Maintenance of Offshore Wind Turbine

Maintenance of Offshore Wind turbine
At onshore, maintenance or repairing can done instantly when spare components exist and
maybe need a crane can be brought on to site. Yearly maintenance conducts during spring and
summer months where wind speeds are typically lowest. Offshore, there are some difficulties
to major repair and replacements of components because of the increased logistical difficulty
of the ocean environment and lack of required specialist vessels which limited by accessibility.
Besides, the offshore turbine considered less reliable compare to onshore as more failure occurs.
In offshore environment, strict condition may be faced. Owner of offshore wind farms need
to deal with many logistical and safety matters. Single offshore wind turbine required 5 visits
each year (consists of 1 maintenance visit and 4 malfunction visits) and might reduce to 3 visit
with technology applied. Among the accessibility to offshore wind turbine were:
1) Vessel
-Able transport many spares and transfer large components
-reducing access time for minor repairs or inspection, regarding out port operation
Figure 1 Major type of vessel used in Offshore Wind Turbine Maintenance
2) Helicopter
- not limited by wave height compare to workboat and shorten travel times
-higher cost and higher risks, no spare parts can be transported via helicopter
Figure 2 Major Components in the Offshore Wind Turbine

Maintenance offshore wind turbine major components:
Controller
It is the electronic brain of turbine. It is often upgrade midway through its service life. The
maintenance including rebuilding, upgrading, or redesigning the controllers and electronics to
increase the efficiency and performance of a wind turbine.
Gearbox oil
During the changing of gearbox oil, maintenance company need to use specific design vessel
equip with pumping systems that manage to service multiple turbine per day and diminish oil
spills. Oil filter are replaced annually.
Gearbox
Majority of the failing gearbox need a full replacement using crane. However, some gear in a
gearbox
Are small enough and accessible enough that a technician can replace them which extend the
lifespan of gearbox and avoids expensive crane call. These required proper maintenance tools
including air filter which replace in regular basic.
Brake
Maintenance period are different among pad and brake manufacturers and dependent on turbine
performance. Turbine will rest automatically or with blade pitched and locked to protect it
during high wind. Brake pads are often examined based on usage. Normally, it is replaced
annually.
Main bearing
During turbine operation period, main bearing needed repair or replacement. This based on the
turbine design and some damage can be repaired on site, while the rest need to dismantling for
specialist repair.
Blade edge
Maintenance required due to lightning or gradual erosion of leading edge of blade. Especially
in sea environment or in contact with sand and ice. Majority can be done up tower using
platform or rose access. Frequent cleaning can improve work efficiency. Yearly blade
inspection with binocular is basic. The average turbine strike by lightning per year is around
5% but dependent on turbine’s location.
Transformer
It located within the nacelle or at tower base. It does not require regular service. Abnormal
heating can be detected by visual scan of the transformer with thermograph. It is a symptom of
failing wiring, circuitry or impending transformer failure.
Generator
Bearing wear out and power generating brushes move out of alignment will lower power output.
Both can be replaced or fixed up tower. Generator rebuild often done by specialists.
Pitch and Yaw control units
Grease lubricate the gears in pitch and yaw control motors. The grease wear out and dissipate
over time. The remains in it should be clean up with new grease added. This can be done by
installation of automated grease device.
Subsea Cable Maintenance
Currently, standardized practices or procedures to acquire cables or share cabling equipment,
ships, and all other elements compulsory for a safe and quick repair. Until now, the desire to
keep cable options and technologies private are more common compare to develop a more
efficient infrastructure for joint installation and maintenance or repair of cables. However,
these facilities are compulsory as bases for long-range offshore vessels and for maintenance of
offshore wind farms closer to the shore. Especially, large offshore wind farms (FLOW), it
requires a unique asset to have manufacture and devoted repair and storage facilities for spare
parts closer to the FLOW sites.
Thing need to consider on maintenance subsea cable:
a) Changing of ocean terrain (within 6 months)
Shifting of subsea terrain due to underwater landslide causes the buried cable expose and
rusting of cable may occurs. Hence monitoring need do done on the subsea cable.
b) Cable characteristic
Transmission cable are design for static condition, hence they only have little elasticity.
Ocean current, installation and repairing process may lead them to failure if exceed its
Young Modulus. Hence some precaution need to be taken on its operation and maintenance.
c) Thermodynamics
Conducting electricity over cables generates heat. The contrasting temperatures when pass
through cold underwater environment can lead to wear or causes some unexpected defects.
d) Complicated Repair
-Physical breakage: Define 2 ends, drag them unto vessel, join them together and return
the cable in operation.
-Performance degradation: Detect the accurate location of cable defect which is difficult
before the repairing process.
e) Monitoring
Remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) is used to examine specific location on
subsea cable. Monitoring system for the whole subsea cable grid will provide feedback
when defect or damage of wire detected.
Figure 3a and 3b Example of subsea cable used for
Offshore Wind Turbine

Maintenance of Offshore Wind Turbine

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What are the major components of an offshore wind turbine that require maintenance?

What factors need to be considered when maintaining subsea cables for offshore wind farms?

Maintenance of Offshore Wind turbine

Figure 1 Major type of vessel used in Offshore Wind Turbine Maintenance

Figure 2 Major Components in the Offshore Wind Turbine

Figure 3a and 3b Example of subsea cable used for

Offshore Wind Turbine

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