The ability to produce more power from a single wind turbine means fewer turbines are needed at a project site — and that means lower capital, construction, and O&M costs.

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Earlier this year, GE said it’s investing more than $400 million over the next few years to develop the 12-MW Haliade-X. This turbine is expected to tower some 260 meters (853 ft) over the sea and produce 45% more energy than any other offshore turbine available to date. Its 107-m (351-ft) long blades will be longer than the size of a soccer field.

Think jobs. “Any offshore wind farm should be as much a job creator for the U.S. as a power generator,” Dvorak wrote last year. If current research is accurate, jobs will be aplenty when new offshore wind construction begins. Take South Carolina, for example.

According to a new report from the American Jobs Project, the state has the 45th-lowest labor force participation rate in the nation and workforce barriers have contributed to a poverty rate of over 15%.

However, offshore wind development could mean nearly 850 jobs for local citizens in the state. The report recommends the offshore industry tap into South Carolina’s research expertise, manufacturing sector, and logistics infrastructure (learn more at tinyurl.com/SouthCarolinaJobs). A similar economic analysis found that offshore wind would bring closer to 5,000 jobs to five different Atlantic Coast states — including South Carolina — while adding billions to the American economy (read more on page 6 of this issue).

Think cost. One caveat to offshore wind success in the United States is that costs must drop, substantially. The country’s first and only offshore wind farm south of Block Island, R.I. cost some $300 million for a total of 30 MW and five turbines. However, pricing for America’s first large-scale offshore wind farm presented at a record low. The 800-MW Vineyard Wind project, planned for south of Martha’s Vineyard, set a national record with prices at $74 per megawatt-hour in the project’s first year (and a second phase would cost merely $65/MWh).

Granted, every project is different but Vineyard Wind suggests the industry is headed in the right direction. Dvorak also mentioned that the future is floating, and his instincts were correct. Floating foundations let wind farms be sited further from shore and in deeper waters with stronger wind. Northern California recently submitted a lease application for floating offshore wind (see page 11). Fingers crossed floating wind farms bring a new offshore sector to the country. We’ll see what the next year has in store.

Well wishes in your retirement, Paul Dvorak. We miss your wisdom at Windpower Engineering & Development . W

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DEL FRANCO

KERI GUNTHER is the manager of Moxa’s Industrial IoT and Computing Division. He has over 15 years of experience helping large industrial and commercial enterprises with their communication and computing requirements.

BJARNE HAVSTEEN is senior project manager,

THERESA TREVOR is the director of marketing at SkySpecs. SkySpecs offers fully automated wind-turbine inspections, both offshore and onshore, as well as management and analytics software to help customers make informed business decisions about their assets. To date, the company has inspected over 11,000 wind turbines worldwide.

GREG LUPION has spent more than 30 years in

CRAIG WALKER is a freelance writer, originally from Pretoria, South Africa but who now calls the Unied States home. Walker’s favorite hobby is windsurfing on Lake Erie, Ohio. He holds a B.S. in Aerospace Studies from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University and an MBA.

R&D at Svendborg Brakes, a global provider of intelligent braking solutions for industrial applications including wind turbines. As a chemical engineer, Havsteen has worked on the development of advanced friction materials for the automotive and industrial sectors for more than 30 years.

journalism, working for daily newspapers, trade publications, and most notably as executive editor of operations for EE Times. Currently, he is blogging for eltropy.com and rapidbizapps.com.

ANNE M. MCENTEE is CEO of GE’s

BARBARA ROOK is a business communications consultant with 25-plus years of experience in corporate communications and trade publishing.

Renewable Energy Digital Services business, working across the broader portfolio of Onshore Wind, Offshore Wind, and Hydropower businesses to provide digital products and lifecycle solutions driven by our customers’ operational strategy. She is a 20-year GE veteran who has worked and advanced through a series of increasingly responsible assignments in the power generation, oil & gas, and renewable energy industries. Previously, McEntee spent four years as president and CEO of GE’s Onshore Wind business, which achieved record orders in 2016.

WALKER

TREVOR

ROOK

RICHARDS

MCENTEE

HAVSTEEN

MARK DEL FRANCO is a freelance writer living in Orange, Connecticut. As the former editor of North American Windpower, he has written about all aspects of land-based and offshore wind power since 2008. He can be reached at mark. delfranco@gmail.com.

CHRIS RICHARDS is the director of sales and marketing at global engineering specialist BGB. Richards is a former design engineer with more than 15 years of experience operating in markets including renewable energy, marine, industrial and military sectors. He has also worked on carbon-brush applications for more than a decade. BGB has supplied parts for more than 65,000 turbines around the world and has been the principal supplier of slip rings and brushes to Vestas and Neg Micon since 1995.

LUPION

ADAM FERGUSON is chief technology officer at FMC GlobalSat, a Fort Lauderdale, Fl-based satellite and wireless services firm. He can be reached at aferguson@fmcglobalsat.com.

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OCTOBER 2018 • vol 10 no 5

CONTENTS

D E PA R T M E N T S 01

Editorial: A few observations on the progress of

06

Windwatch: Offshore wind development could add

16 18 20

offshore wind

billions to the economy, What’s new in offshore wind, World’s first floating wind farm delivers promising results, Iron-flow battery research aims to reduce storage costs, and Wind work around North America.

Components: Copper or silver? How to choose

reliable wind-turbine brushes

Operations & Maintenance: Minimizing yaw

by drone

41 Connectivity: How satellites are keeping wind operators connected with offshore turbines

44 Internet of Things: Why a cloud-based IoT platform is good for business

48 Downwind: A ship that delivers wind turbines using wind power

Software: Going digital with the right service

provider

F E AT U R E S

24 The cold, hard truth about ice on turbine blades

Significant wind-farm downtime from ice buildup on turbine blades is a problem in cold climates. Mother Nature can be tough to predict and even tougher to manage. But wind-farm operators are finding success with advanced blade de-icing systems.

Offshore wind is coming to America

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32 Drones: 5 tips for offshore wind-turbine inspections

brake noise in wind turbines

09

4

29 Gift Guide: Holiday gift ideas for that special wind tech

Getting offshore wind ready After years of delays, the U.S. offshore wind industry is finally gaining momentum, with new projects ripe for development.

36 Ports trying to keep pace with offshore wind development

Wind developers are siting and assessing offshore wind sites up and down the Atlantic.

To accommodate this promising new industry in the United States, port owners and operators are working to shore up portside infrastructure and storage, prepping for efficiency and success.

www.windpowerengineering.com

OCTOBER 2018

10/2/18 10:45 AM

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10/3/18 9:38 AM

OFFSHORE OFFSHORE WIND WIND DEVELOPMENT DEVELOPMENT COULD ADD ADD COULD BILLIONS BILLIONS TO THE THE U.S. U.S. TO ECONOMY ECONOMY

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HARNESSING OFFSHORE WIND ENERGY would triple the number of wind energy jobs in five Atlantic Coast states, according to a new economic analysis from the non-partisan business group, Environmental Entrepreneurs or E2.

The report, Offshore Wind: Generating Economic Benefits on the East Coast, studied the economic impact of building an average-sized offshore wind farm (352 MW — roughly 44 turbines) off the coasts of five states: New York, New Jersey, Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. The analysis found that five average offshore wind projects would generate nearly 25,000 construction and operational jobs, with an average of 4,950 jobs added per state. Cumulatively, the projects would generate $3.6 billion in economic benefits.

“This report proves offshore wind energy has the potential to add jobs, tax dollars, and economic benefits to these states while protecting their coastal economies,” said Grant Carlisle, E2 Director of Advocacy. “This is a good deal for states and businesses, bringing in far more investment and tax revenue than the cost of the wind farm — nearly double in some states.”

In addition, the analysis forecasts that construction of an average-sized offshore wind project in each of these states would generate $265 million in federal taxes and more than $160 million in state and local taxes, cumulatively. Once completed, tax revenue from operating the wind farms in all five states would reach nearly $19 million annually throughout the life of the wind farms.

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A new report finds that offshore wind development off five Atlantic coasts would create about 5,000 jobs in each different region, and add billions to the economy in the United States.

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W I N D W A T C H

Results show that the benefits of building an average, 352-MW wind farm offshore of these coastal states are significant.

1. South Carolina: 5,647 jobs created, $242 million in wages, and $877.8 million in total added to the economy 2. North Carolina: 5,522 jobs created, $251 million in wages, and $710 million in total added to the economy 3. Virginia: 4,377 jobs created, $108 million in wages, and $640.7 million in total added to the economy 4. New Jersey: 4,313 jobs created, $278.9 million in wages, and $702 million in total added to the economy 5. New York: 4,063 jobs created, $281 million in wages, and $737 million in total added to the economy

Results from a new offshore wind study in the United States show that building new wind projects off the shores of five east coast states could have significant economic benefits throughout the region. In fact, workers would earn more than $1.3 billion in wages during construction and, after the projects were completed, $57 million during annual operation. Download the report at tinyurl.com/OffshoreWindReport

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“While solar, clean vehicles, and energy efficiency continue to prove their importance to American job growth, offshore wind is the next important play, with enormous economic and quality jobs opportunity for the East Coast economy,” said Kit Kennedy, senior director of the Natural Resources Defense Council’s climate and clean energy program. “That’s why it’s exciting that states up and down the East Coast are committing to moving forward with big plans for offshore wind development with combined with smart ocean planning.” W

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W I N D W A T C H

What's new in offshore wind The proposed Humboldt floating offshore wind project is expected to bring significant economic benefits to California in the form of jobs and increased spending. A longer-term goal of the project is for Humboldt Bay to become a central hub of a U.S. west coast offshore wind industry. (Source: RCEA)

ALTHOUGH OFFSHORE WIND POWER is still in the early stages of development in the United States, policymakers and developers are working diligently to push the industry forward. The U.S. Department of Energy predicts about 22,000 MW of offshore wind is possible by 2020. Here are some initiatives aimed at reaching that goal, successfully.

Learning from overseas The New York Power Authority (NYPA) is leading a study that aims to learn from European best practices in connecting offshore wind-generated power to transmission networks and the power grid. Research will focus on successful, large-scale projects in Europe to determine the optimal infrastructure required to support cost-effective delivery of future offshore wind energy to U.S. consumers.

Ultimately, the findings will guide New York wind development, moving the state forward in reaching its goal of 2,400 MW of offshore wind in waters off the Atlantic Coast by 2030.

