VIBRATION SENSORS FOR WIND TURBINES
Industrial accelerometers, 4-20mA transmitters and loop powered vibration sensors and systems for use in wind turbine generators, main, yaw and slew bearings, plus all ground based systems with rotating shafts.
The number of wind turbines is continuing to grow globally at a rapid rate. The latest turbines often incorporate condition monitoring systems as standard, helping to ensure availability at all times. Older turbines, especially those that are no longer covered by OEM warranties, can easily be retrofitted with advanced vibration sensors, helping to extend their reliability and operating life still further.
Vibration sensors or transmitters are typically used to monitor changes in operating conditions within main bearings, yaw bearings and slew bearings, and in main generator output shafts.
At Hansford Sensors we manufacture a full range of vibration sensors to help your business meet the challenges of monitoring and maintaining a wide range of plant and machinery, including turbine shafts and bearings, as well as specialised ground based equipment.
Selecting the best accelerometer or vibration sensor for wind energy depends on a number of factors. These include:
- Availability of the plant
- Cost of breakdown
- Criticality of the machine/impact on the production process
- Access to machine, guarding, health and safety implications
- Environmental factors
We can provide solutions for both online and offline monitoring, with all our industrial accelerometers being designed for use in the toughest environments, including hazardous areas.
INDUSTRIAL ACCELEROMETERS & SYSTEMS FOR WIND TURBINES
A typical wind turbine has eight accelerometers installed. These are normally based on our improved response, low frequency HS-100SF vibration sensors, designed especially for monitoring relatively slow (low frequency) movements. These are customised to each application and are generally either 100mV/g or higher sensitivity 250 and 500mV/g devices.
Our HS-100 accelerometers are also ideal for use in wind turbines, and are available with the option of integral armoured cable and quick-fit connectors. For applications with restricted access, our M12 side entry accelerometer, with separate M12 cable assemblies, can also be used.
For new OEM builds, most of our units are supplied with M8 mountings. These are prepared for the spot face and then drilled to M8. For retro-fitted applications, or where it is impractical to drill the enclosure tough glue pads can also be used.
Many projects include a local junction box (HS-JE), which accommodates the accelerometer cabling at the top of the wind turbine and then, dependant on the exact configuration, multi-core cable can be connected and fed back down to ground level for termination into a monitoring system or switch box.
Typical solutions include:
- HS-100 Series general purpose 100mV/g AC vibration sensors
- HS-420 4-20mA vibration transmitters for remote data monitoring
- HS-100F low frequency sensor for slow rotating machinery