Offshore Wind Turbine Maintenance: Hydraulic Equipment Challenges

Hydraulic equipment is essential for every aspect of wind turbine maintenance. It’s necessary for positioning, torquing, assembling/disassembling and testing hydraulic systems built into the turbine (like braking or pitch/yaw systems). However, offshore environments pose several challenges to maintenance crews and the hydraulic equipment they rely on. These challenges include:

• • Elevated corrosion risk – Marine environments are rich in salt and humidity, which is a bad combination for anything susceptible to corrosion. If not accounted for, corrosion will attack hydraulic fittings, couplings, valves and other components, resulting in early equipment failure.
    
    There’s no easy way to prevent corrosion, but its effects can be mitigated by taking the proper steps. Marine coatings are one example and can boost your equipment’s protection against corrosion, abrasion, and reduce the chances of cavitation. Other preventative steps include fitting your hydraulic systems with stainless steel components and shortening service intervals for more responsive equipment maintenance.
    
    
  • Elevated contamination risk – Contamination is the nemesis of every hydraulic system and is responsible for the majority of equipment failures. In marine and offshore environments, water is obviously the principal contamination risk and can cause a multitude of problems for your equipment. Degrading seals, sticky valves and fluid issues (viscosity, temperature, etc.) are common examples.
    
    Contamination is a persistent issue for hydraulic systems everywhere, but offshore environments are particularly difficult to deal with in this regard. The recommendations are tighter fluid handling processes, better filtration and more frequent fluid sampling.
    
    
  • Confined work areas – Wind turbine nacelles are tight, so work access is a frequent challenge for maintenance crews, and for offshore wind farms, it’s an even bigger challenge.
    
    In compact work environments like those found in wind turbines, maintenance crews need to alter their approach. For example, smaller hydraulic tools and power units may be necessary, though this often poses its own issues, as smaller hydraulic tools typically require higher pressure and additional handling controls to utilize. Operator teams can also overcome compact work areas by sequencing their maintenance tasks with space efficiency in mind.
    
    
  • Weather risks and vessel access – Weather is a pressing concern whenever offshore infrastructure is a concern. For offshore wind turbine maintenance crews, weather is a factor until the job is done, as you’ll need calm conditions to set up hydraulic lifting rigs and positioning systems. The only way to overcome this issue is to ensure your maintenance crews are well-equipped with high-efficiency, high-mobility tools and to prioritize scheduling during stretches of calm weather.
    
    
  • Environmental considerations – Hydraulic equipment may pose environmental risks if it springs a leak and spills into the water. Regulatory and liability headaches are sure to follow if it happens to your company. The recommendation here is to minimize leak risks and establish spill response plans in case a leak does occur. This starts with better hydraulic equipment maintenance including tightening hardware, inspecting hoses/connectors, and checking hydraulic fluid levels and quality, for example. Regular basic maintenance can go a long way in preventing fluid leaks and can be handled by most equipment operators.