MAINTENANCE FOR TURBINE BLADE CLEANING METHODS
Purpose of blade cleaning:-
Wind turbines blade
surface, naturally accumulate dust and other forms of detritus. Often with wind
turbines, this takes the form of grease or hydraulic oil from motors and other
parts of the turbine. This prove to be unsightly and can cause dirt to
accumulate at an accelerated place.
The main purpose of blade cleaning is to eliminate dust and insect buildup, which otherwise deforms the shape of the airfoil and degrades performance. Blade cleaning is especially important in arid climates where there is not sufficient rainfall to help keep the blades clean.
Types of Blade cleaning Methods: -
1.
Manually
cleaning Method (Rope Access).
2.
Cleaning blade
with Helicopter
3.
Blade cleaning
with Robot mechanism
4.
Wind turbine
blade cleaning with truck platforms.
5.
Blade cleaning
with flying DRONE System.
6. Blade cleaning with sky lift Method.
1.
Manually
cleaning Method (Rope Access) : -
A person tides the wire through the nacelle and uses the wire
to move the blade up and down. Turbine should be stopped and no wind should be
blowing at this moment. At least 3 personnel are needed at this cleaning
process. It takes 4 hours to clean each blade. Losing power is caused due to
the stoppage of turbine while cleaning. Lots of jeopardies exist in this
cleaning process, so labor costs are expensive. Furthermore, the capacity and
tools of the personnel could affect the result. There is physical contact with moving parts of the turbine
if a lifting device needs to be installed, otherwise a crane is needed. The entire
operation is high risk to the operator because of working at a high altitude
and is also risky for the safety of the blade.
Advantages: -
1. Low cost compare to other cleaning
methods.
Disadvantages: -
1. The entire operation is high risk to
the operator because of working at a high altitude and is also risky for the
safety of the blade.
2. Manual cleaning like requiring a
large amount of water.
3. Manual cleaning is done by stopping
the turbine when the wind speed is less than 3 m/s.
4. Brushes are not using while cleaning the blades.
2. Cleaning blade with HeliTechnics: -
HeliTechnics
has developed a maintenance method for wind turbines, a cleaning method of
wind turbine blades by helicopter. Our new service aims to provide an
effective, practical and economical alternative to clean the wind turbine
blades, using machinery adapted to the needs and technicians specialized in
cleaning work by helicopter.
Is
known a lot of factors could provoke the airfoil break of the blades: snow,
ice, pollution, humidity, dust, insects, etc. It is known that a good
maintenance of wind turbines and, specially, of the blades can increase the
efficiency as much as 20% or as much as 100% in case of frost or snow on its
blades.
The
maintenance of these wind turbines is something assumed in a wind
turbine operational cost, even though, the actual methods are very slow,
expensive and involve a high risk for the personnel.
Depending
on the blades sizes and the wind conditions, HeliTechnics could clean or de-ice
24 blades in one day with full efficiency and no component spoilage.
Advantage: -
1. Aims to provide an effective, practical and economical
alternative to clean the wind turbine blades with 100%.
Disadvantages:-
1.More
expenses and not suitable in Indian climate.
3. Blade cleaning with Robot
mechanism: -
Blade
cleaning robot is composed of side brush frame, leading edge brush frame,
camera, water tank, water jet, wire rope holder, roller shock absorber, and
brush.
Blade cleaning robot goes up by dropping 4 ropes from nacelle down the power generator and connecting them to the wire rope holder. If the blade is located on land, personnel will do the connection at the ground. If the blade is located on offshore, personnel will do the connection at the deck. When the roller shock absorber is well slung over the fins of the blade, in order to figure out the location, starting point of the rope should be marked. Robot goes up spraying water overall using water jet. Brush cleans the surface of the blade using water from the water jet. It goes up checking the condition, whether it is well cleaned and whether there are any cracks on the surface of the blades. If the robot detects any cracks, it memorizes the height by counting the number of hoist rope rotation. If it gets to the blade tip or the base, the primary procedure is done. The robot goes down untying rope, which is the start of the secondary procedure. The robot remembers the condition of the blade at the primary procedure, and goes down to the parts that need to be cleaned more. When it gets down, it starts the secondary cleaning.
Each desorption and installation of the blade take 20 minutes, so considering all the time that procedure needs, it only takes 64minutes per 1 blade to finish the cleaning procedure. This is possible that cleaning time save 3 hours than manual cleaning.
Advantage :-
1. This
is possible that cleaning time save 3 hours than manual cleaning.
2. If
the robot detects any cracks on blade surface.
3. No
more man power could be needed.
Disadvantage
:-
1. Some expense are more compare to
manually cleaning.
4.
Wind turbine blade cleaning with truck platforms.
The
performance of wind turbines can be reduced by up to 30 percent because of blade
roughness and accumulated debris on the blades. Rotor blade cleaning can be
performed using numerous methods however accessing the blade surface using a
blade cleaning platform is by the safest method. Not only does this provide a
sturdy platform to work from but also allows cleaning technicians to complete a
thorough job.
Truck mounted blade cleaning
platforms can also travel from turbine to turbine with ease saving time and increasing efficiencies.
Advantages:
-
1. Easy access to one location to
another location.
2. More efficiency. Unique
reaches with working heights of 38–112 meters and horizontal out reaches of up
to 40 meters.
3. Time saving.
4. Brushes are using for cleaning the
blades.
Disadvantages:
-
1. More expenses.
5.
Blade
cleaning with sky lift Method.
It is utilized in the cleaning process along with a3500PSI heated water pressure wahers.it cleaning abilities manpower and peat plus line of absorbents can be adapted for turbine interior spills, making shorts work of a large mess, preventing future exterior contamination.
The complete system is controlled from either the platform mounted central control box or the ground and includes anti-tilt safety devices, emergency stop buttons, overload protection, top limit switches and safety brakes connected to the two secondary steel wire ropes.
Maintenance personnel employ industry standard fall protection harnesses, lifelines and anchorages. Another area of concern over time is the maintenance of the tube itself; this requires another smaller platform that is set up in the same manner as the blade access platform.
Advantages:
-
1. Cleaning process along with a3500PSI heated water pressure washers.
2. Safety work take place.
3. Low cost.
4. Inspection of blade carry along with
cleaning time.
Disadvantage:
-
1. Crane movement is very difficult.
2. More time required to assemble the
crane.
CONCLUSION:-
Below mentioned methods are safe and
quickly blade cleaning methods
1. If the blade cleaning robot becomes commercialized.
2. No more man power could be needed.
3. The robot will also reduce the time of the cleaning and improve the safety as well.
4. Inspection
and cleaning could be done more often and the time needed to install and move
the robot could be reduced.
B. Wind turbine blade cleaning with truck platforms.
1. Easy access to one location to
another location.
2. More efficiency. Unique
reaches with working heights of 38–112 meters and horizontal out reaches of up
to 40 meters.
3. Time saving.
4. Brushes are using for cleaning the
blades.
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