CBMvisionMD is a cost-effective online, wireless, condition-based monitor that installs easily to periodically monitor and diagnose assets. It can archive and deliver near real-time diagnostics and detailed machine condition data globally using cloud computing and the developer’s CBMvision Explorer Software.

CBMvisionMD is a mobile diagnostic system that lets users monitor rotating machinery on an on-going basis. The system can collect data for hours, days, or months, as necessary to collect the required data and can be easily moved to another machine or site when the task is complete. Cloud-based technology ensures the data is available anywhere in the world in near real time.

CBMvisionMD is built on the philosophy of easy installation, rapid configuration, and clear diagnostics, and is intended for remote applications, such as wind turbines, pumping stations, offshore platforms, or for collecting additional data on-site when a hand-held device will not suffice. 3G/4G cellular communication technology makes data transfer easy and secure. The right information gets to the right people, at the right time, anywhere in the world.

 CBM Enterprise Solutions LLC
Cbmenterprise.com

Windpower Engineering & Development

Unigear Industries in Montreal is capable of large custom gears.

David Brown, a manufacturer of industrial gearing and support services, says it has acquired Montreal based industrial gear manufacturer Unigear Industries Inc. Unigear is a privately held business known for its high quality gears. With its flexibility, innovation, quality, and performance it has an excellent reputation for customer responsiveness and a high standard of customer service in the North American gearing market.

David Brown (DB) already has a presence in key markets in North America, such as mining, and oil and gas, as well as through its premier double-enveloping worm gearing business Cone Drive, based in Traverse City, Michigan. The acquisition of Unigear and its industrial gear manufacturing and service capability is a key part of DB’s global and North American growth strategy. The business will be brought under the DB umbrella and will trade under the name: Unigear – a David Brown Company. The Unigear team, including President Ron Mehra and VP Peter Zurcher, will remain with the company and play key leadership roles going forward.

The parent company says it has a vision for the future and a defined growth strategy developed around expanding in key global markets including mining, oil and gas, conventional power, rail, and renewable energy such as solar, wind, and hydro. The acquisition of Unigear provides DB with wider access to many of these strategic industry segments coupled with local capability to manufacture and service industrial gear products for the North American market.

DB says expanding its aftermarket service offering is integral to its strategy to provide customers with locally employed specialist teams delivering world-class service. As well as becoming a North American manufacturing center of excellence, the company will also establish a service center at its Montreal facility to support customers in Canada. Additionally, the business is planning further expansion through the opening of a service center in the mining region of Kentucky, with near term plans for the establishment of additional service centers in strategic locations across North America.

David Brown
www.Davidbrown.com

Windpower Engineering & Development

Windpower Engineering & Development

In a nutshell, the study found the levelized cost of wind energy in the best wind-resource sites approaches $0.03/kWh with available federal tax incentives. That’s remarkably low. In Northern Ohio, First Energy charges about $0.122/kWh. The company breaks out its generation cost at $0.0634/kWh, about twice the cost of wind power. The $0.03/kWh is remarkable.

This begs the question: With such efficiency gains, why would anyone not want to keep this development program, called “the wind industry,” going? The study adds that due to improvements in turbines tuned for lower wind speeds, the gap between the cost of wind energy in low and high wind speed areas has narrowed considerably, opening more areas of the United States for potential development.

The low figure was for the best sites, those with highest capacity factors. Still, taller towers, longer blades, and drivetrain improvements are letting newer turbines perform with similar result in areas that have not been considered good wind sites. If you read the news sections of Windpower Engineering & Development, you’ve seen that technical improvements are coming at a steady rate. Turbines will shed pounds, blades will become more efficient, new construction techniques and ideas will take further costs out of foundations and towers.

Don't let the sun set on the PTC. Contact your Representatives and Senators and express your support for the wind industry with an extension to the tax credit.

The trick is to keep this invention machine going. The Production Tax Credit will do just that. It’s a tax credit, not a subsidy, that provides $0.022/kWh. It rewards production. Even wind opponents can understand the tax credit they take on their mortgage, but there it rewards consumption – shame on them.

