Even if wind as a resource is free, wind turbines still require an effective operations and maintenance schedule. Condition monitoring systems (CMS) have been widely used in the industrial and transport industries for decades. CMS technology has entered the wind energy industry in the past ten years. For example, some offshore wind farms require a CMS system in the turbines, due to the cost and difficulty of operations and maintenance (O&M). Insurance may also require the use of a CMS.
What is CMS
As the name implies, CMS’ automatically monitor asset condition to provide an early fault detection system. In many cases a more detailed monitoring of the wind turbine drivetrain, such as vibration and oil condition analysis, is missing. A good condition monitoring system brings added value by addressing potential faults early. A great condition monitoring system can differentiate false alarms, operate reliably in stand-alone mode, and provide on-point information on the real drivetrain condition, enabling reliable operation. Moventas Condition Management System (CMaS©) smart service solution is the only CMS developed purely by a wind turbine gearbox manufacturer to address these issues. Moventas CMaS© enables wind farm operators to reduce their O&M costs by avoiding catastrophic failures and unnecessary operations, thus minimizing production losses.
Benefits of CMS
CMS enables the detection of operating conditions that, if left unchecked, result in shortening the lifespan of equipment and develop to a major failure. CMS’ have proven their worth repeatedly as a part of cost-efficient and effective wind turbine O&M. Preventing even only one gearbox failure can repay the entire system, in addition to optimizing O&M scheduling. A condition monitoring system also enables the monitoring of the wind turbine while in operation, instead of shutting it down for a day to conduct inspections.
With around 30 thousand wind turbines worldwide approaching their first major service age, a condition monitoring system can be the difference between unplanned and planned maintenance. A great CMS, such as CMaS©, can save you from the unexpected renewal of key components.
Moventas CMaS
Moventas is the only wind turbine gearbox manufacturer with an in-house developed CMS – the Moventas Condition Management System (CMaS©). Moventas CMaS© is a move away from passive monitoring towards an active management approach to wind turbine condition monitoring, accounting for the entire drive train.
If you are visiting the Wind Europe Conference & Exhibition at Bilbao, be sure to catch Thomas Lenze (Service VP Global Product Management) and Danilo Scamonatti (Machinery Diagnosis Manager) introduce the benefits of Moventas CMaS. Our innovative portable CMaS solution opens the way to condition monitoring and management where conventional approaches may not be viable.
Keep an eye on our website, LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook for more updates on Moventas CMaS.
Read the article about the Moventas Condition Management System, CMaS, here.