StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

The wind turbine, and its failure - Case Study Example

Cite this document
Summary
The Wind Turbine and Its Failure Name: Institution: Course: Tutor: Date: The Wind Turbine and Its Failure How the Wind Turbine Works Wind power (wind energy) is basically the generation of mechanical power or electricity from wind. A wind turbine converts kinetic energy of wind into mechanical power, which can be used to execute various tasks such as pounding cereals or pumping water from boreholes…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER93.2% of users find it useful
The wind turbine, and its failure
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "The wind turbine, and its failure"

The Wind Turbine and Its Failure The Wind Turbine and Its Failure How the Wind Turbine Works Wind power (wind energy) is basically the generation of mechanical power or electricity from wind. A wind turbine converts kinetic energy of wind into mechanical power, which can be used to execute various tasks such as pounding cereals or pumping water from boreholes. Further, this mechanical power harnessed from the wind through the use of turbines can also be converted into electricity using a generator.

Though comparable to a fan, a wind turbine generates electricity using wind unlike a fan that needs electricity to generate air currents otherwise called wind. The wind sets in motion the turbine blades, which rotates a shaft connected to a generator that converts the mechanical energy fed to it into electricity. Despite its relative importance, especially in the present world where strategies are being focused on the production of clean energy to curb high levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, the wind turbine also exhibits some failures.

Wind Turbine Failures Wind turbine failures can be categorized into two groups. The first failure is the hard-type failure, which includes the gearbox, electric generator and rotor failures. The second type is soft-type failures, which is basically control system failure (Steenbergen et al., 2013). The Blades Failure Blade failures can occur because of different reasons leading to the throwing of the entire blade or part of it from the wind turbine. Many failures of the wind turbine blade involve the structures linking the blade and the hub.

“At the blade root, the oscillating stresses are passed into the rotor hub and certain harmonics are passed through the shaft into the tower” (National Research Council (U.S.), Energy Engineering Board 1991, p. 27). Other failures relate to the steel connectors joining the main blade part and the bearing. Further blades failures are usually noted in “subassembly joint s in the main blade component and chord wise cracking of the blade shell” (National Research Council (U.S.), Energy Engineering Board 1991, p. 27). The fatigue and How It Gets Failed by the Weather and the Birds In most cases, structures loaded regularly often fail at lower loads than expected.

Wind turbines are subject to changing lift force from wind explosions, wind sheer yaw error as well as turmoil. The lifting wind acts in a flapwise bearing. The blades also have to contend with their own weights. This leads to reverse bending as the wind turbine’s blades rotate. Bad weather is also known to be detrimental to the life and efficient operation of wind turbines. Ice from frozen precipitation can lead to coating of the nacelle and turbine blades of the wind turbine making the shut-off mechanism ineffective.

Further, extreme wind power because of bad weather can lead to excessive vibration of the tower of the turbine, which can in turn lead to complete or partial failure of the blades causing great financial loss. Wind turbines are also known to be a threat to the life of birds. Birds often collide with turbines sited inappropriately and this can lead to reduction of bird population making the turbines ecological threat. When large birds collide with turbine blade, mechanical breakdown may occur, leading to failure of the affected wind turbine.

The Gearboxes Failure Wind turbine gearboxes are exposed to various problems, which result from faulty occurrences during their operation. Faulty incidents such as lubricating oil leaks leading to a fall in the level of oil or use of unauthorized type of oil can lead to inadequate lubrication and cooling. Consequently, some sections of the gearbox become over heated, which may lead to further damage. These damages in turn cause tooth breakage and consequently permanent failure of the gearbox (Hemami, 2012).

The gearbox of a wind turbine is usually associated with two major issues. First, the gearbox is not used to reduce speed as many applications exhibit. Second, the nature of wind subjects the wind turbine gearbox to regular and sudden shocks due to the variation in the power that it handles. “Such power fluctuations, which in turn translate to load variation on the teeth, is not a desirable situation for the gearbox” (Hemami, 2012, p. 199). As such, the chances of damage and failure of the wind turbine gearbox remains high.

Worse still, replacing a malfunctioning wind turbine gearbox is very costly owing to the fact that the operation is not carried on the ground (Hemami, 2012). An example of gearbox failure occurred in a wind farm in Canada in 2004. No PdM was used and the gearbox failure required a complete replacement, which cost more than $250,000 (Barber & Golbeck, n.d). Also, a severe weather with wind speed exceeding 100 Kph and freezing rain led to extreme tower vibration and coating of the nacelle and turbine blades with ice respectively leading to a complete loss of one turbine at Canadian Wind farm, 750kW turbines, age: 10 years (Barber & Golbeck, n.d). From these case studies, it remains clear that wind turbines can experience failures, which can prove very costly to repair or replace.

