Exercise 1-1 Nacelle Familiarization and Safety EXERCISE OBJECTIVE When you have completed this exercise, you will be familiar with key components and safety aspects of the nacelle trainer. You will be able to secure and start the system under supervision by following a lockout/tagout procedure. DISCUSSION OUTLINE The Discussion of this exercise covers the following points: DISCUSSION Presentation of the nacelle trainer Lockout/Tagout procedure Presentation of the nacelle trainer The Wind Turbine Nacelle Training System shown in Figure 1-9 provides the materials necessary to learn how wind turbines capture wind energy and convert it into electrical power. Figure 1-9. Wind turbine nacelle trainer, Model 46122. Most parts in the nacelle trainer can also be found in actual wind turbines. Some components were added to simulate the action of the wind in the context of a classroom. Festo Didactic 52070-00 13
Ex. 1-1 Nacelle Familiarization and Safety Discussion The following list of components and their definitions will help you develop a better understanding of each item s function and purpose. Rotor blades. On the nacelle trainer, these blades spin as if turning in the wind, but rather than using wind, these blades are turned by the wind-simulating motor. As shown in Figure 1-10, the rotor blades are enclosed behind clear safety panels. Rotor blade Figure 1-10. Rotor blades. Rotor shaft. Axle on which the rotor blades transmit their spin to the gearbox. Pillow blocks. Support the rotor shaft and allow it to turn as freely as possible using bearings. Pillow block Rotor shaft Figure 1-11. Rotor shaft and pillow blocks. Gearbox. Converts low-speed shaft rotation to high-speed rotation sufficient for the generator to generate electricity. Disk brake. Mechanism used to physically stop rotational movement of the turbine and hold it steady. 14 Festo Didactic 52070-00
Ex. 1-1 Nacelle Familiarization and Safety Discussion Gearbox Disk brake Figure 1-12. Gearbox and disk brake. Generator. Converts rotation of the rotor (mechanical energy) into electricity. Figure 1-13. Generator. Hydraulic unit. Supplies hydraulic power to the disk brakes of the rotor and the yaw system. Figure 1-14. Hydraulic unit. Hydraulic pressure gauges. Monitor pressure of the hydraulic unit at different test points. Festo Didactic 52070-00 15
Ex. 1-1 Nacelle Familiarization and Safety Discussion Figure 1-15. Hydraulic pressure gauges. Drive motor. Electric gear motor that turns the rotor shaft via a chain to the hub and simulates wind-derived rotation for training purposes. Figure 1-16. Drive motor. Yaw motor. Electric gear motor that controls the swiveling or horizontal rotation of the turbine to ensure facing into the wind. On the wind turbine nacelle trainer, the yaw motor shown in Figure 1-17 rotates the large slewing bearing, simulating rotation of a wind turbine nacelle. The actual position of the nacelle (in degrees) is indicated by the arrow at the bottom. Yaw gear. Rotates to simulate rotation of a wind turbine nacelle into and out of the wind. 16 Festo Didactic 52070-00
Ex. 1-1 Nacelle Familiarization and Safety Discussion Slewing bearing Yaw motor Figure 1-17. Yaw motor and gear. HMI. A touch-screen user interface to operate and monitor the wind turbine nacelle trainer. Figure 1-18. HMI. Main power switch. Switches the power to the nacelle trainer on and off. Safety reset button. Closes a series of contactors that provide power to the different drives of the system when the main power switch is turned on. Emergency stops. Cut off all electrical energy when pressed. If the drives are running, they coast to a stop. Festo Didactic 52070-00 17
Ex. 1-1 Nacelle Familiarization and Safety Discussion Safety reset button Main power switch Emergency stop Emergency stop Figure 1-19. Main control switches. Protective guards (safety panels). Clear panels that allow students to safely watch the wind turbine nacelle trainer operate and allow access to the nacelle trainer machinery. They are fitted with a safety position switch that de-energize the trainer when a panel is open. Obstruction lighting. Red blinking lights which warn pilots of flight obstructions. Anemometer. Device for sensing wind speed. Its operation is simulated on the wind turbine nacelle trainer. Wind vane. Device indicating the wind direction relative to the nacelle. Its operation is simulated on the wind turbine nacelle trainer. Wind vane Anemometer Obstruction lighting Figure 1-20. Obstruction lighting and wind measuring devices. Electrical panel. Contains the electrical supply, distribution, and control functionality for the nacelle trainer behind a lockable door (Figure 1-21). 18 Festo Didactic 52070-00
Ex. 1-1 Nacelle Familiarization and Safety Discussion Figure 1-21. Electrical panel. Lockout/Tagout procedure Many pieces of machinery are potentially hazardous due to their intended purposes, the way they are built, or their location. Wind turbines are good examples; rotating parts, high voltages, and heights are only a few of the hazards to consider when servicing this type of equipment. Lockout/tagout procedures are measures taken to ensure that machines or equipment on which personnel are performing service or maintenance are safe and cannot be powered unless every employee is prepared. The lockout procedure is the installation of a locking mechanism to isolate the main power switch and any other source of energy on a piece of equipment. The objective of the lockout is to physically prevent any unexpected startup of machinery. Each person involved in the job must install a padlock to the lockout/ tagout device (Figure 1-22). Figure 1-22. Lockout/tagout hasp, lock, and tag. The tagout procedure is the installation of a tag to warn that a mechanism was locked. It indicates that no one should attempt to operate the equipment. The tag Festo Didactic 52070-00 19
