As a slip ring owner, what can you do to keep wind turbines in good working condition? Is there any particular approach that you can take to ensure the durability of your slip rings in wind turbines?
Having wind turbines that perform at maximum efficiency may be costly. However, with the growing need for wind turbine owners to reduce overhead maintenance costs to boost profit margin, it is therefore critical to ensure that wind turbine slip rings are well maintained so that the turbines can run for more extended periods. But how exactly can this be done?
Turbines are used due to the growing need to maintain a safer environment by encouraging green energy initiatives. Turbines operate to provide energy that can be used for different purposes. As a result of this, turbines must always operate at a maximum efficiency level. However, this can only be achieved if they are in good working condition. All components in the wind turbine slip rings must be functioning properly. Any form of damage to the component may result in lower output or a shutdown of the wind turbines.
Maintenance of Wind Turbine Slip Rings
The performance of wind turbines is dependent on their design and maintenance level. The arms of wind turbines and every other component must be functional to ensure reliability and durability. Just because wind turbines rotate at high altitudes does not mean that they do not require maintenance. One of the most critical components of wind turbines is the slip ring. Slip rings play a significant role in transferring electrical signals from the stationary to the rotating parts of rotating equipment.
Wind turbine slip rings also help in power transmission to the motors located in the blades. They are also responsible for sharing signals from sensors found on the edges of the tub. This working principle of wind turbine slip rings results in an optimum generation of wind energy.
What Happens When Wind Turbines’ Slip Rings Are Not Properly Maintained?
There could be signal distortion if there is a fault in the components that make up wind turbines’ slip rings. Improper maintenance may also lead to system breakdown which may require you to buy a new slip ring. Due to the reasons mentioned above, it is therefore important for wind turbines to slip ring owners always to carry out routine maintenance to ensure that they are working perfectly.
Ways you can Maintain Wind Turbines’ Slip Rings to Increase their Life Span
Maintaining wind turbine slip rings may sound quite easy, but a lot still has to be done to prevent the breakdown of the system. How do you get started, and what are the possible ways you can improve their performance and durability? To achieve this, you may consider carrying out the following maintenance strategy.
· Visual Inspection
There are certain times when all that is required for you to ascertain the state of wind turbine slip rings is to carry out a visual inspection. Visual inspection of wind turbine slip rings may give answers to questions such as are the blades are broken or if the wind turbine rotating perfectly. Paying close visual attention to the turbines when fully operational may give you a possible hint on how to carry out maintenance.
One highly effective tool you can use to detect faults in a slip ring is the predictive and analytic platform. With this platform, you can be aided to extract, and document data about the performance and state of the wind turbine slip rings. The critical factors that are considered in the predictive and analytic platform include the expected production capacity, component fatigue, Internal worn-out components, and overall performance. This information gives you an insight into how and where to begin maintenance.
· Ensure that Dust is Occasionally Removed
Wind turbine slip rings are designed to withstand extreme weather conditions such as high temperatures, dirt, and vibrations. A high impact of these external conditions can cause slagging in the slip rings over time. It may also lead to a breakdown of communication and transmission of signals, which may result in extremely low performance.
What can you do to Prevent this From Happening?
Ensure that you dust the components of your wind turbine slip rings occasionally. All installation areas in the slip rings should be free of dust. Dust can be effectively removed by using a vacuum or compressed air. By so doing, you can help to increase the life span of your wind turbine slip rings.
· Ensure that you Maintain an Overall Cleanliness
Dust, as we may know, is the primary cause of failure in a slip ring. It is also a contributing factor to signal distortion and corrosion. But as earlier stated, wind turbine slip rings are designed to operate at harsh or extreme weather conditions. What this suggests is that other factors may also be responsible for failures to occur in a slip ring.
Excess sand, very high humidity, and oil spills from other components may cause your wind turbines to slip rings to fail. To prevent this, you have to dust and clean up all forms of excess water, oil, and sand that may come in contact with your wind turbine slip rings. You may carry out this routine clean-up yearly.
· Take Note of the Brushes
As you may have known, slip ring brushes are very critical components in a slip ring. The brushes are designed to come in contact with the collective metal surface, which helps in the conduction of signal and power. These brushes must be in perfect working condition. Over time, the brushes may wear out as a result of friction, corrosion, or extended use. There may be a communication breakdown as a result of worn-out brushes. One good thing about modern brushes is that they are designed to last for over ten years. Carry out routine maintenance of the brushes to ensure that they last longer.
Conclusion
Wind turbine slip rings are the most critical component of wind turbines. You have to ensure that you carry out routine maintenance on them to give them an extended lifespan as well as better performance and efficiency.
