We will show our solutions for condition monitoring in yaw and pitch drives, which can bring important advantages to our customers with predictive and preventive maintenance.
AWEA WindPower Q&A with Bonfiglioli Group
Fabio Campana & Roberto Pasqualini | Bonfiglioli Group
What are the primary features of AWEA WindPower that you focus on (i.e. Show floor, training, seminars etc.)?
Fabio Campana: space for meeting customers and sharing information about our company (e.g. global footprint, 30+ years of experience in the wind industry, etc.)
What makes WindPower an important show for your company?
Fabio Campana: The USA is the seond biggest market in the world (after China) for Bonfiglioli wind so it’s important to attend the show and stay close to our customers.
Who are you trying to attract at WindPower and how do you go about it?
Fabio Campana: Bonfiglioli is already known in the wind market but there is always space to meet new people and potential new customers.
Do you attend other tradeshows and if so where does WindPower rank in order of importance for you?
Fabio Campana: As Bonfiglioli Group, we attend numerous exhibitions every year. Since wind is approx. 15-20% of total business, WindPower is very important.
What does WindPower do right and how could they improve?
Fabio Campana: In my opinion the show should be every 2 years, and not annually, because more companies can attend and share news (it is expensive and difficult to attend every year).
What will you be introducing at WindPower this year?
Fabio Campana: we will show our solutions for condition monitoring in yaw and pitch drives, which can bring important advantages to our customers with predictive and preventive maintenance. Bonfiglioli already started a “digital journey” and digitalization and IoT are our focus from now on.
Roberto Pasqualini: More and more, the wind industry is recognizing the value of condition monitoring (CM): many wind turbine warranties are expiring—exposing owners to the “true” operations and maintenance costs of wind farms, and component failures are driving relevant maintenance costs.
To face this, owners and operators are deploying condition monitoring systems to detect faults before they cause secondary damage. Through this early detection, repair costs can be reduced, representing significant savings.
Though methods differ, there is a generic multi-step process that all CM generally follows:
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Data acquisition - translation of the physical phenomenon into an analog measurement, which is then converted into digital format
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Data processing - conversion of the digitized measurements into meaningful indications of component health
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Detection - classification of the condition indicators as “normal” or “abnormal”
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Diagnosis - validation of the fault and determination of its location and severity
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Prognosis - estimation of how much longer the faulted component will last before it needs to be replaced
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Recommendation - determination of what maintenance action is necessary and when it should be performed.
A prospective buyer is left with the difficult task of deciding which CM will provide the right performance at the right price. To succeed in this assessment, it is important to focus on the overarching goal for the system.
Bonfiglioli is able to support and offer a complete tailor-made solution for each customer with several technologies available (e.g. vibration, oil debris, etc.), determining which one provides the highest value.
CM can be designed to provide users with recommendations that enable them to make optimal operations and maintenance decisions.
The content & opinions in this article are the author’s and do not necessarily represent the views of AltEnergyMag
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