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“This study coupled with the 20-plus studies already conducted as part of the New York State Offshore Wind Master Plan will further advance New York’s offshore wind projects in the most informed and inclusive manner possible,” explained Alicia Barton, President and CEO of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA).

In July, the Public Service Commission (PSC) authorized NYSERDA, in consultation with NYPA, to issue Phase 1 solicitations in 2018 and 2019 for about 800 MW of offshore wind.

The PSC also required NYSERDA to take immediate steps to study transmission solutions for Phase 2 planning processes.

“By taking the valuable lessons learned from the European development of offshore wind, we are ensuring the state maintains its position at the forefront of the emerging U.S. offshore wind industry and that we keep taking significant strides towards meeting Governor Cuomo’s nation-leading clean energy goals,” added Barton.

Planning floating offshore wind in California The Redwood Coast Energy Authority (RCEA), with support from a consortium of private companies, has submitted a lease application to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) to advance the development of an offshore wind energy project off the coast of Humboldt County, in Northern California.

RCEA says the proposed lease area will support the selection of a final project site for the expected 10 to 15-turbine project, which minimizes impacts on marine navigation corridors, major commercial fishing areas, and environmental resources. The 100 to 150-MW floating offshore wind farm is currently planned for more than 20 miles off the coast of Eureka.

Learn more at redwoodenergy.org/news

The New York State Offshore Wind Master Plan is a comprehensive roadmap to guide the state in the development 2,400 MW of offshore wind by 2030.

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W I N D W A T C H

Passing the Offshore Wind for Territories Act The U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources has unanimously passed the Offshore Wind for Territories Act, which amends federal law to authorize offshore wind development in the Exclusive Economic Zone adjacent to all five territories in the United States.

Conservation Program, providing dedicated federal funding for coral reef conservation and research.

“Offshore wind could replace our reliance on costly foreign petroleum imports with renewable, locally produced electricity while saving residents money on their electricity bills,” said Congresswoman Madeleine Z. Bordallo, a representative of Guam who proposed the bill.

Deepwater Wind is the first American wind developer to adopt procedures to prevent impacts to fishing gear.

Protecting fishing gear U.S. offshore wind developer, Deepwater Wind, has adopted a The Offshore Wind for Territories Act first-of-its-kind procedure to prevent impacts to commercial fishing gear guarantees each territory a statefrom offshore wind energy activities. equivalent share of any federal royalties The procedure was developed with the commercial fishing industry and collected for offshore wind development accounts for feedback from Atlantic coast fishermen. in federal waters off their coasts.

Deepwater Wind determined that keeping fishermen informed is the key to preventing damage to fishing gear, and has The Act guarantees each territory a included a process for gear loss and damage claims. The state-equivalent share of any federal royalties developer is planning utility-scale wind farms to serve collected for offshore wind development in Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and federal waters off their coasts, estimated by Maryland. the Congressional Budget Office at some $20 million. A portion of federal royalties Read the procedures at would go to the National Oceanic and dwwind.com/information-for-mariners W Atmospheric Administration’s Coral Reef

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World's first floating wind farm delivers promising results

Each of the five floating wind turbines at Hywind Scotland Pilot Park is capable of pumping 6 MW of energy into the grid for a project total of 30 MW of generating capacity. When not used, power is stored in lithium batteries for later use.

Watch the full story of Hywind’s development at tinyurl.com/FloatingHywind (Source: Statoil)

BY GREG LUPION, CONTRIBUTOR

THREE MONTHS AFTER DEPLOYMENT, the world’s first floating wind farm surpassed performance expectations, according to its operator, Statoil. The five-turbine, 30-MW Hywind Scotland Pilot Park — situated 15 miles off the Aberdeenshire Coast — operated at 65% of its maximum theoretical capacity last November, December, and January, the Norwegian energy company said.

By comparison, the typical capacity factor during the winter season for a bottom-fixed offshore wind farm is 45 to 60%. The 65% capacity figure was achieved despite a hurricane and a severe winter storm with wave heights of up to 27 feet.

Hywind’s turbines are about 830 feet tall, 256 ft of which is submerged beneath the water’s surface. Each massive tower is tethered to the bottom of the sea by floating chains, weighing in at 1,323 tons. The floating turbines, in waters more than 328 ft deep, theoretically could generate enough electricity to power 20,000 average UK homes when operating at full capacity.

The offshore advantage The main advantage of a floating wind farm is that offshore wind speeds are typically faster than on land. Small increases in speed result in large increases in energy production. For example, a turbine in a 15-mph wind can generate double the energy as one in a

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W I N D W A T C H

This map shows the vast potential of offshore wind worldwide.

(Source: Equinor)

12-mph wind, according to the American Geosciences Institute. In addition, offshore wind speeds are steadier than those on land, producing a more stable source of power. Considering that coastal areas constitute half of the U.S. population, these benefits offer the opportunity to serve power-dense regions.

The disadvantages of building offshore include potential turbine damage from severe offshore storms, the high costs of construction, and the challenge of building reliable wind farms in deep waters.

To date, floating turbines have been deployed only in modest projects, such as the 7-MW system, built and operated by the Fukushima Wind Offshore Consortium off the coast of Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. Typically, offshore wind farms are built on seabeds in shallow waters.

However, 80% of the offshore wind resources are in water that is too deep (200 ft.) for conventional bottom-fixed wind turbines, according to a Statoil spokesperson.

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“We expect to see exponential growth in floating offshore wind worldwide,” Statoil said, particularly as the technology matures and costs drop.

“We are on the outlook for new regions and are evaluating several interesting areas where there is a potential for floating offshore wind. Of high-potential markets, we believe in Japan, the west coast of North America, and even Europe as a few examples.” These are areas where seabeds drop steeply off the coast.

Europe a trailblazer?

The European market outlook for renewable energy, in general is bullish.

Between 2015 and 2030, the EU could double its use of renewables from 17 to 34% as a share of total energy usage, according to a recent report by the European Commission’s International Renewable Energy Agency. The report notes that Europe’s energy sector can accommodate large shares of wind-power generation.

www.windpowerengineering.com

Spurred by the Paris agreement on climate change, Europe has been setting goals for the deployment of renewable energy.

Renewable consumption rose from a 9% share in 2005 to 16.7% in 2015, according to the commission’s report.

The EU is on track to meet its 20% target established for 2020.

However, to broaden the adoption of wind power, builders, and operators must find ways to slash its costs.

Increasingly, they are investing in internet of things or IoT. “Generally, IoT offers operators the opportunity to efficiently manage their assets,” said Forrester Research senior analyst, Paul Miller. “Detailed monitoring and predictive maintenance improve uptime for remote farms.

Engineers can be tasked to visit sites in need of support, and their chances of carrying the right parts with them also increase.” W

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W I N D W A T C H

Iron-flow battery research aims to reduce storage costs

BY CRAIG WALKER, CONTRIBUTOR

THE DEMAND for large, utility-scale energy storage systems is expected to increase with the development of new renewable energy projects. The variability of renewables poses added challenges to electric grid operators, who must balance the grid reliably. Energy storage is one way to store excess power for later use or emergency backup.

“Wind and solar power have high ramping rates and this creates a need to

make up that demand,” explains Dr. Robert Savinell, Professor of chemical engineering, who is heading up ongoing battery research at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) in Ohio. Ramping is the ability of a powergenerating facility to start and stop on command, which is important for operators who must balance the grid by offsetting the rapid output variability of wind and solar.

Savinell and his team at CWRU are working on a prototype decoupled ironflow battery to store power generated from grid-scale wind and solar facilities in a scalable and costefficient manner. “When renewable energy reaches approximately 15 to 20% of total power generation, utility-scale storage is required,” says Savinell.

An all-vanadium flow battery is one option for such large-scale projects, however, vanadium is costly.

So CWRU’s research team is working on an alternative: a water-based iron system.

“Flow batteries store chemical energy in external tanks instead of within the battery container. Using iron provides a low-cost, safe solution for energy storage because iron is both abundant and nontoxic,” explains the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy On top: A depiction of the iron flow from the two separate (ARPA-E) project site. tanks, which are filled with electrolytes, and into a third “The DOE initially chamber where the chemical reactions take place. funded the exploratory On bottom: A graph comparing the energy storage costs stage at CWRU a number of of competing technologies. years ago and then ARPA-E

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continued funding thereafter to push the concept through to commercialization,” Savinell says.

According to the ARPA-E, a flow battery cell generates power by pumping the electrolyte through a membrane stack, which serves as the facilitator of energy transfer. The duration of power generation has been found to increase with the amount of available electrolyte — or the size of the electrolyte storage tank.

The researchers at CWRU are storing the reactants used to produce electrical energy in two separate tanks that then enter another chamber, where the chemical reactions take place. The reactants are pumped in one direction through the chamber to charge the battery, and the other direction to discharge the system.

By separating this process into three components and in different sized tanks enables the battery to be scaled effectively.

“Right now, we are looking at a storage cost of about $30 to $50 per kilowatt-hour,” says Savinell. “Bringing down the costs of renewable energy generation and storage is something that can only help the entire renewable energy industry.”

Energy Storage Systems, a longduration energy storage system provider based in Oregon, has been manufacturing the electrodes for the project. CWRU also recently partnered with an Australian firm to bring iron-flow batteries to market.

The all-iron flow cell chemistry under development is low cost, non-flammable, and non-toxic. “This combination makes it suitable across a variety of application scales, ranging from distributed energy storage in commercial and industrial buildings to very large, commodity gridscale storage,” says the ARPA-E. To read more about this project, go to tinyurl.com/BatteryResearch W

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Wind work around North America American wind capacity recently surpassed 90,000 MW nationally, extending wind’s lead as the largest source of renewable capacity in the United States. That number is expected to grow as more states and corporate buyers commit to clean energy, and the offshore sector develops in the country. So far there are big goals on the table. Massachusetts is calling for 1,600 MW of new offshore wind energy by 2027. New York unveiled a Master Plan for 2,400 MW of offshore capacity by 2030. Not to be outdone, New Jersey set a goal of 3,500 MW of offshore wind by 2030. A recent report from nonpartisan business group E2 found that offshore wind has the potential to provide 5,000 jobs in five different Atlantic Coast states, adding billions to the economy. It seems this renewable resource could be just what the American economy needs.

