Clearway Energy and BGB Partner to Reduce Turbine Downtime

The Problem

Excessive lag times to get wind turbines rebooted and running again has been an issue at a site operated by Clearway Energy. Pitch faults and communication issues on the Hub Control / Pitch Control slip rings were the reason for the turbine stopping, so Clearway Energy reached out to BGB for some options. A year prior, Clearway had purchased a GE 25 way pitch slip ring for their 2.85MW turbine. These units were working well without pitch fault; but had the ability to be upgraded with Fiber Optic Technology on the communication side. Gabriel Bressler, Clearway Site manager, stated “It would take hours for our turbines to get back up and running after communication issues and pitch faults, and I needed to look at solutions to end this lengthy downtime. BGB’s fiber option was mentioned, in the past, and I needed a good solution”.

The Solution

BGBs Fiber Optic Rotary Joints ( FORJ ) used in GE units, converts the ethernet signal into Optic signals, and this is what GE uses on all new turbines being installed in the USA. BGB developed an installation “kit” that consisted of fiber cables, multiplexers, power cables and terminal blocks to assist in any new installation. After a few conference calls to determine root causes, BGB shipped a fiber unit to the site. The first install had a few challenges, but Gabriel’s team successfully installed a unit, up and running with the help of the BGB engineers.

The Future

BGB has started to offer direct replacement upgrades in regards to GE pitch slip rings for the 1X and 2X turbines in all variants, and some of these units can be converted to fiber technology. Whether considering the all electric version, or the fiber version, our robust units meet all GE specifications. The fiber units offer higher speed data transfer, and is not influenced by vibration, humidity, heat or other disturbances. It is immune to all forms of electrical interference and is a robust unit that can handle extreme conditions. Our aftermarket slip rings will solve many site issues and reduce your unplanned wind turbine maintenance costs.

The Happy Customer

The site ordered 4 more units to combat turbine downtime and help reduce the communication issues they see in the field. Gabriel stated, “This has saved my team a tremendous amount of time so we can focus on other site issues. Thank you BGB for your dedication and support to solve this problem”.

Info

BGB offers multi-brand slip ring servicing and repair to reduce O&M costs for wind turbine operators as well as reducing their waste stream from generator brushes and other materials. Clearway is one of the largest developers and operators of clean energy in the United States with over 4.7 gigawatts of wind, solar, and energy storage in operation, including assets owned through an affiliate company Clearway Energy Inc.