Refurbishing a gearbox is a cost-effective solution to improve its efficiency in equipment. Furthermore, buying new would cost significantly more.
A gearbox is a complex machine, requiring careful installation, use, maintenance and repair. Comprised of gears and shafts factory-mounted in an enclosed, lubricated housing, its assembly should be approached with caution and regular servicing should take place to keep its operation effective and ensure long term reliability.
Renewable Energy Gearbox Repairs
Wind energy companies face equipment failure risks that could cost production time and resources – along with safety implications – which necessitate maintenance and repair plans to address equipment breakdown. To mitigate such situations, it’s critical that a plan for these activities be in place.
Gearboxes are essential parts of wind turbines, increasing rotational speed from a low-speed rotator to an electrical generator at higher speeds. Yet these gearboxes often become problematic as their maintenance and upkeep become burdensome.
Early wind turbine gearbox failures may be due to many factors. An important one is improper load assessment due to conventional rotor support concepts which redirect most loads away from gearbox and shaft into structure instead, leading to underestimation of internal non-torsional loads, which may cause significant damage.
Renewable Energy Gearbox Services
Gearboxes are at the core of wind turbine production, so when they fail, production comes to a complete stop – an immense financial blow that may also derail production schedules. Thankfully, there are ways you can keep your industrial gearbox functioning at optimal performance.
An alternative option to consider is a pure-torque generator, which uses an independent transmission system to remove loads from the drivetrain and increase reliability and decrease outages. But, it is still essential to monitor your gearbox for signs of problems: use an infrared gun regularly to inspect temperature readings; sudden increases could indicate problems in bearings or gears that need fixing; use a dial indicator to inspect backlash and end play – these issues could cause premature gearbox failure so catching them early could save serious damage and decrease downtime costs.
Renewable Energy Gearbox Rebuilding
Gearboxes represent a significant portion of wind turbine O&M costs, so its maintenance is key in meeting environmental, safety and production standards. Proper gearbox maintenance helps ensure optimal functioning for optimal production standards.
Companies offering comprehensive gearbox renewal services will inspect each component, from bearings and shafts to cleaning, disassembly, recording condition data on every component in order to quickly find solutions if any future problems arise. All this data will then be saved into a database so as to easily pinpoint causes should problems arise again in future.
Companies offering full refurbishments typically divide themselves into four categories. The first type are small workshops specializing in repairing older, smaller gearboxes; these facilities may be run by gearbox manufacturers like Danish marine-gearbox specialist Mekanord; however, some may hesitate to repair third-party gearboxes due to product liability concerns.
Renewable Energy Gearbox Refurbishment
Wind turbines have become an essential source of renewable energy production, yet their gearboxes require regular servicing to remain functional. A failure can incur high repair costs and potentially result in missed revenue opportunities; factors that drive growth in the wind turbine gearbox repair and refurbishment market.
ZF’s Pooth notes that most manufacturers only provide repair services for gearboxes manufactured by themselves due to product liability concerns. He further notes that third-party repairs could create safety concerns or lead to legal action under the European Machinery Directive which holds manufacturers responsible for upholding health-and-safety standards.
Europe is projected to dominate the wind turbine gearbox repair and refurbishment market by 2021 due to substantial investments made into renewable energy sources like wind. North America may also make significant contributions due to a rise in green energy awareness.
Renewable Energy Gearbox Reconditioning
As wind power becomes more widely utilized, its associated gearbox repair demands will likely grow accordingly. Repair work can save money over the long haul by preventing premature replacements; additionally it helps preserve the environment and increase energy efficiency.
Wind turbines rely on gearboxes to convert low-speed blade rotations into the high speeds needed for electricity production, so maintaining these integral parts in optimal condition is critical for efficient operation and maintenance.
Wind-turbine gearbox refurbishment can be difficult to predict. Wind conditions in different locations may influence its performance; if installed in areas with turbulent winds, problems are likely. Therefore, many companies have increased their refurbishment services.