W I N D W A T C H

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Offshore developer, Ørsted, has signed its first U.S. offshore wind-turbine supplier contract with Siemens Gamesa. The deal is for Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind, a two-turbine demonstration project owned

by Dominion Energy. It will be built within a research lease area (adjacent to the 112,700acre lease area) about 27 miles off the Atlantic coast of Virginia. Turbine delivery is expected in mid-2020.

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Xcel completes Colorado’s biggest wind farm

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Xcel Energy completed construction on Colorado’s 600-MW Rush Creek Wind, the largest in the state. The project is set to come online at the end of October.

It includes 300 turbines and an 80-milelong transmission line. The wind farm will create more than 7,000 jobs, based on a 25-year analysis, and result in $180 million in lease payments and property taxes over the project’s lifespan.

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NJ opens largest single-state offshore wind solicitation

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The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities unanimously approved an order for application of 1.1 GW of offshore wind capacity, which represents the nation’s largest single-state solicitation of offshore wind. It also marks the first step in meeting the state’s goal of 3.5 GW of offshore wind by 2030. The order welcomes offshore wind applications for projects in Atlantic federal waters until December 28, 2018.

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Large-scale wind coming to Saskatchewan

The Saskatchewan government has approved a large-scale wind-power project in Canada to reduce the province’s greenhouse gas emissions. The 177-MW Blue Hill Wind Energy facility is planned for just south of Herbert, Saskatchewan, and will comprise of 56 wind turbines. Project developers, Algonquin Power and Utilities Corp., are expected to begin construction in 2019, with operation in as early as 2021.

Deepwater Wind maps offshore New England

Deepwater Wind has begun siting work on its South Fork Wind Farm and Revolution Wind projects. The U.S. offshore wind developer is conducting specialized geophysical surveys of the seabed floor to identify any buried boulders and guide the location of the future wind turbines. A full suite of experts and hightech survey devices will be used to measure the depth and slope of the seafloor.

Facebook commits to 100% renewables

Facebook has vowed to power its global operations with 100% renewable energy, reducing its greenhouse-gas emissions 75%, by the end of 2020. Since the company first purchased wind power in 2013, it has signed contracts for over 3 GW of new wind and solar energy — including more than 2,500 MW in the past 12 months. Facebook already hit half of its goal last year, and currently supports 51% of its facilities with clean energy.

Ørsted & Siemens Gamesa partner on Virginia offshore

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EDPR secures Illinois PPA with Salesforce

EDP Renewables North America has secured an 80-MW, 15-year power purchase agreement with Salesforce for energy from its Bright Stalk Wind Farm in McLean County, Illinois. The 205-MW wind farm will pay up to $2.6 million in local taxes each year and millions of dollars to local landowners over its lifespan. Salesforce aims to power its operations with 100% renewable energy by 2022.

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Southern California wind farm evaluating eagles

Two IdentiFlight units were installed at Avangrid Renewables’ Manzana Wind Power Project in Southern California for avian data collection and testing. The IdentiFlight system combines AI with optical technology to detect eagles and prevent them from turbine collisions. The aim at Manzana Wind is to identify golden eagles and further develop avian risk-management strategies based on eagle behavior.

www.windpowerengineering.com

OCTOBER 2018

10/1/18 2:40 PM

CASTROL OPTIGEAR SYNTHETIC CT 320

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For more information go to castrol.com/windenergy or call 1-877-461-1600

Castrol — Windpower 10-18.indd 15 CAS_2664_WSM_9x10.875_AD_OPTIGEAR_US_WAMO_AW.indd 1

10/3/18 9:40 AM 16/08/2018 11:59

CO M PONEN TS Chris Richards Sales and Marketing Director BGB

How to choose reliable wind-turbine brushes

B

rushes are a small but integral part of a wind turbine. A brush is an electrical conductor that works with slip rings and brush holders, protecting vital components from parasitic currents and static electricity.

Worn or low-quality brushes can wear on a slip ring, causing it to degrade prematurely or force early component replacement.

Although copper brushes are widely used in the wind industry, turbine manufacturers and operators are reconsidering the use of silver brushes. Copper has typically been the metal of choice because it is fairly reliable and cost-effective. Keeping maintenance costs down is an important key to maximizing wind-farm return on investments.

However, silver brushes are proving the wiser choice for longevity and lifetime performance. Wind operators who select silver devices may pay more now, but benefit from fewer repairs or brush changes long term.

The importance of brushes Brushes work with slip rings to conduct power in a wind turbine. A slip ring is a rotary coupling used to transfer electric current from a stationary to a rotating unit. In a turbine, the electrical connection to the rotor is made by connections to the brushes.

Brushes can transfer ac or dc current between the rotating section of a wind turbine and the fixed external power supply or converter. These devices signal through rotating parts

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BGB, a custom precision slip-ring manufacturer, has found an increase in silver carbon brush use in the wind industry. Silver may be more costly than copper alternatives, but silver brushes typically last two to three years longer.

and protect other components in the turbine from static electricity and lightning strikes.

Brushes that wear evenly indicate good performance over a given set of operating conditions. For example, pitting marks or heavy streaking are signs of overload or grade mismatch. There is a wide range of brush grades and types for slip rings. Some brushes also provide better protection in different environments, such as low or highhumidity climates.

Typically, silver brushes are used in offshore wind turbines because they offer reliable conductivity, a greater wind-capacity factor, and a wider operating range.

This metal is apt to endure turbine idling and coastal applications much better than copper brushes. This is because silver is unable to oxidize in salty conditions, which can lead to arcing and sparking.

What’s more is the patina laydown — the protective lubricant for a brush and slip ring — of a silver brush is much easier than with copper.

www.windpowerengineering.com

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COMPONENTS

Quality over quantity It is important to understand a wind turbine’s operating temperature and environment when selecting the ideal brush. It is also important to evaluate component quality.

While it is good practice to match brushes with the slip rings in use for optimal performance, lower quality components may increase maintenance intervals over time — or cause unexpected turbine downtime.

So, choose these devices wisely. While copper-grade brushes are common and less costly, wind operators are advised to weigh the long-term pros and cons. Reliable, durable performance and efficiency may cost less over time.

Here are three features to consider when selecting brushes for wind turbines.

1. Life expectancy. A brush is a consumable item, which means it will eventually wear and require replacement.

Copper carbon brushes typically have an average life expectancy of one to two years. On the other hand, silver brushes are averaging three to five years.

2. Wear rate. Reliability is critical in wind applications that must withstand harsh conditions. Recent test data shows that copper brushes wear by an average of 29mm per year compared to just 16mm for silver devices. What’s more is that silver holds up more effectively in extreme climates, which are typical of many wind farms.

3. Maintenance. Replacing wind-turbine brushes is a costly task because it means a wind technician must go onsite and climb up-tower. Copper brushes typically require high levels of regular maintenance from higher carbon dust production. In comparison, silver brushes stay cleaner and offer a reduced oxidation level. Silver also wears in a more distributed fashion, which is better for brush longevity. In fact, one study shows that brush life is about 30% longer on average with silver brushes.

Wind-turbine owners and operators practicing predictive maintenance have a good understanding of failure data and how inferior components affect overall performance. These parameters include component life, component or secondary failure costs, downtime, and maintenance intervals. These factors add up and should be considered when amortizing the cost of an asset, such as brushes, over a 20-year turbine life. W

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TOP: This wind-turbine slip ring suffered irreparable damage because of excessive copper brush wear.

BOTTOM: An example of a brush-holder spring that overheated due to brush failure of a copper compound. The intense heat on the phase has caused the brush top to melt and the spring to temper.

windpowerengineering.com

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OPE R AT I ONS & MA I NTE NAN CE

Bjarne Havsteen S e n i o r P r o j e c t M a n a g e r, R & D Svendborg Brakes

Minimizing yaw brake noise in wind turbines

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aw noise is a significant contributor to the noise produced by wind turbines. It is the result of contact between the yaw brake pads and disc when nacelle adjustments are made to optimize wind generation. The brakes are released to let the yaw motors turn the nacelle sufficiently into the optimal wind direction, and then reapplied to the hold position.

Research has found that there is a direct relationship between the amount of noise caused by the brakes and glazing on the brake pad surfaces.

Over an 18-month period, Svendborg Brakes modified 25 wind turbines, adding the new grooved brake discs on units from several different OEMs. Zero noise has been reported since the upgrades were completed. (Image: iStock/WSS)

A word of caution It is extremely important to correctly diagnose the source of noise during yawing because brakes are only sometimes the culprit.

Maintenance engineers should check for oil leaks from the hydraulic power units and yaw bearing seals. Oil or grease found on the brake disc is a problem that warrants a different answer.

The main yaw bearing may also cause turbine noise. What’s more is the brake may fail to release because of an incorrect mesh of the yaw drive gear or the yaw drive gear motor brake. Many of these problems should be recognized and resolved during routine maintenance without the need for special equipment.

The problem with glazing One problem that’s increasing in the industry is turbine noise generated by the operation of the equipment inside the nacelle. When the nacelle faces directly into the wind, the turbine’s yaw brakes are pressurized to about 160 bar. However, when the nacelle turns, this pressure is reduced to closer to 30 bar.

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www.windpowerengineering.com

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OPERATIONS & MAINTENANCE

This lets the yaw motors safely adjust the direction of the nacelle without losing control of it.

A small amount of powdered friction material occurs, with a few particles from the disc, because the brakes remain continually engaged. When the low pressure is applied during yawing, some of the powder between the pad and disc sticks to the pad surface — giving it a glazed appearance. This phenomenon is typical in all types of brakes and is not unique to wind turbines.

The accumulation of powder takes time to develop, so newly installed turbines rarely give cause for concern. Over time, however, glazing may cause excessive noise and problems in older wind turbines.

The groove research OEMs and independent service providers recently completed an in-depth analysis of glazing and yaw noise. One result based on the research is a patented innovation that solves the yaw noise long term.

Here’s how it works: By cutting a specially shaped groove into the brake disc, it is possible to remove existing glazing and prevent it from re-occurring in the future. The groove poses little threat to the brake pad wear and protects the disc from future build-up of the powdered material. It works in conjunction with a brush that’s installed at the same time.

Tests have shown that grooves cut into the brake disc remove the glazing on the brake pad with minimal impact on pad wear, when operating at a pressure of 30 bar.

