How to drive operational excellence through cable management in a wind farm?
The maintenance of wire and cable in wind farms is directly linked to the overall maintenance of wind turbines, which should occur at least two or three times a year. If this is followed, wind turbines will last at least 20 years. Managing cables at the same time as turbines appear to be an excellent planning strategy. Read more for specific and general tips on wind farm cable management.
Tips to Manage Cables On a Wind Farm
- Follow specific routing requirements for all types of cables.
All kinds of cables used within wind farms have different routing requirements. This includes low-voltage power cables, medium-voltage power cables, high-voltage power cables, control, data, and instrumentation cables, and fiber optic cables.
- When possible, use cable harnesses to save space.
Space saved by harnesses can be critical for the structure of the wind farm.
- Choose climate-appropriate wire and cabling
Cables located at the top of the wind turbine are exposed to very challenging environmental conditions, including sun, heat, cold, and rain. Wind-farm cables for hot, dry climates are different from rainy or cold-winter climates. Choose your cables wisely. For example, you should not use cords with plastic PVC insulation in a climate exposed to cold temperatures.
- In offshore wind farms, consider the impact of water and salt
Use cables made of corrosion-resistance metals with corrosion-resistance insulation.
- If you have costs, look for the newest cabling solutions
Innovative solutions are more cost-efficient and will last longer.
- Choose high-quality cables only
- At Nassau National Cable, you can purchase a 15KV Medium Voltage Power Cable, 25KV/35KV Medium Voltage Power Cable, DLO cables, and PV wiring comes in handy if your farm combines wind turbines and solar panels for a modern wind farm. Do not use low-quality cables, or maintenance will be more difficult and costly.
Protective Materials For Cable Maintenance
Protective materials can protect wind farm cables and optimize cable maintenance. This is especially critical within the nacelle, where the wires are constantly moving. Here is the list of the common materials used:
- Use protective elastic sleeves to reduce maintenance
This is an easy and cheap protection tool that is quite universal
- Use cable ties in the nacelle to reduce maintenance costs and protect cables that are moving at a rapid pace
Cables within the nacelle are exposed to high mechanical stress, which leads to them needing extra protection to last longer.
- Use wrapping, such as spiral binds to increase abrasion resistance
- Use tubing for sheathing and increasing corrosion resistance
Abrasion and corrosion resistance are critical for lighting cables within the towers and the weather monitoring systems because they are often exposed to critical environmental conditions.
- For fiber optic cables, management is made more accessible by using sleeves and installing cables in a module.
Sleeves are enough protective tools for fiber-optic cables, and modules help to save space.
- Use cable shield clamps to ensure better electromagnetic interference.
Cable clamps are a cheap and efficient way to reduce resistance, making EMI more effective.
