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The quest for compact dust collectors in the industrial manufacturing arena has led to the increased use of filter cartridges. Among these dust collectors is one developed by a manufacturer using PowerCore® filter cartridges. When filtering dust that doesn’t easily release from the filter media, cartridges often plug and restrict airflow. Soon, several customers and operators of these smaller dust collectors found themselves dealing with filter issues and contacted Parker for a solution.
The innovative TotalPleat™ aftermarket replacement filter was developed to fit Donaldson PowerCore® CP filter part numbers P032358-016-340 and P280356-016-340. The proprietary MERV 15 filter provides numerous improvements and advantages over the OEM filter.
Download your copy of the TotalPleat™ Smart Brief Success Story.
The design
Our engineering team used advanced engineering tools, computational fluid dynamic modeling, and 3D printing to design a filter cartridge that can handle more demanding conditions. Innovations like our louvered grid on top of the filter not only more evenly distribute the cleaning air but also serves as a handle for cartridge removal and ASHRAE 199 testing validated the new design.
The installation | case study
After extensive analysis, laboratory, and beta-site testing, some of the first BHA® TotalPleat™ cartridges were installed in September of 2019 in a collector in the southeast United States. The collector, on top of a cement loadout silo, is in plain view of the adjacent interstate and visible dust emissions would attract immediate attention.
With the new TotalPleat™ cartridges, a remote monitoring device was installed to track the collector’s performance. As of December 2020, there had never been any visible emissions from the TotalPleat™ filters and differential pressure has been excellent (see chart on page 2 for the dp trend).
Application detailsThe cement dust filtered by the TotalPleat™ cartridges has more moisture than normal, can be sticky, and harden on the filter media when the moisture condenses. The intermediate use of this collector favors condensation and moist dust. To avoid excessive dust buildup, the cartridges are cleaned continuously during collector operation. Off-time, the time between pulses is 23 seconds and results in one complete cleaning cycle every three minutes. The continuous cleaning requires a tough filter media to withstand the high number of impacts generated by the pulse valves. By December 2020, the cartridges had received over 45,000 pulses, there are no emissions and the differential pressure is still quite low, overall: very good.
Results
A year-plus after installation and without any maintenance, the TotalPleat™ filters are still running strong while the original OEM cartridges had emission and pressure drop problems within the first three months of operation. In several instances, TotalPleat™ life has quadrupled compared to the OEM cartridge, as reported by customers.
What is noteworthy is that during the first days of operation, the TotalPleat™ filters were slightly damaged because the header pressure for the pulse valves was accidentally set to 100 PSIG instead of 60 PSIG. This has not caused any operational issues or emissions and speaks well for the robust new design.
Why do the TotalPleat™ filters perform better?
Pleated filters and cartridges pack a lot of filtration surface into a small space. This results in narrow gas passages that get clogged by sticky dust. Optimizing pleat geometry to balance filtration area, gas velocities, and dust release was key to the advanced performance of the TotalPleat™ cartridge. The louvered grid improved cleaning efficiency by properly distributing the cleaning energy to the entire pleat pack. That is why BHA® TotalPleat™ has longer filter life and the ability to better discharge the accumulated dust. The TotalPleat™ filter cartridges are a direct replacement for the Donaldson PowerCore CP filter part numbers P032358-016-340 (MERV 13) and P280356-016-340 (MERV 15). TotalPleat™ cartridges are completely incinerable.
Download your copy of the TotalPleat™ Smart Brief Success Story.
This blog was contributed the Filtration team, Parker Industrial Gas Filtration and Generation Division.
Powercore® is a registered trademark of Donaldson Company, Inc.
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Exotic Metals Forming Division began in 1963 with the creation of titanium sheet metal flanges. Today, the organization continues to be a leader in the forming of specialty metals in the aerospace industry as an expert using titanium and nickel alloys. These high-strength metals are corrosion resistant at high temperatures, making them ideal for aerospace applications. Also, these materials’ characteristics make them difficult to form, requiring specialized infrastructure and innovative proprietary processes. Exotic continues to refine and develop ways to form these alloys using specialized manufacturing processes.
Exotic employs a cradle-to-grave engineering philosophy. Engineers take a project from concept to full-rate production and support throughout the product lifecycle. A project begins with the engineering team providing technical leadership in quoting, manufacturing design, process development, and tooling design. Engineers use the latest CAD and simulation software, including Siemens NX and ANSYS. They develop tooling processes and work with our in-house tool and die shop.