These tests were conducted using brake pads from Svendborg Brakes (a part of Altra Industrial Motion Corporation) that

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include a slot in the friction material, which ensures the braking surface is clear of debris.

The size and shape of the groove, however, is significant.

Testing found that it is critical to develop a system that could consistently replicate the most efficient groove design.

This research has also led to the development of a kit that lets engineers install eight grooves in total, the ideal number. This includes four on the upper surface and four on the lower surface of the brake disc. The kit includes a “fixturing template,” which correctly aligns the groove on the disc. The process takes about three hours to complete for one wind turbine. W

An illustration of Svendborg Brakes’ fixturing template, which lets engineers install correctly sized grooves on wind-turbine brake discs to reduce friction noise in the nacelle.

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10/1/18 2:55 PM

S O F T WA R E Anne McEntee Ph.D. CEO, Digital Services GE Renewable Energy

Going digital with the right service provider for your wind farm

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he wind energy operations and maintenance (O&M) market is expected to grow to more than $27 billion by 2026 from about $13 billion in 2017. The sheer scale of the opportunity, coupled with increasingly competitive energy markets, has drawn the attention of asset owners seeking cost optimization. It is also attracting component suppliers pursuing larger market shares and software providers attempting to optimize the industry through digital transformations.

Every year, wind-farm operators lose countless kilowatt-hours to unplanned downtime, operational inefficiency, and inaccurate forecasting. A lack of data-driven forecasting

means wind farms are unable to adequately adapt to changing weather patterns and electric grid demands, or recognize faulty turbine components before they fail. Data and analytics are enabling digital changes that more quickly and efficiently address O&M concerns.

However, the range of optimistic promises that accompany many digital claims can obscure the most important focus: less turbine downtime and greater wind-farm ROIs. To be effective, data must induce actionable results and drive value. In other words, outcomes matter more than insights.

A successful digital platform for wind farms is one that predicts components failures, avoids unnecessary downtime, and saves long-term O&M

A GE wind turbine spins at the Pine Tree Wind Farm, near the Mojave Desert in California. The 135-MW Pine Tree facility is the largest municipally owned wind project in the United States. Its 90, 1.5-MW wind turbines are maintained digitally via a hybrid digital and O&M service.

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www.windpowerengineering.com

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10/1/18 3:04 PM

SOFTWARE

costs. To remain viable in the market, the question is no longer whether to digitalize operations but how. This means results may vary on if wind asset owners self-perform or outsource digital O&M functions.

Typically, wind asset owners wrestle with three questions when investing in digital platforms: 1. How do I best evaluate the many digital choices available?

2. What digital features are accessible and what outcomes can I expect?

3. Where can I find examples of successful digital results?

Digital expectations An ideal digital solution provider partners with a wind-farm owner or operator to identify the key performance indicators essential for an effective O&M strategy.

Self-performing asset owners typically expect digital providers to offer a proven track record of delivering outcomes at scale and across similar use cases.

Additionally, a digital provider should: • • •

Understand the outcomes asset owners aim to achieve Present a commercial model aligned with the asset owners desired outcomes Demonstrate staying power in the industry

For those who outsource O&M, a hybrid digital and O&M service capability ensures operations and data transparency and improved risk management in a single service agreement. A hybrid service is unlike digital-only services where turbine and fleet data are attained but then transferred to a separate O&M team to decipher and translate into action. Instead, a hybrid contract enables guaranteed service outcomes through one source of reliable data and maintenance approach.

In addition, it is important to understand how a digital provider will use WINDPOWER ENGINEERING & DEVELOPMENT

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SOFTWARE

Digtilization lets windfarm operators optimize maintenance strategies, improve turbine reliability and availability, and increase annual energy production.

and protect your fleet data. Ensuring open access to data and information about turbines is increasingly a business differentiator for wind fleet owners and operators.

Ultimately, accurate data and actionable, transparent insights are critical, enabling stronger accountability, reduced O&M costs, and greater energy production.

GE Services field technicians and a wind operations team work together to optimize turbine operations at a project site in Tehachapi, California.

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A day in the life To fully appreciate the value of a digital platform to deliver expected outcomes, consider a typical day in digital wind-farm operation.

• Advanced analytics of wind assets (which are accessible by cloud) simulate future wind conditions and identify early wear in the gearbox, for example.

• Next, advanced algorithms automatically create a ticket in the case management system, comparing similar gearbox anomalies and recommend a corrective action.

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This triggers a digitized workflow queueing up in the site operations manager’s daily maintenance schedule.

The field service management system prioritizes maintenance activities for the day based on weather conditions, revenue loss probability for respective turbine downtime, crew availability and skillsets, and tools and spare-parts inventory.

Using an intuitive interface, the operations manager approves the recommended corrective action and the system assigns an up-tower maintenance task to the service technician.

The technician receives the assigned workflow on his or her mobile device, a history of similar correctives on other turbines of the equivalent model, and a curated list of other maintenance activities that can be completed in the same tower climb.

The outcome: A combination of physics and machine-learning models

www.windpowerengineering.com

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SOFTWARE

leverages digital tools to improve operational metrics and change technician behaviors, further driving operational excellence.

Comparing results A digital solution provider’s organizational capabilities and digital differentiators play a key role in delivering outcomes that matter to asset owners. Before choosing digital services for wind assets, it is important to fully understand the goals and expected ROI of your wind farm.

Bloomberg New Energy Finance estimates that about 73% of all wind O&M services will have digital components in its delivery by 2025. Here, a service technician climbs a 1.5-MW GE wind turbine at Panther Creek Wind Farm in Texas.

provide early detection and recommend an inexpensive, crane-less, up-tower repair, preventing revenue loss associated with extended downtime, and enables higher productivity through combined maintenance activities.

Machine learning is a type of artificial intelligence and method of data analysis that automates model building or computer “learning.”

The difference: An outcome-focused service culture, whether that of the asset owner or the O&M service provider,

Asset owners’ financial and operational goals typically focus on: • Lower O&M cost with annual productivity • Higher availability and annual energy production guarantees • Lower risk through effective backstops (these include plans to mitigate risks ahead of financial concerns) A digitally enabled O&M action integrates equipment hardware with innovative software, delivered through a commercial model best aligned with the asset owner’s investment metrics, O&M strategy, and risk profile. Most importantly, it delivers outcomes over insights: higher revenues, lower costs, and fewer risks. W

THE BENEFITS OF GOING DIGITAL Independent (third-party) software vendors

Turbine OEMs

Organizational capabilities

Digital differentiators

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• • • • •

Industry and equipment knowledge Engineering design expertise Component failure knowledge base Supply-chain scale Field-service capabilities

• • •

Software development Speed and customization flexibility Independent view

• • • •

Physics-based models Machine-learning models Multi-OEM, multi-renewables platform Business model alignment with outcomes

• •

Machine-learning models Multi-OEM and renewables platforms

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10/1/18 3:04 PM

BY BARBARA ROOK, CONTRIBUTOR

The cold, hard truth about

on

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www.windpowerengineering.com

OCTOBER 2018

10/3/18 10:55 AM

It can be tough to predict, and even tougher to manage.

But wind-farm operators are finding success navigating around Mother Nature in cold climates.

AFTER EXPERIENCING significant wind-farm downtime due to ice buildup on turbine blades, the operators of the 150-turbine Lac Alfred wind farm, near Amqui, Quebec, sought new ideas for retrofitting the blades with an antiicing technology. They turned to Wicetect OY’s patented Ice Prevention System (WIPS). After testing the system on two turbines, the application was expanded to an additional 10 units the following year.

The WIPS blade-heating elements consist of carbon-based electrical heaters, which let the blade surface heat quickly — but to a controlled temperature — once ice is detected. The thin (0.5 mm) heater, including a glass fabric protection layer, does not interfere with the unit’s aerodynamics.

However, the biggest challenge was retrofitting an efficient de-icing system on existing, four-year-old wind turbines, according to Sebastien Goupil-Dumont, manager – Generation at EDF Renewable Energy Inc. EDF RE acted as project manager.

“To ensure a high-quality end product, it was decided that the blade work had to be done on the ground, in a remote location, instead of trying to do all of it up-tower, using platforms,” explains Goupil-Dumont. So far the retrofit, though costly, is producing positive results.

“Our goal is to achieve a 70 to 80% energy recovery of the icing losses,” he says. “After two full winters of operation, the results vary from one turbine to another but we are close to reaching our goal.”

By partnering with vendors and collaborators, EDF RE works diligently to optimize the efficiency of the system. “Icing is a never-ending subject and we work hard every summer to improve and get ready for the next winter,” he adds.

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Key Nergica’s mounted cameras include a heated ice shield, remote access, and night vision.

Like Lac Alfred, the 33-turbine Caribou Wind Farm in New Brunswick, Canada, is also testing Wicetec’s WIPS technology.

“We’re looking at whether it could be effective for Caribou,” says site manager, Mark Hachey. “We would test one or two turbines through at least one winter. The longer you test, the better the results.”

In the past, the lack of significant icing has hampered Caribou’s efforts to test different de-icing technologies. One manufacturer supplied Caribou with six prototype blades outfitted with a heated blade system that uses hot air — the only such blades in the world, according to Hachey. However, without significant icing conditions for a couple of years, the testing was inconclusive.

In addition, the technology would have required Caribou to replace 99 blades at a cost in the tens of millions of dollars.

Caribou has tried several other de-icing options, including electrically heated tiles, painting portions of the blades with black paint to absorb UV energy, a coating applied by helicopter, and a complicated R&D product.

Results ranged from impractical to inefficient and costly.

Still, Hachey is optimistic. “With every passing year, there are solutions that have lower upfront costs,” he says.

In the meantime, the company built a portable metal roof device to shield workers from shedding and falling ice so they can access the wind turbine to resume operations. They also contracted with a company to remove blade ice “from the ground up,” says Hachey. The benefit, he adds, is only paying for the service when needed. The ROI on other technologies can result in “poor economics” when the winters are warmer and fail to require anti- or de-icing intervention.

Preventing such icing, by using data that forecasts the potential for ice conditions, can predict events in advance, saving energy and minimizing risks.

Among several blade de-icing technologies, Caribou Wind Farms has tested spraying anti-icing agents applied from a helicopter.

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www.windpowerengineering.com

Icing algorithms Capstone Infrastructure, a Canadian trust that invests in power-generation assets, is partnering with the applied research center, Nergica, to assess developing algorithms.

