Posted on Thu, Aug 26, 2010 @ 01:08 PM
Slip Rings in Off-Shore Wind Turbines
Standard wind turbines have proven to be a harsh and rugged environment for electrical slip rings. However designing slip rings for off-shore wind turbines is an even tougher challenge. Not only are we dealing with gearbox oil, dirt and vibrations, but now we are aslo exposed to salt water and salt air.
The salt environment can cause a few different problems for a slip ring if not properly designed. First of all, the outer housing and hardware must be suited for slat air. Even if a rusty enclosure and screws don’t change the performance of the slip ring, no turbine manufacture wants to install a rusty component on a multimillion dollar machine. United Equipment Accessories uses all stainless steel hardware if possible which also makes maintenance much easier. As for the housing, aluminum is generally used among all slip ring suppliers as it is durable and light weight, but it's not the most corrosion resistant material. Because of this, UEA has standardized to have aluminum components anodized if being used in a salt air environment.
No matter how well a slip ring enclosure is sealed it seems the salt air still finds it way inside. This can cause brass rings to corrode at a much more accelerated rate. The biggest challenge is to keep the rings from starting to corrode before they are put to use. A lot of the slip rings will sit for months before they are actually being used. If they are sitting in a salt environment, some type of protection is needed. UEA uses a type of electrical protection spray that coats the rings and stops them from corroding, but the biggest benefit that UEA offers over most competitors is the self cleaning brushes. We run a very high brush pressure compared to most manufactures, so if some corrosion on the ring does occur, the brushes will clean the rings as they begin to rotate.
These are just a couple of the issues that we take into consideration when designing slip rings for the off-shore environment. As the wind industry progresses I have a feeling we will be seeing a lot more of these applications.
-Jesse Shearer, Design Engineer
Posted on Fri, May 14, 2010 @ 03:45 PM
UEA just shipped the Windpower 2010 tradeshow gear down to Dallas! It's a big relief once the booth items are organized, crated, and shipped off to the show. We are very excited about the show this year as we will be introducing our newest product-the wireless slip ring! There will be a special display just for the slip ring so don't forget to stop by and see how the new technology works. It is truly amazing! Of course we will also have our current products for wind turbines on display as well as the helpfulness of our engineers and sales staff to answer any questions you may have.
See you all there at Booth #1926
Posted on Mon, Mar 01, 2010 @ 04:18 PM
The planning has begun for the Windpower 2010 trade show in Dallas Texas! It is that time of year again and this year United Equipment Accessories, Inc. is even more excited to join the world of wind power. Thanks to a great response last year, UEA has moved up to a larger booth, redesigned the space and expanded product offerings!!
UEA will be showcasing their current slip rings for wind turbines, as well as introducing the brand new contact-less slip rings! The introduction of the new contact-less, wireless slip rings will begin on the shows opening day. United Equipment is very excited to reveal the new technology because it cannot be found anywhere else in the world!
Stop by and see our new look as well as our displays and videos. Come see what all the hype is about- the new contactless slip rings! United Equipment Accessories, Inc. booth #1926
.jpg)