Customer focus and quality are key components of the cradle-to-grave engineering philosophy. Engineer teams work collaboratively in all stages of process development. With forward-thinking, a collaborative mindset, and advanced technology, the engineering teams create manufacturing processes and product design solutions that best match our customers' needs.
The following are examples of the manufacturing technology, equipment, tools, and the process followed to form, trim, and assemble parts today and how Exotic works to advance their technology for the future.
Exotic first used an axial load bulge in the forming process. Bulge forming seals raw material inside of a die cavity and is pressurized until the raw material takes the shape of the die cavity.
Hydroforming uses a pressurized bladder that pushes a flat piece of raw material into a contoured die cavity. The contoured punch is also used to force a flat piece of raw material into the pressurized bladder, forming it to the punch contour.
Exotic uses many other processes to turn raw material into a complete part. Raw material arrives as sheet stock, which may be rolled and welded into tubing using an automated longitudinal seam welder or cut into a dimension blank using a flat pattern laser or waterjet. To form successfully, Exotic has developed welding techniques to optimize the formability of welds.
Several unique forming processes are used at Exotic. One of those processes is superplastic forming. A piece of raw material and die are heated until the raw material is in a superplastic state. One side of the die is then pressurized using gas to force the raw material into the contour on the other half of the die.
Manufacturing technology: material trimming
The teams at Exotic have developed industry-leading capability and knowledge in the area of laser trimming. Primary trimming tools at Exotic are a suite of six-axis laser cutters. The lasers are capable of a high average power output, which allows for quick continuous cuts. These tools are used in trimming formed subassemblies and final processing of assemblies.
Manufacturing technology: assembly
A variety of welding processes are used at Exotic to join details to form complete assemblies. The following types of welding processes are used to create complex assemblies; tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding performed manually and automated, seam, laser, and plasma welding.
Manual riveting is used at Exotic alongside robotic-riveter machines to automatically drill, countersink fastener holes, load, and squeeze rivets for assembly with fasteners.
Development of technology at Exotic
The advanced technology and automation team at Exotic is dedicated to developing new technologies to improve manufacturing processes continuously. Examples include retrofitting manual-operated forming equipment with electronic controls; improving the accuracy of forming operations; installing a robotic parts mover to deliver material around facilities without human involvement; and incorporating additive manufacturing into the growing list of capabilities.
The Exotic engineering and manufacturing teams remain committed to pushing the boundaries of what's possible by developing new processes and technologies to maintain our position as the industry leader in sheet metal assembly fabrication. Exotic celebrates our past, enjoys the present, and looks forward to the future.
Article contributed by members of the Engineering Team at Exotic Metals Forming Division.
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Have you been frustrated with going through multiple design iterations when rubber components are failing due to high stresses or your device has been leaking due to insufficient compression? Have you lost months and months of precious time having to recut tools and make design changes?
FEA takes out the guesswork
Finite element analysis (FEA) is an effective tool used in design iterations. It allows for different design ideas, options, and alterations to be quickly, effectively, and precisely compared.
Using FEA can improve both the speed and quality of product design as well as reduce the overall cost. Rubber parts, such as silicone diaphragms, septums, seals, valves, tubing, and balloons are critical components in today’s medical devices that can benefit from the use of FEA. It can be an excellent design tool to improve the functional performance of these devices. FEA for rubber products is actually far more complex than for metal or plastic products. It requires sophisticated nonlinear FEA software - such as MSC Marc - as well as a good understanding of the material behavior, material modeling, and testing requirements.
Rubber is highly stretchable, flexible, and durable. This blend of elastic properties differentiates rubber from other materials and makes it one of the best choices for many components in medical devices. However, it’s important to note that rubber materials are not 100 percent elastic because they can develop compression sets and force decay, causing eventual performance degradation and shorter useful life.
Nonlinear FEA for rubber products
Normally, there are three types of nonlinearities encountered: kinematic nonlinearity, material nonlinearity, and boundary nonlinearity. Additionally, rubber products are often subject to large deformations. Whenever material experiences large deformations at least two kinds of nonlinearity - kinematic and material - are involved.
Commonly used nonlinear material models in FEA are elastoplastic models for metals and plastics and hyperelastic models for rubber. in addition, the boundary nonlinearity is usually associated with large deformations.
What are the best test modes to use? One basic engineering rule should apply: always design and perform tests that most closely simulate the actual application conditions that the finished component or device will experience.