This system would predict atmospheric conditions likely to cause icing events, according to Tom Burge, Capstone’s Director of Wind Operations, Eastern Canada.

The technology behind the forecasting is a combination of data and alerts sent to wind operators ahead of a predicted event, according to Antoine Amosse, Analyst, Research and Innovation at Nergica. Amosse told attendees at a recent technology and engineering conference that Nergica’s system retrieves data throughout the day and builds an algorithm that considers wind speed, direction and gusts, temperature, sky conditions, and accumulated precipitation.

The system can generate alerts 12 to one hour before a weather event. Operators can then kickstart their heating system in advance to prevent ice accretion.

“Currently, our forced hot-air system waits to detect a drop in the power curve once ice has begun to form,” explains Burge.

“The goal is to get the blades to a heated state to keep that first bond layer of ice from forming on the fiberglass.”

Better predictability also lets operators determine if and when to shut down windfarm operations altogether. “There are instances where you’re better off waiting for the sun to melt the ice,” says Burge. If the models indicate severe icing probability — ice forming too thick or too fast — then running the system will be futile.

“Otherwise, you can burn energy for days,” he adds.

To that end, Capstone also measures solar radiation to identify when the sun is promoting ice melt. “We want to optimize the system for each icing event. Currently, the system treats all events the same. We need different strategies for different types of events,” he says.

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Turbine manufacturer, Enercon, is also partnering with Capstone to ensure the forecasting model will integrate with their equipment.

Enercon currently employs its blade-heating system on almost 700 wind turbines in Canada. The manufacturer is working with Nergica to conduct a large statistical review of past performance over the last two years, according to Tarik Daquone, Technical Conformity Engineer at Enercon. “We want to show that the blade-heating system has clearly increased the yield.” Key to that performance, he claims, is that Enercon’s blade-heating system can be used while the turbine is operating, letting the turbine produce 70 to 80% of its energy generation during icing events.

A close-up view of accumulated ice, courtesy of Nergica’s turbine-mounted image analysis system, which can identify the severity, intensity, and duration of an icing event

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Meanwhile, Nergica is also working on ideas to minimize production loss due to icing, using a combination of forecasting, detection, and mitigation. The research center, based in Gaspé, Quebec, is assessing the feasibility of using turbine-mounted cameras to analyze the severity, intensity, and duration of the icing.

Charles Godreau, Project Manager, Research and Innovation for Nergica told a recent New Energy Update webinar audience that the cameras feature a heated ice shield, remote access, and night vision.

Also under development are lasers and microwaves.

The benefits of the R&D efforts are significant. Some estimates indicate an effective ice-management system can minimize power losses up to 15 to 20%.

“You can only swallow so much loss,” says Caribou’s Hachey, who knows firsthand the downside of downtime. “We have to guarantee [the provincial government] a certain amount of power per year.”

Early challenges six to eight years ago meant shutdowns.

Currently, Caribou is exceeding its contractual obligations and continuously evaluating emerging technologies through trial and error.

In the end, Hachey reminds us, “Anything worth doing is going to be difficult.” W

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10/3/18 11:08 AM

WIND ENERGY SOLUTIONS to keep your systems turning!

With a strong nationwide presence and over 50,000 system installations, HYDAC stands out as a leader in the Wind market. Our dedicated Wind field sales and service team is supported by a network of experienced engineers to meet any and all challenges, from new designs and solutions to upgrades and retrofits, HYDAC is your one stop solution!

Multiple HYDAC USA-based manufacturing facilities provide our customers the flexibility to meet immediate needs and the ease to develop and implement solutions.

NF Filter Housing

GW Sensor

EY1356 Switch Sensor

AS1000 Aqua Sensor

BN4HX Elements

Split Housing Uptower Cooler Clamping Solutions

• BN4HX Filter Element – Designed for heavy duty wind environment and long maintenance intervals • Filter Housings, NF (simplex) – A two-stage (course/fine filtration) design with integral bypass protection • GW Sensor – Placed in the filter housing for more precise measurement, it sends a signal if the element is suddenly retaining increased material • AS1000 Aqua Sensor – Reads humidity level in the gearbox and can set a parameter to send a signal when high • EY1356 Switch Sensor – A magnet collects material and closes the loop sending a warning signal of a possible issue • Split Housing Uptower Cooler (UTC Series) – Eliminates the need for a costly external crane, saving time and money • HYROFLEX Cable Clamps – Part of a system of various mounting supports for securing power cables in wind turbines. Two styles available half moon and star.

www.HYDAC-NA.com | www.HYDAC.com HYD1805-1998

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10/3/18 9:41 AM

A holiday gift guide for that special wind tech You’ve got their list and checked it twice. This holiday season you want to celebrate all of the hard work the wind technician in your life puts in throughout the year with a thoughtful holiday gift. Lucky for you, the staff at Windpower Engineering & Development has been tracking news of potentially useful tools and devices for that person brave enough to make the 80-m climb up a turbine tower no matter the weather. We present our 3rd annual wind technicians gift guide.

1. WINTER WARMTH

When the weather outside is frightful — which is typical at high altitudes atop turbine towers — protective outwear is essential.

SKYLOTEC says its WINDSTOPPER jacket reliably protects against wind and rain while providing the flexibility necessary to get work done without restriction. This is thanks to the jacket’s versatile membrane shell that keeps cold out and the zippered ventilation system that ensures comfort and flexible movement.

Additional features, such as the doublereinforced and pre-shaped shoulders, extended cuffs, and a stow-able hood, ensure the jacket is adaptable to a wearer’s needs.

SKYLOTEC offers matching SOFTSHELL TROUSERS that also protect against wind and cold. The pants are made with a clever pocket system for small storage items and reinforced knees for extra comfort.

SKYLOTEC skylotec.com

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2.. CLIMBER KIT

Tackling the confined spaces and open nacelles of wind turbines, while several dozen meters up-tower, takes a certain kind of grit. With the Wind Turbine Tech Kit – Expert from Gravitec Systems, techs can rest assured they’ll be equipped with the proper gear to work in comfort and handle any situation with ease.

Gravitec has assembled a spacious weatherproof duffel kit with all of the fallprotection and safety gear necessary to climb safely at every job site. For example, the Tech Kit includes a helmet, headlamp, harness, gloves, tool and shock-absorbing lanyards, carabiners, and much more — all from well-known brands in the industry.

Gift givers can specify size and color preference for each kit to ensure it’s the ideal match.

Gravitec Systems, Inc. gravitec.com

windpowerengineering.com

3. BACK SUPPORT

Your favorite wind tech will be worksite ready with the Fluke Pack30 Professional Tool Backpack, which stores and protects test equipment, hand tools, and safety glasses.

It also holds personal items such as keys, a wallet, and phone in secure and organized pouches. There’s also a special pocket for tablets and laptops (up to 12 inches).

The Fluke Pack30 is equipped with extra padding in the back, providing comfort and lumbar support. Adjustable chest straps allow for even weight distribution. The backpack offers a safer, more ergonomic alternative than conventional tool belts, which place weight solely on a worker’s lower back. A rugged, waterproof bottom base protects tools and keeps the backpack upright for easy access.

Fluke fluke.com

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4. TOOL TETHERING

Power tools are challenging to tether because of a lack of connection points to attach a lanyard. Retrofitting attachment points may also negatively affect user ergonomics in grip or cover up important tool information, such as serial numbers and warnings. But this holiday season brings a new idea to safer power-tool tethering.

Squids Power Tool Traps are part of an initiative by Ergodyne to simplify the tethering process for workers. The Tool Traps fasten to drills, impact drivers, grinders, and pneumatic tools using the available screw ports already built into the tools. Each set comes complete with a variety of fastener and locking washer sizes based on the tool, product labels, the stainless-steel bracket itself, and product instructions.

Squids Power Tool Traps eliminate the need for tape, shrinks, and tails, which are typically clumsy to apply and may ultimately prove unsafe.

According to Tom Votel, president and CEO, Ergodyne: “We’re hopeful that by reducing the effort it takes to tether tools, we’ll increase the number of workers taking the proper precautions that will ultimately result in a better, safer workplace with zero drops.”

5. FUNCTIONAL FITNESS

6. POWER PRECISION

Tillman jtillman.com

HYTORC hytorc.com

Chances are the special wind tech in your life may use his or her work vest for more than its bright reflective safety stripes. When personal protection provider Tillman researched workers in the field, the company noticed that technicians would use their vests as storage for phones and notepads.

So Tillman launched a new line of lightweight and high-visibility functional safety vests that include secure pockets of different sizes. There are identification pouches, cell phone pockets, and larger ones for tablet devices, notebooks, and construction gloves.

Safety comes first, however, and the vests are ANSI 107 Type R, Class 2 compliant with reflective awareness at dusk, dawn, and night. The company also offers new fire-resistant and arcrated vests, one of which provides Hazard Risk Category 2 protection.

An added color contrast on the 2020 Operator model also gives workers greater awareness in the field.

Simply set the desired torque output on HYTORC’s new LION Gun display and pull the trigger to get precise, repeatable torque without excessive noise or vibration. What more could a wind tech ask for?

HYTORC says its LION Gun is the world’s first affordable precision bolting system with built-in data recording. The power gun’s industrial-strength gearbox is driven by a brushless motor that’s connected to a non-impacting gearbox to deliver torque faster, smoother, and more reliably than manual clicker wrenches, impact wrenches, or other tightening tools.

The efficient built-in data recorder lets users maintain a log of all completed bolting jobs. Data can then be saved to a PC or tablet to provide a permanent record of work performed. A wheel gun accessory is also available for bolting in confined spaces. The extension system delivers the desired torque without compromising power or durability.

Ergodyne ergodyne.com

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2018 GIFT GUIDE

7. FLYING HIGH

AEE, a supplier of electric aviation and camera technology, says its Mach 4 unmanned aerial vehicle offers a 40-minute flight time and stays on target up to 10 minutes longer than other commercial drones. It is also equipped to handle winds up to 18 miles per hour and can reach speeds of up to 40 mph.

Impressive, right?

The Mach 4 is only for licensed UAV pilots with experience at wind farms but a drone may be on the list of some wind techs. Mach 4’s coating makes it suitable for flight in various weather conditions.

Its sophisticated Y-12 ground station (hand controller) is also equipped for flight control to offer a steady control experience.

Additionally, the drone sports a YT35, standard 4K camera with a 1/2.3-megapixel sensor to deliver highresolution images.

