In recent years, under the dual pressure of energy and environment, the development of renewable clean energy such as wind power has attracted much attention. While continuing to increase installed capacity, improving power generation efficiency and reducing wind power costs have also become topics of greater concern.
The operational efficiency and service life of relevant power generation equipment is very crucial for wind turbines. Wind turbines are mostly installed in harsh environments such as high mountains, wilderness or the sea, which makes operation and maintenance difficult and expensive.The loss caused by downtime is inestimable. Therefore, it is crucial to equip wind turbines with a pair of "eyes" to monitor the operating status of key components in the turbines in real time to achieve early warning of failures and to complete preventive maintenance measures in advance.
Preventative maintenance not only reduces capital investment and increases cost-effectiveness; it provides flexibility to adjust maintenance intervals. It increases the useful life of components; it also reduces equipment failure rates, and allows for better spare parts inventory management. In addition, increased equipment reliability results in reduced downtime and increased power generation.
As experts in detection and control, sensors are indispensable in the preventive maintenance of wind turbines. According to Electronics360, the data collected by the sensors can be used to analyze and identify environmental factors that can affect the operation of the turbine and help establish a baseline of operating conditions. with the lifespan of the equipment.
Disc brakes, for example, are ubiquitous in wind farms. The thickness of the brake discs and the wear of those discs are directly related to the operating condition of the equipment and must be maintained and replaced in a timely manner. Balluff's BAW inductive sensors are particularly suitable for predictive maintenance of disc brakes. They provide reliable condition monitoring, durable and accurate measurements, continuous monitoring of these discs and a timely warning if the brake linings need to be replaced.
In addition, real-time monitoring is also important for preventive maintenance of the expansion tank of the cooling system as well as the gearbox and the hydraulic system. The expansion tank of the cooling system as well as the gearbox and hydraulic system should always be maintained at an optimum level. Balluff's BCS capacitance sensors are perfectly suited for this application. The BCS capacitance sensor is a HALT-tested capacitance sensor that measures through plastic walls and detects both oil and water.
It detects both maximum and minimum liquid levels without direct contact, either through the vessel wall or using an adapter. These sensors are installed in the sump and can be used as leak sensors to reliably report oil spills.
As a highly efficient sensor and system solution provider, Balluff combines its century-old expertise and application experience with its innovative achievements to provide wind power industry users with system solutions for applications such as:
- hydraulic pitch control,
- control tolerances,
- monitoring brake discs,
- measuring tower tilt angle,
- monitoring fluid level,
- detecting motor speed,
- monitoring low speed,
- ensuring optimal control quality,
- mechanical locking position,
- hub rotation forward and reverse,
- optimizing the wind turbine operation process,
- promoting good wind turbine operation.
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