Rubbers are almost incompressible
In general, rubber materials are considered nearly incompressible, simply because their volume change is negligible for most applications as a result of that their bulk modulus (105 psi) being several orders larger than their shear modulus (102 psi). The rubber material is actually much more compressible than metal in a confined state (the bulk modulus of typical steel is 107 psi). This understanding is very important to the design considerations of elastomeric products, especially when thermal expansion, limited groove space, or compression of high aspect ratio parts are involved.
Simulation accuracy and relativity
Many factors affect the accuracy and reliability of FEA results, such as material modeling, geometry simplification, and numerical methods. FEA is mostly used in design iterations for which relative comparison is sufficient in the majority of instances. When analysis results are interpreted in a relative sense, different design ideas, options, or modifications can be compared effectively and accurately, and most importantly, rapidly. Furthermore, some tested cases may already exist and can be used as references.
FEA improves product design
FEA is a powerful tool for the development of rubber components for medical devices. The proper use of FEA can minimize physical prototyping and provide for concurrent engineering. It greatly improves both the speed and the quality of product design, as well as provides cost savings.
Parker has more than 20 years of testing experience with FEA. For more information on Parker‘s use of FEA watch our detailed video - Accelerating Your Launch: Reducing Design Iterations with FEA.
Check out all of our Sealing solutions for Life Science applications including featured applications for Diabetes Care, Surgical, Respiratory, Drug Delivery Systems, and more!
This post was contributed by Albena Ammann, life science development engineer, Engineered Materials Group, Parker Hannifin.
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What do you do when your production and maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) teams are faced with unscheduled demand for new equipment and overhaul/repair services from a customer supporting the United States military? Especially when you are required to cut lead times in half?
The answer: collaborate with your customer, thoroughly analyze data, sharpen lean processes, and get creative with supply chain strategy to hit the target. Then, in this case, the customer recognizes the success of your efforts.
GA-ASI MQ-9, Avenger, and Gray Eagle increasing landing cycles
The Aircraft Wheel & Brake Division (AWBD) of Parker Aerospace is the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of wheels and brakes for the MQ-9, Avenger, and Gray Eagle remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) built by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI). Parker has enjoyed a long relationship with GA-ASI, providing not only OEM equipment but also overhaul and maintenance services for the fielded product.
As the GA-ASI aircraft have been called to fly more missions for the United States Air Force and Army, the number of aircraft landing and braking cycles and demand for new aircraft has grown. This growth led to a surge in order requirements which required AWBD to respond quickly and decisively to deliver in an aggressive time frame.
Leaning forward to reduce production lead times
As deployment of remotely-piloted aircraft grew, the need for new production wheels and brakes increased. Customer GA-ASI asked Parker to initially double, and ultimately triple, the number of deliveries per month to meet this requirement.
Lead times for new complex production orders, including the manufacture of forged and machined components plus assembly and testing, can take many months. Though not an uncommon reality for highly engineered products, the customer can encounter unscheduled demand due the aircraft’s success in the field. It was calculated that the greater need could only be met by cutting lead times by at least 50 percent.
With this increase in demand and the timeframe required, it became apparent that a key impediment to success was the procurement of long-lead components, especially forged parts. Traditionally, the AWBD team would order forged parts when an order requiring them was in-house; this usually added weeks to the lead time. In the case with GA-ASI, AWBD’s supply chain team was able to adjust their forecast model and commit to carrying inventory for a number of long-lead parts, saving critical time.
Using Lean principles to improve in-service support
The Parker team has continued to refine every aspect of its support to consistently meet customer expectations. With increased sorties comes increased demand for support, which is where Parker’s culture of continuous improvement can ensure operational capability and capacity. To keep up with increased demand, AWBD developed a prioritized overhaul schedule that was cost effective and ensured that necessary repairs were done on time. Additional AWBD kaizen events have yielded improved product flow through the repair station and cut turnaround times by nearly 70 percent.
Collaboration key to improving lead time
In both new production and field support, gaining a clear understanding of the hurdles to meet customer objectives was paramount to implementing change. And that took a concerted effort between the Parker and GA-ASI teams. Starting with forecasting data from the customer, the teams expanded their insight into which wheel and brake components needed to be ordered in advance and which would require repair or replacement.
“When we were faced with the need to shrink lead times and improve turnaround time for GA-ASI repairs, we naturally opened dialogue with the customer. We saw an opportunity for the Parker and customer teams to examine a broad range of data and meaningfully engage, aligning our systems while optimizing what we do and how we do it.”