AEE aeeusa.com

8. HOLIDAY HARNESS

Give the gift of safety with a new fallprotection harness designed to prevent work-related injuries. FallTech offers numerous product options including its Advanced ComforTech ACT, which includes polymer gel and soft foam straps for exceptional comfort with reduced worker fatigue.

The company also continues to upgrade its Journeyman FLEX, which is an industry standard safety harness.

FallTech has reduced the harness weight and added extra padding and straps with moisture-wicking linings and more secure webbing. A Visi-Lock Quick Connect buckles on the chest and legs include a visual indicator that displays green when properly fastened.

The proprietary CamLock torso adjusters on the aluminum models allow for simple, one-handed adjustments that lock in place throughout the workday. FallTech Journeyman harnesses meet OSHA 1910.269 & 1926 and ANSI Z359.1.-2014, and are rated to 425-pound capacity.

Fall Tech falltech.com

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9. CLEAR SIGHT

Thanks to Brass Knuckle’s Pink Grasshopper, clear, dust-free vision is possible indoors and outdoors. These glasses have a soft EVA foam dust filter with built-in air channels, which fill and protect the gap between the frames and the face to keep out dust and moisture.

The super-flex temples provide extra comfort. By removing the dust gasket, the glasses easily convert to standard protective eyewear.

A clear lens allows maximum light transmission without changing or distorting vision or colors (91% of light passes through). However, an all-around tint provides protection from the glare of bright artificial lighting and sunlight. What’s more is Brass Knuckle’s proprietary N-FOG anti-fog protection meets or exceeds the most stringent anti-fog standard. The glasses are also abrasion, chemical, and UV resistant, meeting demanding industry test requirements (ANSI Z87.1+, EN166K, EN166N, EN166UV).

Pink Grasshopper is made for women. The Green Grasshopper is available in larger sizes.

Brass Knuckle brassknuckleprotection.com

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DR O NE S T h e r e s a Tr e v o r Director of Marketing SkySpecs, Inc.

Automated drones are making offshore wind-turbine inspections significantly safer and more efficient than onsite manual checks.

5 tips for offshore wind-turbine inspections by drone

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here are now 18,814 MW of installed offshore wind capacity in 17 markets around the world. Offshore wind farms are susceptible to many maintenance issues from the extreme conditions at sea, such as high wind and elemental exposure. Blade health is key to continuous turbine operation and reduced downtime.

To mitigate blade damage and predict failures before they occur, many wind owners are choosing robotic drone inspections. Speed, repeatability, and reliability may factor into the decision to use drones. In-person, manual inspections are subject to human error and can take up to a full day for a single tower and months for a full fleet.

Safety is also a critical feature, particularly at offshore wind sites. Using a drone for

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blade inspections is far safer than a wind tech climbing uptower in strong, offshore winds and for long periods. Drones can save operators additional crew-transport fees and O&M techs unnecessary and risky trips to projects at sea.

However, choosing the ideal drone service is challenging as more companies enter the market. Inexperienced operators are a hazard at any wind site, but the risks intensify at offshore projects where conditions are typically much harsher. Here are five tips to consider when choosing a drone inspection company.

1. Ask for automation Operating drones is a complex task. An offshore environment is particularly unstable because of stronger winds at sea compared to land, and this results in a

larger margin for errors in flight.

As an operator navigates around the turbine blades, the wind speed and direction can change rapidly and unexpectedly because of how wind deflects off of the turbine structure.

Holding a drone steady in turbulent conditions is extremely challenging. Manual flight and inspection should, therefore, be avoided at offshore sites.

Instead, autonomous inspection drones can maintain precise location, control, and image capture while safely navigating around turbine towers.

A well-executed automated flight also relieves stress and prevents fatigue, which is typical when a drone operator looks uptower for long periods of time.

Blades and towers present large visual obstructions that make it difficult to get an accurate sense of how far a drone is away from

www.windpowerengineering.com

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DRONES

A SkySpecs’ drone automatically collects images and data during turbine blade inspections — and in less than 15 minutes.

play a major role in inspection success and should be accounted for prior to drone flight.

Choosing an automated service that completes inspections quickly and safely ensures the highest level of productivity and output — when the weather and offshore conditions are fair.

In ideal conditions and with coordinated site support, an experienced drone company should typically complete about 15 tower inspections on a daily basis.

the blades. Automation is safer because a drone’s sensors are far more sensitive and accurate than an operator working from the ground.

In addition, automated drone inspections typically let customers identify problem areas faster, and optimize repair schedules and costs earlier and more accurately.

2. Choose the right vessel Drone landings and takeoffs must be precise, and this is a challenge in lessthan-optimal conditions. High winds, waves, fog, or precipitation can interfere with safety.

To lower such risks, ensure the offshore vessel used for a drone departure and landing offers spacious deck space and that it is cleared prior to flight. Use of an ill-suited vessel can result in costly accidents and damaged equipment.

4. Establish good communication Good communication is the key to optimal working relationships. This is particularly true for projects where timing and safety are essential. A drone partner should be capable of coordinating schedules with the wind-farm and vessel operators.

A team meeting prior to turbine inspections is important to establish communication plans, discuss project outcomes and expectations, and review safety standards. At the end of a day’s work, the team should meet again to debrief to ensure the operation is working at maximum efficiency.

Regulations for commercial drone operations are in their infancy. Each country has different and changing regulations with varying standards, constraints, and approval processes.

Ensure that your drone operator is compliant with local law and verify documentation accordingly.

3. Maximize inspection time Optimizing field time is one key to a successful and cost-effective wind-farm inspection. This goal is critical at offshore sites because of the potential limitations of the environment. Variables such as distance from shore, wave height, and the number of available daylight hours OCTOBER 2018

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DRONES

5. Reinforce safety Although offshore drone inspections remove wind techs and engineers from the direct inspection process, these offshore operations are still complex and accidents can happen.

Partner with experienced, well-trained, and certified operators. Ensure the drone operator is compliant with local law and verify documentation accordingly.

Also, avoid drone “hobbyists,” who typically lack wind experience and extensive drone flying skills. They may pose a greater risk to wind-turbine site operations.

Pre-flight checks are extremely important, so make sure they are completed properly. These involve doublechecking that equipment is in proper working order and hardware is functioning as required. The drone operator should have a concrete, documented process for preflight checks in place.

Offshore wind turbine inspections vary in comparison to onshore ones. There are far greater risks offshore that may result in asset damage, lost revenue, or serious accidents. The drone, operator, and their offshore track record should be proven and impeccable. W

A picture taken from a drone captures clear evidence of erosion on an offshore turbine blade.

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OCTOBER 2018

10/2/18 9:24 AM

BY MARK DEL FRANCO, CONTRIBUTOR

Ports trying to keep pace with

OFFSHORE WIND DEVELOPMENT As wind developers plan offshore wind sites up and down the Atlantic, port owners and operators are working diligently to shore up its infrastructure.

AT THE END OF 2018, there were 14 offshore wind projects in various stages of development across the Eastern and Great Lakes coasts. While offshore developers secure financing, licenses, and components, several U.S. port operators are upgrading their infrastructure to accommodate this emerging renewable energy market.

Liz Burdock, the executive director of offshore wind advocacy Business Network for Offshore Wind, notes that the U.S. ports have been playing catch-up even before the country’s first and only offshore wind farm began operation off the coast of Rhode Island. She says time – namely the lack of it – may prove to be their biggest hurdle.

“The ports have been playing catchup,” says Burdock. “They should have been OCTOBER 2018

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making these improvements three years ago.”

Since many infrastructure improvements still need to be made, there could be bottleneck constraints at the ports.

Nonetheless, Burdock explains the port dilemma comes down to the realities and growing pains of a developing industry.

“The ports themselves are not to blame,” she explains. Offshore wind projects in the U.S. have been talked about for some time.

However, it’s only in the last few years when offshore wind projects such as Block Island, have regulatory, environmental, and legislative support.

“Nobody is going to make investments in projects that may or may not happen,” she says. For her part, Burdock is confident these investments will get made. “It’s just a matter of when.” windpowerengineering.com

Port upgrades A handful of ports are recognizing the time is now and are prepping for offshore wind in the United States.

Port of New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal, Massachusetts Operated by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, the New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal is a multi-purpose, 26-acre facility built to support the construction, assembly, and deployment of offshore wind projects. It is the first purpose-built port in the U.S. and one that can also handle bulk, break-bulk, container, and large specialty marine cargo. In 2016, Massachusetts’ Baker-Polito administration signed a letter of intent with Ørsted (formerly DONG Energy), Deepwater

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Ports trying to keep pace with

OFFSHORE WIND DEVELOPMENT

The supply chain, including ports, vessels, and equipment suppliers, will likely be tested in the coming years to keep up with the pace of and demand for offshore wind development in the United States.

Wind, and OffshoreMW to lease the facility as a staging and deployment location for future wind projects.

New Jersey With Governor Phil Murphy prioritizing offshore wind, the sector is finally moving forward. After a slew of initiatives to 38

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backstop offshore wind, the Murphy administration and the state legislature reauthorized a $100 million tax credit aimed at improving infrastructure at state-based ports. This includes the Port of Paulsboro, says Brian Sabina, senior VP of economic transformation for the New Jersey Economic Development Authority.

www.windpowerengineering.com

The administration envisions industry development programs (like tax credits) as key incentives, positioning New Jersey as an Eastern hub for offshore wind development. Sabina says the opportunity in New Jersey is similar to how Houston became an economic powerhouse in the oil and gas industry.

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"Not only is Houston a center for major energy companies, but think of all the technology, finance, and service economy jobs linked to oil and gas," he says. "The same rationale applies to New Jersey. So how do we create the Houston of offshore wind?”

One way is by using New Jersey’s coastline as a mid-Atlantic martialing port that could house enormous offshore wind components for local and Eastern projects, such as those planned in New York and Maryland.

Sabina cites the 130 to 150-mile coastal land zone that is unencumbered by the presence of bridges and power lines. The state is studying other offshore wind opportunities through the development of its Offshore Wind Strategic Plan.

Braden Point, Massachusetts Braden Point sits on 300 acres near the water and is the former site of a coal-fired power plant, currently being converted into an offshore wind hub. The new hub is likely to attract ventures such as Vineyard Wind, a partnership between Avangrid Renewables and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners that won an 800-MW solicitation earlier this year.

