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Retrofit Control Solution Breathes New Life into Aging Wind Turbines

ControlGlobal.com
02/05/2013

kk-electronic and B&R are working together to develop retrofit solutions for wind turbines. By equipping existing turbines with B&R X20 control electronics and software packages from kk-electronic, this cost-effective alternative to repowering extends the productive life of the turbines, reduces downtime and makes them more profitable for longer.

When a wind turbine fails post-warranty, research has shown that 42% of problems can be traced to component failure, while another 21% can be attributed to the failure of control systems that were unable to endure a harsh environment for such extended periods of time. This downtime is further compounded by the increasing difficulty of obtaining replacement components for outdated systems. With aging turbines producing below capacity and becoming unjustifiably costly to maintain, it quickly becomes clear that something must be done.

kk-electronic and B&R concluded that a solution to this problem would be retrofiting the control electronics of the trubines while leaving the mechanical design intact. This means that the wind trubines will have minimal downtime for implementation and they will see immediate ROI.

Combining kk-electronic's controller design and architecture, safety strategy and system integration, with B&R's PLC equipment, results in a cost-effective solution that can easily be adapted to any wind turbine design.

Learn more about the retrofit project.