Energetica India 89 - May 2020

WIND POWER 60 energetica INDIA- May_2020 The Mobil SHC Grease™ 460WT is the perfect synthetic grease for the lubrica- tion of main, pitch and yaw bearings, due to its excellent low and high temperature performance, structural stability even in the presence of water, excellent false brinelling and wear protection, and rust and corrosion inhibition. It allows con- solidation of main, pitch and yaw bear- ing greases into one product, minimising the risk of re-lubrication with the wrong product,thus mitigating operational risks. Monitoring & maintenance The selection of high performance lubri- cants should be supported by routine, scheduled maintenance, including pe- riodic oil analysis. Regular oil analysis is one of the most widely used proactive maintenance strategies for wind turbines, and employs a test slate that is designed to evaluate the condition of the in-service lubricant and equipment. ExxonMobil’s Mobil Serv SM Lubricant Analysis – a mo- bile-enabled used-oil analysis service in India, offers application-specific analysis options – including hydraulic, gearbox, engine, compressor, power-train and circulating analysis, among others–en- abling operators to choose an option that best fits their specific needs. To obtain the greatest benefit from oil analysis, it is important to work closely with an expert lubricant manufacturer and participate in oil analysis typically every six months. Identifying trends in the data helps maintenance professionals make better informed decisions. Where a trend or sudden change in equipment condition is detected, corrective action can be taken to help reduce unsched- uled downtime. Oil life can also be ex- tended by implementing a programme in which the lubricant is changed when its condition warrants, rather than on a time-based maintenance schedule. Typ- ically, wind turbine manufacturers state gearbox oil change frequencies of 18 months for mineral oils and three years for synthetic lubricants. By employing an oil analysis programme in a condition based maintenance regime, synthetic oil lubricant life can be extended beyond five years. With a technologically advanced syn- thetic lubricant, alongside an effective oil equipment condition monitoring pro- gramme, wind farm operators can cut costs and maximise the productivityand profitability of wind turbines.