ONYX InSight has been selected by Dongkuk S&C to replace the main bearing on a wind turbine generator at their wind farm in the Jollanam Province, South Korea
South Korea, 1st October – ONYX InSight, a leading provider of predictive maintenance in the wind energy industry, was chosen by Dongkuk S&C to replace one of the three main bearings at its Shinan project in South Korea. Following a competitive tender, ONYX InSight was awarded the contract based on its previous experience of wind turbine main bearing replacements with one of the biggest wind energy companies in South Korea. The project involves a turbine model largely unique in South Korea, with only three others in operation in the country.
On this particular turbine an abnormal sound and vibration was initially detected by a Dongkuk service engineer. After the detection of this condition, ONYX was requested to conduct a full site inspection. As a result of the inspection, ONYX recommended Dongkuk stop operations on the faulty turbine immediately and replace the mainbearing to avoid a potentially catastrophic failure.
Kyunghyun Lee, Prediction team leader at ONYX InSight, said: “Regular technician inspections are important for tracking turbine health. However, because data is only collected intermittently, some health indicators can get overlooked, reducing the amount of warning maintenance teams might get of failure. A condition monitoring system (CMS) installed in the turbine and capable of collecting continuous data on drive train vibration would likely have identified the fault sooner.”
“In this instance, without more warning of the failure, ONYX InSight had to recommend the complete replacement of the main bearing for the wind turbine,” continued Mr Lee. “installed CMS allow owners and operators to manage the health of their turbine to extend the useful working life of parts.”
Through many years’ experience, ONYX InSight has developed a wealth of expertise across a multi-brand portfolio of turbine models in the field, and is therefore well positioned to complete this replacement project.
ONYX InSight has developed a new methodology, which allows the replacement of wind turbine parts quickly and efficiently and therefore presenting a saving of up to 50% on this replacement project.
“ONYX InSight’s engineering experience, reputation for high safety standards, and very competitive pricing made them a clear choice to deliver this project,” said Mr. Sungho Jung, Dongkuk.
Mr. Sungho Jung continued: “ONYX has committed to completing this project earlier than we expected, limiting our downtime and providing further cost savings as a result.”
With a target to increase the amount of renewable energy it produces from 6% to 20% of total energy production by 2030, South Korea will need to both build new renewable energy sources and maintain and improve the efficiency of older renewable energy generators in the country. ONYX InSight’s role in predictive maintenance and providing solutions to wind farm owners in South Korea will be crucial for the country in achieving its renewable energy targets, by allowing older wind turbines to remain operational and efficient.
With main bearings operating in harsh environments, wear and tear is an unavoidable fact and, if ignored, it can be catastrophic. Proper installation and condition monitoring of the main bearing is essential if a wind turbine is to be safely operated and reach its expected useful life.
Seiwoong Oh, Director of Asia Pacific, ONYX InSight said “This main bearing replacement will allow Dongkuk S&C is to improve the lifespan of its assets and future profitability of its wind farm. We are pleased to be working with the team at Dongkuk and to be supporting South Korea’s aim to increase renewable energy generation to 20%.”
About ONYX InSight
ONYX InSight is a joint venture, combining Romax Technology’s 30 years of expertise in software, services and data analytics for gearbox, bearings and rotating machinery with Castrol’s global reach and knowledge of wind turbine lubrication.
The venture will deliver reduced operations and maintenance costs through smart and unbiased predictive analytics underpinned by real-world engineering expertise for wind energy industry and beyond.
For more information about ONYX InSight, visit: www.onyxinsight.com