Tradepoint Atlantic, Maryland The Baltimore, Maryland-based facility landed a $20 million Tiger Grant last March from the federal government.

Although not specifically earmarked for offshore wind, a portion of the funding will go to the offshore wind sector. As mandated by the Maryland legislature, Tradepoint Atlantic is the port for U.S. Wind’s 250-MW Maryland Offshore Wind Project, which is scheduled to come online in 2020.

Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority, Ohio Situated at the mouth of the Cuyahoga River near Lake Erie, this port facility is

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reinforcing its docks in preparation for the Lake Erie Economic Development Corp.’s (LEEDCo) Icebreaker offshore wind farm. According to Jade Davis, VP of external affairs at the Port, LEEDCo will use the port as a staging area for blades and the main hub.

“When we first approached, we asked ourselves what we had to [get steel in the water] safely and efficiently,” explains Davis. “We made improvements to the main gate and our warehouse — each of those will benefit offshore wind.”

The supply chain As the ports assess their level of readiness, the nascent offshore wind industry and its supply chain partners are grappling with the logistics of staging, housing, and building offshore wind components.

Although Deepwater Wind’s 30-MW Block Island Wind Farm was commercialized in 2016, there’s a big difference between a pilot-scale project and a utility-scale project, explains Jay Borkland, program manager and international advisor for engineering and design consultancy Ramboll.

Serial production of modern offshore wind turbines is equal parts art and science, Borkland says, noting that recent reports of General Electric’s new offshore 12-MW wind turbine — which is nearly four times the output of the units erected at Block Island — has an overall wingspan roughly the length of the Golden Gate Bridge (when measured from tip to tip).

“This whole operation is the largest ballet you’ll ever see," says Borkland, himself a 35-year veteran of marine infrastructure, ports, and offshore wind. "And all of the components need to be scheduled, delivered, and installed in a perfect ‘just-in-time’ fashion.”

As a result, U.S. ports are facing serious challenges converting their

Offshore wind components are typically much larger than for onshore wind turbines. As a result, port space will be at a premium once offshore projects develop and require room for storage and transportation.

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Ports trying to keep pace with

OFFSHORE WIND DEVELOPMENT

As the U.S. offshore wind industry works toward adding more steel in the water, opportunities abound for the industry workforce. For example, the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center released an Offshore Wind Workforce report earlier this year that estimates 1,600 MW of new offshore wind would support 6,870 to 9,850 jobs over the next 10 years and generate a total economic impact of between $1.4 billion to $2.1 billion in Massachusetts.

existing capacity, citing more hardened quaysides and deeper berths to allow overseas vessels transporting the components to enter the ports.

The size of the offshore components is one concern.

Cost and time are also critical factors for project bankability and insurability. For example, insurers mandate that offshore wind projects can only be constructed and installed during a seasonal window, typically April through October. And if developers miss that short window, cost overages can run $100,000 to $300,000 per day. Therefore, the pressure is equally on developers and their port partners to perform. W

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10/2/18 9:06 AM

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OCTOBER 2018

10/2/18 9:25 AM

CON NE CT IV ITY Adam Ferguson C h i e f Te c h n o l o g y O f f i c e r FMC GlobalSat

Satellite connectivity lets wind owners and operators receive valuable data about how their assets are performing miles offshore, all while keeping their crews connected.

How satellites are keeping wind operators connected with offshore turbines

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ffshore wind development comes with several logistics and construction challenges that are augmented in deeper waters further from shore. However, communication between the wind site and land is also a concern.

Reliable connectivity is important for onsite technicians who may require information from personnel onshore. It is also necessary for data transfer between turbines to an onshore control center.

To this end, a newer wind development off the shores of England is a guinea pig of sorts and serving as an important test site for a faster and more efficient way of implementing connectivity.

The new satellite system connects those at the wind site to a reactive compensation station or RCS, which is located halfway between the shore and the wind farm.

Since its installation earlier this summer, the new satellite system has paid dividends for the RCS. The offshore crew reports 24/7 connectivity at the site location by using more than 4 GB of data with a bandwidth of 4Mbps download and 1Mbps upload daily. This also includes 100% uptime.

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Looking back Offshore wind developers typically relied on large, very high frequency or VHF antenna for site safety and personnel communications. Also, they installed a separate fiber-optic line to collect their SCADA data.

More recently, developers have tried satellite systems, which require precise installation from a trained technician. These legacy systems have a large spatial profile and mechanical systems (for properly aligning and connecting to the satellite). They also require a great deal of maintenance for consistent uptime.

Unfortunately, harsh offshore conditions often prove problematic for reliable communication systems.

Strong winds and salt spray may blow an antenna out of alignment or introduce corrosion to the mechanically steered dish of a satellite. If this occurs, a highly skilled technician must repair the system. This means arranging travel time and an available crew vessel (sometimes easier said than done), which may quickly add to the O&M costs.

What’s more is that when connectivity is down, the utility off-taker may lose visibility on the asset, raising data reliability and safety concerns. Frequent or unexpected signal loss may interfere with the accuracy of asset monitoring and data accessibility. Historically, data issues caused by environmental conditions, such as rain fade, are the result of significant latency and packet loss. Packet loss occurs when one or more groups of data

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CONNECTIVITY

traveling across a network fail to reach their destination. It typically results in slower than normal satellite transmit speeds, which then cause receiving terminals to time out and lose valuable information.

However, a new flat-panel satellite antenna (or electronically steered antenna) installed at the new European offshore wind site eliminates the need for external infrastructure. The antenna is connected via software (instead of a phased or electronically scanned array), locking onto a

Satellite technology has advanced to the point where renewable energy owners and operators can increase their internet connectivity and data usage while minimizing unplanned outages and maintenance costs.

RELIABLE REMOTE COMMUNICATION Communication tools and devices can help wind-farm operators monitor assets remotely.

However, finding the ideal device for a project requires some important investigation.

It is wise to be cautious of so-called “unlimited data plans” from connectivity providers as throughput may be capped after certain limits.

There are also some high-throughput plans available that fail to provide adequate minimum guaranteed speeds. So do your homework.

Factor in maintenance costs and aim for a low to no-maintenance system.

When selecting a connectivity device, determine if the site hosting it is a mobile or fixed location (For an offshore wind farm, ask if this is a platform or vessel.) If it’s mobile, find out if the antenna has moving parts that may be subject to sea salt, which may lead to higher maintenance intervals. Also, ask how long it takes for the antenna to re-acquire a satellite when moving at sea.

If the platform is a floating one, a typical fixed very small aperture terminal or VSAT antenna will be insufficient because of the constant movement. At fixed sites, most VSAT integrations will require a trained and fully certified installer. Additionally, plan on frequent maintenance visits to check for corroded parts and re-positioning from movement due to wind and waves.

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CONNECTIVITY

Kymeta’s flat-panel satellite antenna has solved some of the satellite industry’s longest standing technical challenges: the need for lightweight, slim, reliable communication systems that work in remote locations — such as offshore wind sites.

satellite in seconds. The technology has the fewest parts of antenna, is more reliable than a phased array antenna, and can withstand harsh marine environments.

The system also comes with a standard high bandwidth rate unaffected by throttling or slower service speeds. Highspeed access means it is possible for wind operators to monitor assets via live video feeds and obtain real-time data and analytics, which can be used to improve efficiency, control environmental impacts, and enhance safety.

Looking ahead The flat-panel satellite antenna is expected to handle the upcoming changes to the satellite industry. For example, while current satellite technology relies on geostationary earth

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orbit (GEO) satellites, several low-earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellations are expected to come online soon. These new constellations will offer higher performance and significantly lower latency than their GEO predecessors.

Unlike GEOs, LEOs will move from horizon to horizon in mere minutes, requiring new terminals to track the fastmoving satellites. Terminals will also need instantaneous switching capabilities to ensure uninterrupted connectivity. As the satellite that the terminal is linked with moves out of view, the terminal will need to form a new beam to catch the next satellite that comes into view.

This switch from disappearing satellite to appearing satellite will need to happen within milliseconds to avoid dropped connections and service interruptions. W

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INT E R NE T

OF

THINGS Keri Gunther IIoT and Computing Division Manager Moxa

Why a cloud-based IoT platform is good for business

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he internet of things (IoT) has significantly changed O&M at many wind farms. The IoT provides near real-time access to information and data from internetconnected devices, such as turbine sensors and condition-monitoring software. It lets wind-farm operators monitor and regulate much of a turbine’s operations through remote access, which may result in tremendous time and cost savings. Wind operators or techs no longer have to visit a wind site, typically hours or days away, to determine asset health. They can simply access data online through a click of a keyboard or touch of a smartphone.

An industrial-grade IoT network offers wind-farm operators many benefits including improved operational

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management, access to real-time data, and automatic system warnings. Such advantages can also apply to centralized offices, control centers, or manufacturing facilities. By connecting devices via the internet, it is possible quickly and efficiently share and extract pertinent information, ultimately streamlining and optimizing operations.

For example, IoT-connected sensors let manufacturers monitor in-house tools or track wind-turbine components that are in storage or en-route to a project site. IoT technology can also be used to monitor equipment use, employee workload, or simply adjust the office temperature.

One way a business can leverage the IoT safely and efficiently is to transfer data from centralized servers and PCs The internet of things (IoT) provides wind-farm operators control to monitor and regulate much of a wind farm’s operation no matter how much distance separates the two. It also enables plant managers and manufacturers to track tools, equipment, and processes in a quick and efficient manner. Data collected by IoT devices supports better decision-making and optimized operations.

www.windpowerengineering.com

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INTERNET OF THINGS

Industrial IoT gateways — such as those offered by Moxa, an industrial networking solutions provider — provide essential hardware and software features to get data from edge devices (such as a router) to cloud services, and include builtin support for Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and others. The result is faster development, integration, and time to market.

to distributed cloud-based server systems. Cloud-based systems are optimized for storing large volumes of data and sharing it with minimum latency. There are additional benefits to using a cloud-based server.

• A quicker time to market. For most companies, installing the IoT onsite involves network infrastructure upgrades to accommodate the rise in data traffic. It also means building new data management and analysis capabilities, and deploying new devices and sensors.

This typically results in high costs and is a drain on company infrastructure. Alternatively, cloud-based IoT offers quick and simple deployment at a lower cost.

