Advance Planning for Efficient Operations
Shortly before receiving my doctorate in wind science and engineering from Texas Tech University I began working for an electrical engineering firm, taking on...
Data Drives Offshore Development
Wind energy off U.S. coastlines holds enormous promise. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates offshore wind capacity—generated in the Pacific, Hawaiian Islands, Gulf, Atlantic,...
Sealing Solutions for Wind
With global wind capacity increasing by 22 percent in 2010 alone, according to the Global Wind Energy Council, this budding industry is currently undergoing...
Medium-Voltage Circuit Protection
In the United States today the total wind fleet stands at approximately 41,000MW, creating enough clean energy to supply 10 million homes. In the...
Second-Generation LiDAR
The successful development of wind power projects requires reliable projections of the productivity and longevity of the assets being installed. The wind itself is...
Automated Turbine Inspection
The ability to inspect a wind turbine without the risk of personal injury is only one of the benefits of the new AutoCopter™ industrial...
Innovative Drivetrain Design
The cost of energy plays an increasingly important role in today’s world. This applies to all different types of energy production. Since wind energy...
The Winds of Innovation
The standard gear oil textbook has been ripped up and rewritten following recent advances in wind turbine technology. The loads on the lubricant are...
Lubricating Wind Components
Equipment lubrication is the lifeblood of any electrical system, from the large-scale wind farm to the small single-pole 20-amp circuit breaker in our homes....
Reliable Wireless RTU Systems
Wireless technology was once limited by inadequate bandwidth, early integrated circuit design, and insufficient power management technology. Improvements to today’s wireless networks allow robust...
An Online Communications Solution
The White Creek Wind I and Harvest Wind farms are owned by four consumer-owned utilities and operated by the NAES Corporation. NAES plant staff...
Extending Gear Oil Performance
More than a decade ago Castrol Optigear® Synthetic A 320 (OGSA 320) was developed to meet specific criteria developed by the National Renewable Energy...
Surge Protection for Electrical Systems
The basic design criteria for wind generator installations—that they are placed in large open areas, mounted on tall towers, and not influenced by other...
Calibrating for Success
Why should I care if my torque wrench or multimeter is calibrated? They’re built to be rugged, and they’re checked when they roll off...
Calculating Roller Bearings for Wind
Roller bearings are essential parts in most devices and machines whose primary function is to transmit power and motion. They support the rotating parts...
Enhanced Turbine Performance Monitoring
Components of wind turbines are affected by asymmetric loads, variable wind speeds, and severe weather conditions which cause wind turbines to change their states....
Advances in Remote Monitoring
When the fourth-largest wind farm operator in China increases its installed capacity by 50 percent within one year, it indicates the company knows its...
The Importance of Oil-Resistant Cables
The demands of the industrial environment are ongoing, with ever-changing trends. Cables that were able to sustain functional and operational integrity a decade ago...
Shaft Alignment Made Easy
How many of us struggle with tasks that should be easy and straightforward because we chose a tool that isn’t right for the job?...
Composite Blades of the Future
If you ask a wind turbine blade manufacturer what he or she is most concerned about, they will tell you without hesitation that it...