– Mark Harbison, key account manager, Parker Aerospace
In recognition of their commitment and work required to support increasing demand over multiple years, GA-ASI recognized Parker AWBD for its outstanding support. The Parker Aircraft Wheel & Brake team was presented with a banner from GA-ASI that thanked them for the outstanding support. The banner proudly hangs in the AWBD facility as a reminder of a job well done and the value in providing premier customer service.
This post was contributed by Justin Hodges, business development manager, Parker Aerospace, Aircraft Wheel & Brake Division.
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The West Virginia Department of Highways has the responsibility to maintain and repair thousands of miles of public roads and state highways to support the environment and communities that call West Virginia their home. The Department of Highways in West Virginia needed a durable tilt attachment that could withstand the use and abuse of digging in rocky soil. They also wanted a tool that would reduce their reliance on manual labor to perform a variety of tasks such as cleaning ditches, laying and repairing pipe, and removing asphalt. When they added a PowerTilt to their backhoes, they found a tilt attachment that outlasted their previous backhoe without needing any repairs, and it improved their productivity between 30 to 75 percent depending on the task performed.
Before PowerTilt, installing pipe in landscaped areas in West Virginia required a lot of time-intensive manual labor and finish work to clean up the job site. Since the machine couldn't always be leveled to obtain the level bottom in the ditch that these installations required. West Virginia Department of Highways used a PowerTilt to dig the trench to the appropriate depth and width for pipe installation. With PowerTilt, the installation crew could tilt the bucket to level and make the bed for the open top drain or the drop inlet level.
“With PowerTilt you can save so much time and effort by simply positioning your bucket instead of repositioning the entire machine."
Wyatt Reed, backhoe operator for West Virginia Department of Highways
Since backfill wasn’t allowed into either the open top drains or the drop inlets, the installation crew previously dumped backfill on the side of the ditch and shoveled it in by hand. Now with PowerTilt, the installation crew simply positions the bucket 45 degrees and drops the fill rock out of the corner of the bucket. Also before PowerTilt, backfilling was a backbreaking manual task accomplished with shovels and a lot of hard work. Now installing the pipe and backfilling the trench is a breeze. They can tilt the bucket to 90 degrees and use the edge of the bucket just like a rake. Then the installation crew can pull the entire excess dirt off the grass or concrete.
Time saved for installation and clean up
PowerTilt not only saved West Virginia Department of Highways tons of time in the pipe installation, it also saved them tremendous time on the project clean up as well, which reduces labor costs and increases productivity. “The PowerTilt cut our project time for installing pipes by 75 percent. Previously, the cleanup in landscaped areas required around six or seven men, and with the PowerTilt we can now do a much better-looking job, in a lot less time, with around three men (including the operator),” stated Reed.
An average of 35 percent of time saved when repairing pipeWest Virginia Department of Highways spends a fair amount of time using PowerTilt for pipe repair projects. The repair process starts by digging around both sides of the pipe. Then machine operator tilts the bucket and uses a tooth to loosen the soil around the sides of pipe. If the pipe just needs to be straightened out, then the operator can tilt the bucket and use a tooth to hook the lip at the end of the pipe and then lift to straighten the pipe. When the pipe needs the end cut off, the operator uses the PowerTilt to tilt the bucket 90 degrees and actually dig under the pipe so they can get all the way around it with a cut off saw. Before the PowerTilt, the construction crew had to dig under the pipe by hand, which significantly increases the timeline along with the expense.
“When we need to repair a pipe there's no better tool than PowerTilt. A job that may have taken hours before now takes less than 35 percent of the time with the PowerTilt,”
Wyatt Reed, backhoe operator for West Virginia Department of Highways.
Cutting asphalt with PowerTilt saved 30 percent in timeAnother unexpected benefit of PowerTilt was the ability to use it to break up old asphalt for road prep work and repaving projects. PowerTilt allowed them to remove the asphalt without bringing in a dedicated machine or breaking the asphalt with jackhammers or other intensive manual labor methods. The Department of Highways in West Virginia used the PowerTilt to angle the bucket and then used a tooth to score, or gouge, the asphalt. This process weakens the asphalt allowing the PowerTilt to then break the asphalt and pick it up. The West Virginia Department of Highways reduced labor time by 30 percent by utilizing one machine instead of many for the removal of old asphalt.