• Greater data mobility. Data that’s stored in a cloud server is accessible from almost anywhere and free from infrastructural or networking constraints. A quality system lets users connect devices and sensors to powerful data acquisition and analytics applications in the cloud, which can then process data so it’s available in any format.

• It’s scalable. A cloud-based IoT system means there’s no need to maintain complex network infrastructure, development platforms, or applications typically required to process IoT data. It’s flexible and lets companies scale up or down depending on their storage requirements.

The IoT transition For companies contemplating a cloud-based IoT transition, the task may seem daunting. Here are three key steps that describe how data can be collected from edge devices (or network access devices, such as routers or routing switches) and transferred to cloud-based platforms, quickly and easily.

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1. Collecting data Step one involves prep work to ensure reliable transfer of data across a network. Enabling IoT applications requires collecting large amounts of data from many sensors and devices. Typically, these are outdated, legacy devices that are incompatible with IP-based networks. So it is important to employ serial device servers (which transfers data between a computer serial port and an Ethernet local area network) and protocol gateways (which let devices communicate) to ensure device interoperably. This, in turn, makes data collection easier and more efficient.

2. Connecting data The second step of IoT connectivity focuses on a company’s internal network to ensure it is reliable and secure. Essentially, it is the bridge between a company’s end devices and the cloud.

To ensure reliability, it is important to assess a network’s bandwidth. Typically, network operators will need to upgrade current switches, access points, and routers to support the increased levels of data traffic.

Additionally, this is a good time to consider adding or improving connection redundancy within the network. This design uses multiple or redundant pathways to prevent loss of control or data in the event of unexpected network failures.

To meet cybersecurity standards, it is critical that each network device meets the IEC 62443 Industrial Security Standards. Devices that comply with these standards offer important security features, such as user control, password-based authentication, account, identifier, and authenticator management, data integrity windpowerengineering.com

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INTERNET OF THINGS

Moxa Remote Connect is an easy-to-deploy solution to establish and manage secure communication tunnels with remote equipment — without requiring router configuration or reliance on a manufacturer’s cloud service.

and confidentiality, and others. This ensures mission-critical applications stay operational and remain protected from unwanted access.

3. Transferring data The third step involves transferring data securely to a cloud-based platform. There are multiple ways to do so, and determining which approach is best for a business is key.

Technology research firm, ARC Advisory Group recently identified four new platforms needed for the IoT digital enterprise: • Device connectivity platform: the hardware and software required to enable connectivity between the cloud and field data.

• Cloud computing platform: the ondemand delivery of computing, database storage, and other IT resources through a cloud services platform.

• Cloud application platform: the software platform that runs the applications.

Both the computing and application platforms can be summarized as Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), a service model that delivers computer infrastructure on an outsourced basis to support enterprise operations. Typically, IaaS provides hardware, storage, and network applications.

• Cloud analytics platform: The system that analyzes data and provides intelligent, actionable suggestions.

Choosing the right cloud-based IoT service provider is key to successfully harnessing data and turning it into real actionable insights for your business. Do your research. A quality IoT platform should make tasks and business decisions easier and more efficient. W 4 6 WINDPOWER ENGINEERING & DEVELOPMENT

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www.windpowerengineering.com

OCTOBER 2018

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AD

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I NDEX

1. Publication Title

2. Publication Number

Windpower Engineering & Development 4. Issue Frequency

Six times/year February, April, June, August, October and a special issue in December

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Courtney Seel; WTWH Media, LLC 6555 Carnegie Ave., Suite 300, Cleveland, OH 44103

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Requested (Include direct written request from recipient, telemarketing Internet reand Distribution (2) quests from recipient, paid subscriptions including nominal rate subscriptions, Outside (By Mail employer requests, advertiser’s proof Street copies,Vendors, and exchange copies.)

Sales Through Dealers and Carriers, Counter the Mail) and (3) Sales, and Other Paid or Requested Distribution Outside USPS® Outside Sales Through Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors, Counter the Mail) (3) Sales, and Copies Distributed

by Other Mail Classes Through the USPS Other Paid or Requested Distribution Outside USPS® (4) Requested (e.g. First-Class Mail®) (4) Requested Copies Distributed by Other Mail Classes Through the USPS (e.g. First-Class Mail®) c. Total Paid and/or Requested Circulation (Sum of 15b (1), (2), (3), and (4))

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8,485

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f. g.

7,884

0

0

0

0

0

0

7,699

7,884

300

115

0

0

0

0

375

213

675

328

8,374

8,212

Total Distribution (Sum of 15c and e) Copies not Distributed (See Instructions to Publishers #4, (page #3))

g. Copies not Distributed (See Instructions to Publishers #4, (page #3)) h. Total (Sum of 15f and g)

8,344

7,699

c. Total Paid and/or Requested Circulation (Sum of 15b (1), (2), (3), and (4)) Outside County Nonrequested Copies Stated on PS Form 3541 (include (1) Sample copies, Requests Over 3 years old, Requests induced by a Premium, Bulk Sales and Requests including Outside County Nonrequested Copies Stated Association on PS FormRequests, 3541 (include Names obtained from Business Directories, Lists, and other sources) (1) Sample copies, Requests Over 3 years old, Requests induced by a Premium, Bulk Sales and Requests including Association Requests, Names obtained from Business Directories, Lists, and other sources) d. NonreIn-County Nonrequested Copies Stated on PS Form 3541 (include quested (2) Sample copies, Requests Over 3 years old, Requests induced by a Premium, Sales and Copies Requests including d. Distribution NonreIn-County Bulk Nonrequested Stated on PSAssociation Form 3541Requests, (include (By Mail from Business and other sources) quested Sampleobtained copies, Requests Over Directories, 3 years old, Lists, Requests induced by a (2) Names and Distribution Premium, Bulk Sales and Requests including Association Requests, Outside (By Mail Names obtained from Business Directories, Lists, and other sources) the Nonrequested Copies Distributed Through the USPS by Other Classes of andMail) (3) Mail (e.g. First-Class Mail, Nonrequestor Copies mailed in excess of 10% Outside Limit mailed at Standard Mail® or Package Services the Mail) Nonrequested Copies Distributed Through the USPSRates)

by Other Classes of (3) Mail (e.g. First-Class Mail, Nonrequestor Copies mailed in excess of 10% Limit mailed atCopies Standard Mail® or Outside Packagethe Services Rates)Pickup Stands, Nonrequested Distributed Mail (Include (4) Trade Shows, Showrooms and Other Sources) Nonrequested Copies Distributed Outside the Mail (Include Pickup Stands, (4) Trade Shows, (Sum Showrooms Other e. Total Nonrequested Distribution of 15d and (1), (2), (3)Sources) and (4)) e. Total Nonrequested Distribution (Sum of 15d (1), (2), (3) and (4)) f. Total Distribution (Sum of 15c and e)

No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date

111

132

8,485

8,344

Total (Sum ofand/or 15f and g) Paid Requested Circulation i.h. Percent (15c divided by f times 100) i. Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation (15c divided by f times 100) 16.

I certify that 50% of allof myOwnership distributedforcopies (electronics and print) are legitimate or in paid 16. X Publication of Statement a Requester Publication is required and willrequests be printed thecopies. issue of this publication.

16. Publication of Statement of Ownership for a Requester Publication is required and will be printed in the 17.

17. Signature andpublication.

Title of Editor, Publisher, Business Manager, or Owner issue of this

91.9%

Follow the whole team on twitter @Windpower_Eng

17. Signature and Title of Editor, Publisher, Business Manager, or Owner 18.

Pat Curran, Business Development Manager

96%

October 2018 Date

Date

9/30/18

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OCTOBER 2018

WINDPOWER ENGINEERING & DEVELOPMENT

Ad Index – WPE 10-18 V1 statement of ownership.indd 47

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10/2/18 12:03 PM

A ship that delivers wind turbines using wind power ENERCON’s E-Ship 1 is stocked for delivery with a full load of wind-turbine components. (Copyright: ENERCON GmbH).

IN 2000, ENERCON, the world’s fourth-largest wind-turbine manufacturer, had a problem efficiently shipping their wind-turbine components on conventional cargo ships.

The German manufacturer found the ships were unable to accommodate the dimensions of blades, nacelles, and towers. ENERCON’s idea was to partner with a ship builder and, together, design a vessel with the capability to transport wind components — and run, at least partially, off of wind power.

In 2010, the 123-meter long E-Ship 1 was christened.

ENERCON’s E-Ship is a specialized cargo vessel built to transport large turbine components. The ship is powered by a unique combination of a diesel-electric power and four Flettner rotors, which are 27 meters high with a diameter of 4 m.

Aeronautical engineer and namesake, Anton Flettner developed Flettner rotors in the 1920s. These components use the Magnus Effect, which occurs when airflow passes over a spinning rotor and generates a force at right angles to the airflow. The pressure differential produced by the rotor rotation essentially causes a force that moves from the higher pressure (p+) to the lower pressure (p-).

Efficiency was also important to ENERCON, and the E-Ship 1 delivers. It shows low aero and hydro-dynamic drag coefficients, and reduced fuel consumption. A Siemens steam turbine in the exhausts of the diesel motors powers the

4 8 WINDPOWER ENGINEERING & DEVELOPMENT

Downwind – WPE 10-18 V3 FINAL.indd 48

Flettner Rotors rotation. The ship is equipped with an aerodynamic hull has a coordinated rudder and variable propeller pitch combination to control excessive thrust generated by the rotors.

Notably, the vessel uses modified ENERCON windturbine synchronous generators for the two electric ship motors.

Conventional cargo vessels are typically ill-equipped to handle long turbine blades or large nacelles. However, the E-Ship features a flexible payload system that stores smaller components below deck, leaving the top deck clear for turbine blades and nacelles.

ENERCON manufactures the components for their wind turbines in eight countries across all four hemispheres.

E-Ship 1 links the supply chain, transporting components from each ENERCON manufacturing facility. W

The Magnus Effect acts at right angles when wind passes over a spinning rotor. The vector resulting from the drag and lift forces provide E-Ship 1’s “propelling force.”

www.windpowerengineering.com

OCTOBER 2018

10/3/18 11:31 AM

Phoenix Contact — Windpower 10-18.indd 1 PxC17-1521_9x10.875_Windpower.indd 1

10/3/18 9:51 9/12/2017 9:19:12 AMAM

wanzek construction — Windpower 10-18.indd 1

10/3/18 9:54 AM