An OEM rep at a recent conference thinks that in about seven years, the PTC may be allowed to expire for good because improvements and better efficiency will let wind produce the lowest power cost, and the tax credit will no longer be needed. Can other power industries say that?

Paul Dvorak
Editor
Windpower Engineering & Development

Windpower Engineering & Development

In the United States, Goldwind turbines are in operation or due to be operational in Minnesota, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island, Ohio, Iowa, and now Montana. Goldwind also recently announced deals of 34.5 MW in Chile and 15 MW in Ecuador.

Officials with Volkswind usA and Goldwind USA says that Chicago-based Goldwind USA has acquired two, 10-MW wind farms, referred to as the Musselshell Project, in Shawmut, Montana. Volkswind has obtained the necessary permits for construction and secured power purchase and interconnection agreements with NorthWestern Energy. The project is expected to begin construction soon with commercial operations as early as Q3 2012.

The Musselshell wind-farm concept originated with a landowner who worked with Volkswind to advance the project. Volkswind has been building and operating wind farms in Europe since 1993. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

According to Jeffrey Wagner, President of Volkswind USA, Goldwind’s permanent magnet, direct drive, and grid-friendly turbines provide an ideal fit for the site. “Goldwind’s gearless technology is relatively unique in the us market. Its megawatt size, efficiency, and reliability perfectly matches the requirements of the wind farm,” said Wagner.

Company VP Matthew Olive says the deal demonstrates continued acceptance of Goldwind’s technology in the West. “This sale marks our 14th deal in the Americas since we entered the market in June of 2010,” he added.

“This project marks Goldwind’s third acquisition in the United States accompanied by our project in Pipestone, Minnesota and our 109.5 MW Shady Oaks project in Lee County, Illinois,” said Goldwind USA CEO Rosenzweig. “Through our affiliate, Goldwind Capital, we have worked to offer a variety of financing solutions to support our customers’ projects in the United States, including common equity, mezzanine financing, and project finance.”

“I’m pleased to welcome Goldwind and the local tax revenue and jobs this project will bring to Montana,” said Montana’s senior us Senator Max Baucus, who met with Goldwind Group CEO Wu Gang and Tim Rosenzweig in Beijing in 2010 to discuss opportunities for doing business in Montana.

Goldwind USA
www.goldwindamerica.com

Windpower Engineering & Development

1. Intel Corporation: meets 88% of their demand with 2,502,052,000 kWh of biomass, geothermal, small-hydro, solar, wind

2. Kohl’s Department Stores: meets 100% of their demand with 1,524,656,000 kWh of solar and wind

3. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (California & Texas facilities): meets 28% of their demand with 872,382,088 kWh of biogas, solar and wind

4. Whole Foods: meets 106% of their demand with 800,257,623 kWh with solar and wind

5. Johnson & Johnson: meets 52% of their demand with 553,565,521 kWh of biomass, solar and wind

6. City of Houston, Texas: meets 35% of their demand with 438,000,000 kWh of wind

7. Starbucks: meets  52% of their demand with 421,921,000 kWh of wind

8. City of Austin, Texas: meets 100% of their demand with 406,000,000 kWh of wind

9. Staples: meets 52% of their demand with 341,509,408 kWh of biogas, solar and wind

10. Hilton Worldwide: 94% of their demand with 315,000,000 kWh of various clean energy sources

Windpower Engineering & Development

The 2000 series SoDARs measure vertical and horizontal wind speed, and wind direction with 10-m resolution up to 700m.

The 2000 series SoDARs are intended as high-altitude sensors. These use three parabolic dishes in three separate enclosures. The 2000 series can operate in lower power consumption mode, pulsing each antenna at different time intervals. Or, they can be configured to sample all three beams simultaneously, increasing the number of complete samples during the averaging intervals. This unit captures data in real-time. The 2000 products measure vertical and horizontal wind speed, and wind direction with 10-m resolution up to 700m. The digital facsimile offers a look at the atmospheric structure exposing inversions and other critical information. The equipment can work remotely or in a network.