Increased productivity by 50 percent when cleaning ditches
With PowerTilt, West Virginia Department of Highways was able to easily dig the V shaped ditches by utilizing the 130 degrees of side-to-side swing rotation offered by PowerTilt. Without the PowerTilt, ditches ended up with a ‘'U" profile. PowerTilt also allows the ditching work to be accomplished from the road, diminishing the impact on roadside vegetation. The Department of Highways in West Virginia found the smooth rotation of the PowerTilt to be really helpful for small angle adjustments, which comes in handy when carving a gentle slope from the roadside to the ditch for optimum runoff and erosion control. As a result, PowerTilt increased the West Virginia Department of Highway's ditching productivity by 50 percent.
Durability to a new levelWest Virginia’s soil is full of rocks and boulders so digging and hard pounding in this type of environment takes a toll on the backhoe and the backhoe operator. “PowerTilt was used and abused yet it stood up to the abuse better than the backhoe or the operators. We’ve used our PowerTilt over six years and with the exception of daily greasing by the operators, we haven't had to send it in to our service department for any repairs,” said Reed. "If PowerTilt ever wears out, I will do everything in my power to make sure the department buys me another one.”
Inside Parker’s Helac rotary actuator technology
PowerTilt uses Parker’s innovative Helac sliding-spline operating technology to convert linear piston motion into powerful shaft rotation. Each Helac actuator is composed of a housing and two moving parts - the central shaft and piston. As hydraulic pressure is applied, the piston is displaced axially, while the helical gearing on the piston outer diameter and housing's ring gear cause the simultaneous rotation of the piston. PowerTilt's end caps, seals and bearings all work in tandem to keep debris and other contaminants out of the inner workings of the actuator, prolonging product life and reducing required maintenance. PowerTilt is available for equipment up to 75,000 pounds in eight sizes with standard rotation of up to 180 degrees. Each model is designed for a specific class of machinery and individually customized to fit the carrier.
Learn more about the benefits of Parker’s Helac PowerTilt by visiting solutions.parker.com/powertilt
This article was contributed by Jessica Howisey, marketing communications manager and Daniel Morgado, applications engineer, Helac Business Unit, Cylinder Division.
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As regulatory pressure continues to curb greenhouse emissions, there has been a lot of attention on solar and wind energy. However, a less-publicized renewable energy source could play a major role in preparing for a world that is less dependent on fossil fuel — tidal energy.
The potential energy that could be harvested from tidal movements on a global scale is enormous, with some experts citing about 1 terawatt of power is stored in the world’s oceans. This would be enough to power 10 billion 100-watt lightbulbs at once.
Industry experts describe tidal energy as one of the greatest untapped renewable energy sources on the planet. In the U.S., where there are thousands of miles of coastline, the Department of Energy estimates that developing just 5% of tidal energy’s identified technical resource potential would generate electricity in the amount of 12.5 terawatt-hours per year, which is enough to power slightly more than 1.1 million typical American homes.
Read part 2 of our white paper- 2021 Power Generation and Renewable Energy Trends, to explore renewable energy technology trends, both established and newer technologies including hydropower, wind, solar, and biogas.
Tidal energy pros and cons
Tidal energy is attractive for many reasons. It is environmentally friendly and represents a highly predictable energy source, especially when compared with wind energy or solar power. It also offers high energy density and provides an inexhaustible source of energy with comparatively low operational and maintenance costs.
There are several disadvantages, however, that need to be addressed before tidal energy can reach its full potential. The largest barrier to tidal energy is the high cost associated with building tidal power stations. Another major concern is the potentially negative environmental effects on marine life. Spinning blades can injure living organisms, as can water fouling resulting from various system components.
Other disadvantages of tidal energy include the variable intensity of sea waves. Plus, there are location limits. Tidal energy plants must be located where tides are the strongest, yet not too close to cities where aesthetic concerns prevail.
Recent technological developments have reduced economic and environmental costs to competitive levels, opening the door to a bright future for tidal energy.
Leading technologies for capturing renewable ocean energy
There are two primary methods of generating electricity from tides:
Tidal range devices utilize the difference in water levels between high and low tides.
Tidal stream devices utilize the energy of flowing water in tidal currents to generate electricity directly.
A tidal barrage is one of the better-known tidal range devices. Tidal barrage technology utilizes dam-like structures that are often built across the entrance to a bay or estuary. Their tunnels contain turbines that generate energy created by the changing heights in tides.
Although tidal barrages have a long history, their future is less certain. High installation costs and concerns about the effects on local marine life have turned the interest from barrages to stream devices. These include a variety of turbine designs, as well as more innovative concepts, such as oscillating hydrofoils and tidal kites.
Many different technologies are currently in development in the tidal stream sector. Challenges remain, however, before they may prove commercially viable.