References Barber, S., & Golbeck, P. (n.d.). Wind Turbine Maintenance & Condition Monitoring. Retrieved on November 27, 2013, from http://www.wwindea.org/technology/ch03/en/3_4_3.html Hemami, A. (2012). Wind turbine technology. Clifton Park, NY: Cengage Learning. National Research Council (U.S.), Energy Engineering Board (1991). Assessment of research needs for wind turbine rotor materials technology. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press. Steenbergen, R.D.J.M., van Gelder, P.H.A.J.M., Miraglia, S.

, & Vrouwenvelder, A.C.W.M. (2013). Safety, Reliability and Risk Analysis: Beyond the Horizon. London: Taylor & Francis Group.

Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“The wind turbine, and its failure Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words”, n.d.)
Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/engineering-and-construction/1494376-the-wind-turbine-and-its-failure
(The Wind Turbine, and Its Failure Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 Words)
https://studentshare.org/engineering-and-construction/1494376-the-wind-turbine-and-its-failure.
“The Wind Turbine, and Its Failure Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 Words”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/engineering-and-construction/1494376-the-wind-turbine-and-its-failure.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF The wind turbine, and its failure

Wind Turbine Design and Construction

the wind turbine is can engineering device that is used to extract wind energy transforming it into mechanical energy (rotation) or other forms of energy such as electrical energy (Burton, Sharpe, Jenkins & Bossanyi,2001).... … Wind Turbine Design and Construction Introduction the wind turbine is can engineering device that is used to extract wind energy transforming it into mechanical energy (rotation) or other forms of energy such as electrical energy (Burton, Sharpe, Jenkins & Bossanyi,2001)....
4 Pages (1000 words) Lab Report

Blowing In the Wind

The researcher presents a typical system of micro wind turbine, that in an uncovered site could produce greater power than the lights used.... Previously, Strata Tower, a London based building attached a wind turbine with it.... From the overall study, the viability of the micro wind turbine market in the UK context is ascertained.... A typical system of micro wind turbine on an uncovered site could simply produce greater power than the lights and electrical appliances used....
12 Pages (3000 words) Essay

Wind Turbines: Designs and Costs

The period 2009-2013 has seen the turbine and projects capital costs decrease significantly, and with continual improvements in turbine designs Wiser predicts the industry to attain an apparent historic low in wind LCOE (qtd.... However, it was not until the 1930s when Leroy Ratzlaff and his family built a small wind turbine for harvesting the high winds that blew across the ridge at South Dakota in Hyde County where they lived.... However, it was not until the 1930s when Leroy Ratzlaff and his family built a small wind turbine for harvesting the high winds that blew across the ridge at South Dakota in Hyde County where they lived....
4 Pages (1000 words) Research Paper

Hydropower versus Wind Turbine Generators in the Waikato

Form the analysis of data collected, it became clear that wind power stand a better chance in the promotion of economic… Our study whose plan entailed; evaluation method development, data collection, assessment of power supply and needs, an interview with expert and analysis of power supply trends resulted in information which was used to It became evident from the research that wind turbine power generation will lead to low levels of pollution, reduced cost of power production and large amounts of power being generated to the national grid....
8 Pages (2000 words) Essay

Wind energy: Wind turbines in United States

A wind turbine consists of a dynamo that is mounted on wind-propelled turbines.... The speed of the turbine is dependent on various factors such as the size and weight of the blades, orientation of the windmill and the speed of the wind.... Production of wind energy in the US has increased its effort to promote the use of clean... From the energy equation E = ½ mv2, it is evident that production of energy is dependent on the speed of the turbine....
4 Pages (1000 words) Essay

Blade for a 10kW Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine

the wind turbine is a rotating device, which converts this wind energy called kinetic energy into mechanical energy.... However, the ultimate aim is to convert the mechanical energy into the electric power and the equipment needed for doing so is called the wind generator or a wind turbine.... It is necessary to point the turbine into the wind so that it can face a wind power.... Small turbine use wind wanes to find the wind direction....
10 Pages (2500 words) Term Paper

Wind Turbine in Cameroon

hellip; After assembling the blades, constructing the alternator, the last aspect is to create electrical connectivity during the operation of the wind turbine.... The electrical productivity of the wind turbine is determined as a voltage and a current.... As such, the wind turbine has to have appropriate electrical connectivity to ensure its completion Engineering without Boundaries is a designed program for various university students in their first year of studies....
9 Pages (2250 words) Lab Report

Wind Energy Projects and Not-in-My-Backyard Syndrome

Motivations for the opposition as well as acceptance on wind energy projects are reviewed in the "wind Energy Projects and Not-in-My-Backyard Syndrome" paper.... The paper also provides a critical analysis of community acceptance of wind energy projects with the focus on Not-in-My-Backyard Syndrome.... Engineers should develop offshore wind turbines that can produce renewable energy that can meet the expectations of the public....
10 Pages (2500 words) Term Paper
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us