The Complete Guide to Hydraulic Pump Selection for Wind Farm Operations
On wind farms, hydraulic pumps are deployed in several roles, as they’re used to control blade pitch and engage emergency brake systems, if necessary. Therefore, it’s likely that you’ll need more than one hydraulic pump model to satisfy the needs of your wind farm operations.
This guide to hydraulic pump selection is designed to assist wind farm operations in selecting those pump models, and it starts with knowing what to target in a hydraulic pump.
What Wind Farm Operators Should Know Before Selecting a Hydraulic Pump
To choose the right hydraulic pump, you need to know what to look for in a hydraulic pump designed for your application. This is the standard process when hydraulics are involved – ensuring the hydraulic components are properly sized and calibrated for a particular application.
For wind farms, that means paying attention to the following considerations and specifications:
- The pump’s primary function – What will the hydraulic pump be used for? Will it control blade pitch, or will it engage brake systems? Blade pitch control pumps, for example, will operate continuously and under heavy loads, so heavier-duty pumps are called for. Brake system pumps operate better with accumulators and fast-action hydraulic valves.
- Pressure and flow requirements – Flow rates are the key specification for every hydraulic pump. Before searching for a pump, your operators should calculate expected continuous flow rates, or short-duration flow rates for quick action hydraulic pumps like braking systems. Once flow is calculated, you can add a comfortable safety margin on top of that and use it to determine required pressure rates.
- Duty cycling – Duty cycling refers to how long and how often the hydraulic pump will be operated within expected flow rates. If the pump will operate within expected output ranges for extended periods of time, you’ll need a heavier duty pump that’s built for durability.
- Fluid compatibility specifics – Are your hydraulic pump components, including its seals, materially compatible with your preferred hydraulic fluid? Verify this early in the selection process or determine whether the pump can be outfitted with compatible parts.
- Hydraulic controls and monitoring – On wind farms, hydraulic pumps must precisely operate within ideal pressure ranges to ensure safe operation. To maximize this aspect of reliability, hydraulic pumps should be fitted with modern hydraulic pump monitoring and control technologies. Smart hydraulic pump monitoring can detect when pressure, flow, temperature or vibration is outside of ideal ranges and compensate to reduce wear to the system. Monitoring technology also alerts operators when preventative maintenance may be necessary, making it a valuable reliability check for wind farms.
- The pump’s primary function – What will the hydraulic pump be used for? Will it control blade pitch, or will it engage brake systems? Blade pitch control pumps, for example, will operate continuously and under heavy loads, so heavier-duty pumps are called for. Brake system pumps operate better with accumulators and fast-action hydraulic valves.
In addition to the above technical specifications, there are numerous worksite conditions that must be considered when selecting the hydraulic pump model. Those considerations include:
- Ambient temperature conditions
- Any mounting limitations (space, positioning or limitations)
- Noise limits
- Weight limits
Once you have these specifications and limitations clearly defined, you can make proper comparisons between hydraulic pump models.
The Goal: Determine the Best Efficiency Point (BEP) for Your Application
As you comparison shop hydraulic pump options, a major objective is identifying the best efficiency point for each hydraulic pump and determining whether it aligns with your expected operational conditions.
A hydraulic pump’s BEP refers to the settings under which it operates with minimal energy losses – typically caused by turbulence and flow separation. The closer the pump operates to its BEP, the less wear it will sustain, which means maximum reliability.
Outside of the BEP is the preferred operating range, or POR. The POR specifies a range of flow rates that will also serve to minimize wear and maximize reliability. Ideally, your new hydraulic pump will remain inside its POR during operation, as long as it’s in use. This will reduce maintenance overhead and therefore improve your facility’s delivery rates.
Every hydraulic pump has its own performance curve – one that plots flow rate and head vs. pump efficiency. At the apex of this curve is the BEP. Once that’s defined, you can plot the ideal head size in feet and its POR values. When comparing potential hydraulic pump models, check their performance curves and compare them to the flow requirements for your application. In most cases, the cost-effective hydraulic pump is one whose BEP and POR most closely aligns with those operating requirements.
Consider the Hydraulic Fluid That Will Be Used with Your Hydraulic Pumps
There are several hydraulic fluid options that can be paired with hydraulic systems, but they must be matched to your pump and seal components. Hydraulic fluids are available in mineral-based and synthetic varieties, and you may require certain fluid grades to reduce flame risk. Whichever hydraulic fluid you choose, it must be compatible with your preferred pump model and the seals it’s designed for.
Another major consideration is hydraulic fluid cleanliness. When designing a hydraulic system, ensure there is enough space and budget headroom to integrate sufficient filtering. Some valves, servos and seals are extra sensitive to contamination. Filtration and monitoring must be designed to accommodate these cleanliness requirements.
A Trusted Hydraulic Equipment Supplier Can Expedite Your Hydraulic Pump Search
Wind farms require reliable hydraulic pumps to control turbine performance and to protect them from damage via emergency braking. In both applications, it’s critical that your operators understand what they need from the hydraulic pump in terms of flow, pressure, load cycling, fluid specifics and overall durability. This will help your supplier identify the right hydraulic pump for your application – the goal being to select a pump with a BEP/POR that closely aligns with your operating conditions. An experienced hydraulic equipment supplier will have the best insight into which hydraulic pump will work on your wind farm, and they can provide ongoing maintenance for your equipment assets. As such, it’s common for wind farm operators to partner with trusted hydraulic experts to maximize pump uptime and reliability.