Atmospheric Systems Corp.
www.minisodar.com

Windpower Engineering & Development

Clifford Spring Co. developed an energy absorbing spring for the oil and gas industry that is non corrosive, chemical resistant, with high and low temperature resistance. The company selected a Vitrex Peek to develop the spring.

Victrex Peek (polyaryletherketone) polymers is said to be a good choice when replacing metal wind-turbine components. The high performance and light-weight material allows up to a 70% weight reduction. This can lower stress on the components and reduce energy needed to power the turbine. The tribological characteristics of this thermoplastic compared to metals also helps reduce downtime due to the inherent ability to perform with or without lubrication.

The polymers are useful in wind turbine applications such as bearing separators, connectors, braking systems, and pitches and yaw drive components. The material can be applied to wind equipment to create products that are more corrosion and high temperature resistant, light-weight, durable and stable. Most notably, wind turbine products benefit from PEEK’s strength and wear properties. Victrex polymers also prevent galvanic corrosion, and are an exceptional insulator for generators, motors or transformers. The polymers help extend equipment life, reduce product failures, improve thermal performance and material strength.

Victrex Corp.
Victrex.com

Windpower Engineering & Development

Power Conversion forsees the electrification trend doublling over the next 20 years. The oil and gas industry will lead the trend and use electrical systems to extract and transport natural gas more efficiently.

A supplier of power generation and energy-deli equipment says the first step in the integration of its acquisition of Converteam is to rename it Power Conversion. The company’s skill in process controls, automation, and high-efficiency power electronics, motors, and generators will let the company better meet the needs of customers looking to improve operational efficiency and productivity.

Large industrial companies are replacing mechanical processes with high-efficiency, customized electric alternatives that deliver better reliability, require less maintenance and create lower emissions in industrial processes. This electrification trend is expected to double over the next 20 years. One of the trend’s leading drivers is the oil and gas industry, which is using electrical systems to extract and transport natural gas more efficiently.

About 25% of electricity produced globally is used to power electric motors in a wide range of industrial applications. Power Conversion’s solutions could help improve their energy efficiency by 30%, helping reduce electricity consumption and energy intensity. Power Conversion, with GE’s Industrial Solutions business will address all steps in the energy conversion chain with a portfolio built around rotating machines, power electronics, wind converters, solar inverters, and process control technologies.

The fastest growth in the industrial automation sector is expected to be in Brazil, Russia, India, and China, and the Middle East. The expansion will be driven by a demand in energy efficiency, and integrated electrical and mechanical equipment critical to customers competing in highly competitive industries.

GE
www.ge-energy.com/

Windpower Engineering & Development

Zero-Max CD couplings are easy to keep clean and handle a temperatures from -22 to 180°F. They come in a range of inch and metric sizes and in stainless steel metric sizes.

Heavy duty models of the popular ETP Express keyless shaft bushings are now available in 20, 40 and 60-mm sizes. ETP Express shaft locking bushings provide fast and frequent mounting/dismounting capabilities with only one radial screw. This saves space in a system and provides accurate mounting without axial movement of the ETP bushing along the shaft.
Providing up to four times the radial load capacity of the standard ETP Express models, the new heavy duty models provide a tight connection between shaft and mounted components. When tightened, ETP’s radial screw compresses a pressure medium with the double-walled sleeve that expands and creates a solid connection between shaft and the mounting member. ETP’s uniform surface pressure prevents damage to surfaces and enables the use of shafts without problem-causing keyways. The single adjusting screw design makes the ETP Express superior to conventional mechanical locking bushings where numerous adjusting screws are required and axial movement of the mechanical bushing occurs when the screws are tightened.
Providing concentricity to 0.001 inch T.I.R., these ETP Express Bushings handle torque ranges from 40 to 6,400 lbs. They are ideal for use in tight areas. An Allen wrench is the only tool required to torque, mount, and lock these bushings into place. They position in seconds and can be readjusted many times just as quickly and without axial movement of the bushing or component along the keyless shaft.
ETP Express bushings require no lubrication. They are easy to keep clean and handle a temperature range from -22° to 180°F. They are available in a full range of inch and metric sizes and in stainless steel metric sizes.

Zero Max Inc
www.zero-max.com

Windpower Engineering & Development