Durability is a primary concern, as any tidal stream device needs to withstand greater loading forces because of the high density of water. There are also concerns regarding the impact of tidal turbines on water quality since they disrupt upstream and downstream current velocities. In addition, local sea life is adversely affected by noise pollution, the generation of electromagnetic fields, and possible injury from rotor blades and other moving parts.
Designing tidal turbines to withstand harsh marine environments
Tidal turbines are similar to wind turbines in that they have blades that turn a rotor to power a generator. They can be placed on the seafloor where there is strong tidal flow. Because water is about 800 times denser than air, tidal turbines must be much sturdier and heavier than wind turbines, which makes them more expensive to build. However, they can capture more energy and release greater amounts of power with the same size blades.
Given the increased water density, the harsh corrosive environment of the sea, and concerns about oil leaking from components and harming marine life, tidal energy systems require components that are highly durable, reliable, and proven safe.
Parker has led the market with several innovative products that have proven, over time, to withstand the harsh marine environment and provide safe, reliable operation.
Some of these products include:
A proprietary Global Shield™ Coating Technology for steel cylinder rods that offers significantly increased corrosion protection for longer component field life at a lower cost than stainless steel.
Parker F37 / Complete Piping Solutions (CPS) that eliminate welded pipe connections, increasing safety and decreasing installation time.
The Parker Tracking System (PTS), which reduces asset downtime as well as the efforts of the maintenance staff when replacing products such as ruptured hoses.
Creating technologies that harness the potential of tidal energy
As tidal power engineers work to refine existing technologies, there has been a focus on improving turbines and how they are powered. Consider some of the more noteworthy innovations that have taken place in just the past few years:
Modified bulb turbines with an additional set of guide vanes are allowing better management and control of the flow through the turbine. Bulb turbines are attractive because they can deliver very high-power output.
A breakthrough announced in mid-2020 was a turbine that does not require a gearbox. With fewer moving parts in the turbine, there is greater reliability and longer intervals between maintenance checks.
Concentrators or shields are being placed around turbine blades to optimize tidal current flow toward the rotors. A remaining challenge is that high-tech equipment is required to deploy these devices in rough seas and anchor them to the seabed.
Direct-drive, hydraulic, and inertia systems continue to evolve. For example, considerable research is being done on dielectric elastomer generators, which utilize soft capacitors that do a better job of withstanding harsh ocean environments than traditional electromagnetic generators.
Artificially intelligent turbines promise to provide greater efficiency and the ability to adjust to changing conditions in real-time. A newer AI system has been designed to utilize data derived from wind energy. Data is captured at the surface and transmitted to the turbine system to maximize turbine performance and efficiency. Such a design is projected to reduce lifetime costs for this tidal energy system by nearly 20%.
A new 73-meter-long floating superstructure has been developed that supports two 1-MW turbines on each side to generate twice as much energy.
An innovative tidal kite known as Deep Green is creating several hundred times more electricity than a stationary turbine on the seafloor. The tidal kite can produce electricity from slower currents which makes it more versatile.
A wave energy team at Oregon State University is researching novel direct-drive generators which don’t require the use of hydraulic fluid or air. Instead, they leverage the velocity and force of a buoy to power the generator. The generators respond directly to ocean movement by employing magnetic fields for contactless mechanical energy transmission and power electronics for efficient electrical energy extraction.
Although much of the research on tidal turbines over the past decade has focused on design options that will produce greater energy efficiency, today there is greater awareness regarding the need to achieve a more reliable operation to ensure the consistent production of tidal energy. Types of damage that most often affect the drivetrain of a tidal turbine include:
misalignment
imbalance
looseness
broken gear teeth
bearing defects
lubrication variability resulting in dry contact of the rotating surfaces
excessive wear
This has opened the door to a new generation of condition-based monitoring and diagnostics equipment. Parker offers in-depth expertise in this area with products such as:
icountPD Online Particle Detector that features the most up-to-date technology in solid particle detection for independent, real-time monitoring of system contamination trends.
Parker On-Site Heated Viscometer, an on-site oil analysis that detects out-of-spec fuels or lubricants before equipment damage occurs.
Parker Acoustic Bearing Checker monitors high-frequency Acoustic Emissions (AE) signals naturally generated by deterioration in rotating machinery.
To learn more about tidal and other energy trends impacting our world, read our Power Generation and Renewable Energy Trends White Paper – Part 2.
Article contributed by the Filtration and Energy Teams.
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