Wind turbine design has developed rapidly in the 21st century. Modern turbines are larger than ever before, experience greater forces, and can generate more power. As a result, their bearings are put under higher levels of strain. Selecting the right main shaft bearing arrangement can be a hard decision.

Wind energy and other renewables are on the rise in the electricity sector. This isn’t the case for other areas, such as transport or heating, which still heavily rely on fossil fuels. Sector coupling may provide the catalyst for changing this – contributing heavily to making many industries greener.

Europe’s leading wind energy event didn’t disappoint. Leading CEOs and experts in technology, policy, and finance as well as five government ministers took part in a packed speaker program. What were the standout highlights of the WindEurope Conference and Exhibition 2019?

When a failure occurs in a wind turbine, maintenance tasks can be costly and take time to complete. But what if there was a way to proactively assess costs, risks, opportunities, and benefits to positively impact the levelized cost of energy (LCOE)? Performance-based contracts for operation and maintenance could usher in a new era of reliability in wind energy.

Vibration is normal in most rotating machinery. However, vibration can be detrimental to component health or performance if left to reach abnormal levels and is usually an early indicator of machine failure. What causes problematic vibration levels and how can wind farm operators protect against this?

Many industries, such as manufacturing, are now connecting their machines, and even entire facilities, with the Internet of Things (IoT). This enables automation and delivers unprecedented levels of performance data. Despite this, the wind energy sector is somewhat behind and has some catching up to do. What benefits could the IoT offer the wind industry?

Maintenance programs could be about to get an overhaul. Typically, operators would manage wind turbine performance and maintenance themselves or choose certain aspects to outsource to different providers. Performance-based service contracts may offer a preferable alternative. Raf Kerkofs from SKF is set to present on this topic at Wind O&M EU 2019.

2019 promises to be a big year for wind energy. There are plenty of important events coming up, and new approaches to O&M will play a significant role in the sector. The Wind Farm Management Blog talks to Dr. Philipp Schmid from SKF for key insights into what we can expect in 2019.

Bearings are key components for machinery reliability. Therefore, they need to be robust, especially in critical applications such as main shafts and gearboxes for wind turbines. Various methods for enhancing the durability of these components are often discussed. In this article, we compare carburized non-coated with black oxide through hardened bearings.