1. Tribology at Vattenfall R&D
Past, Present and Future Challenges
, Gregory Simmons, Jan Ukonsaari

2. Inlet gate:
Hydraulic system
Gearbox, wire
Boundary lubricated bushings
Sliding seals
Transformer:
Oil for cooling and isolation
Short circuit breaker
Dam
Waste gate (missing):
Hydraulic system
Gearbox, wire
Boundary lubricated bushings
Sliding seals
Turbine and Generator:
2-3 st guide bearings
1 thrust bearing
Hydrodynamic lubrication
Oil Seal, static and dynamic
Air seal, dynamic
Sliding generator feet
Shaft joints
Wicket gate system:
Hydraulic system, links, joints
Boundary lubricated bushings
Runner wheel system:
Hydraulic system (Kaplan)
Oil, water, air environment
Seals, oil, water, air
Inlet tube
Machine Station
Draft tube
Draft tube gate

3. Water hydraulics Water based hydraulic fluid 8 years of testing
Initial testing and material selection
Discovery:
Water evaporates
Ongoing investigation

4. Vertical shafts and bearings
Rotordynamics
Bearing characteristics

5. Oil filtration How to specify off-line filtration
Build internal competence
Don’t trust ’salesmen’

6. Kaplan blade bearings
Oil free kaplan hubs
Water lubricated bearings

7. Vattenfall and wind 1000 + wind turbines in operation
6+ TWh annual power production
~3000 MW installed capacity
~1500 MW offshore
650+ MW / year growth
Industry is still immature

8. Gearbox problems Bearing failures Various mechanisms Failure by design
Forms of fatigue

9. Gearbox problems Bearing failures Various mechanisms Failure by design
Forms of fatigue
Repair in place not possible

10. Gearbox problems Lubricate for life (easy?)
How long do lubricants function?
What is the limiting factor?
First limit – wear particles
Second limit – copper corrosion
Third limit – ????

11. Offshore wind Built at shipyard Direct load to ship
Several machines per trip
’Unlimited’ transportability
Packaged for fastest installation
Installed 70 km offshore

12. Monopiles

13. Blade bearings

14. Standardisation Active in standardisation committees
In 100 years people will say ’wow, those are beautiful machines’

15. Standardisation Introducing ’sliding technology’
Active in standardisation committees
Introducing ’sliding technology’
In 100 years people will say ’wow, those are beautiful machines’

16. Standardisation Introducing ’sliding technology’
Active in standardisation committees
Introducing ’sliding technology’
In 100 years people will say ’wow, those are beautiful machines’

17. Future opportunities Rolling contacts  hydrodynamic sliding contacts
Gear contacts  direct drive or ‘happy combination’
Fragile ‘High tech’  Robust ‘Low tech’
Complicated systems  Simplified systems
Design for maintenance
When is a machine series manufactured or an individual?
When are statistical models no longer applicable?