Ex. 1-1 Nacelle Familiarization and Safety Discussion also indicates the name of the person(s) who can remove the lockout/tagout device. Prior to any operation of a machine or equipment, tasks that may expose workers to the inadvertent release of hazardous energy must be identified and proper training must be provided to personnel. Sources of hazardous energy may be electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, chemical, thermal, gravitational, or others. To make a machine or equipment safe: a Notify all affected employees that a procedure is going to be performed on a machine or equipment. De-energize the machine or equipment. Isolate and block all forms of hazardous energy using locks and/or tags. In general, lockout devices are preferred over tags. If more than one person is assigned to a task, all workers must use a personal and identifiable lock and/or tag at each energy-isolating device. A group lockout/tagout is also possible, providing that all workers are properly protected. The last hole of a locking hasp is usually reserved to accommodate an additional hasp. Verify that no one is near the machine or equipment and test if it is possible to start the equipment. Special additional procedures may be required in cases where dangerous products like chemicals are involved. When energizing a machine: Check that the machine or equipment is ready to operate, that the area is clear and secure, and that guards are positioned correctly. Notify all affected employees that the machine or equipment is about to be energized, and check that no worker is within reach of the machine or equipment. Remove your own lock and tag and ask the other workers to do the same thing. The machine or equipment must not be energized if a lock has not been removed by its owner. Start the equipment and make sure that it is working properly. Remember that each situation may require a unique procedure to ensure the safety of all workers. Refer to the equipment manufacturer s documentation and to your local and national safety regulations for additional information. 20 Festo Didactic 52070-00
Ex. 1-1 Nacelle Familiarization and Safety Procedure Outline PROCEDURE OUTLINE The Procedure is divided into the following sections: Accessories needed Basic safety procedure Identification of the safety components General lockout/tagout procedure Making sure the equipment is safe and de-energized. Work on the nacelle: identification of the components. Re-energizing the equipment. Locking the rotor hub PROCEDURE The steel cable with a loophole will be used later to lock individual breakers. Accessories needed For this exercise, you will need the following accessories: 1 lockout device (hasp) 1 padlock and 1 tag per student Basic safety procedure Before using the training system, complete the following checklist: You are wearing safety glasses and safety shoes. You are not wearing anything that might get caught such as a tie, jewelry, or loose clothes. If your hair is long, tie it out of the way. The working area is clean and free of oil or water. Identification of the safety components 1. Locate the main switch. If it is on, turn it off. a Locate the emergency stops. How many of them can you find and where are they positioned? 2. Activate (push) and deactivate (rotate counterclockwise) the emergency stops to make sure they work properly. Leave them deactivated (released position). Festo Didactic 52070-00 21
Ex. 1-1 Nacelle Familiarization and Safety Procedure General lockout/tagout procedure Making sure the equipment is safe and de-energized 3. Make sure that all safety panels are closed. 4. Look around the equipment and make sure no debris is in the way. 5. Install the lockout hasp in the main switch. Next, install the student padlocks and tags in the hasp (Figure 1-23). Figure 1-23. Installation of the lockout hasp, padlocks and tags. 6. Try to turn on the main switch to verify that the system is electrically isolated. Press the safety reset button to test whether the system can be energized. 7. Open the front safety panels. 22 Festo Didactic 52070-00
Ex. 1-1 Nacelle Familiarization and Safety Procedure Lever 8. Depressurize the accumulator of the hydraulic system by lifting the appropriate lever (Figure 1-24). Return the lever to the original position once the accumulator is depressurized (i.e., after approximately ten seconds). a Figure 1-24. Depressurizing the hydraulic accumulator. At this point, the system can be considered secure. The rotor hub is not locked by the safety pin, but the hydraulic rotor parking brake is on by default. Festo Didactic 52070-00 23
Ex. 1-1 Nacelle Familiarization and Safety Procedure Work on the nacelle: identification of the components 9. Open the safety panels to take a closer look at the training system. Identify the following main nacelle parts in Figure 1-25 below. Gearbox Generator Electrical Panel Yaw System Disk Brake Rotor Shaft Rotor Blades Wind Station HMI Hydraulic Unit Figure 1-25. Nacelle training system. Re-energizing the equipment 10. Make sure everything is secure inside and around the nacelle and close all safety panels. 11. Notify all the people working around the nacelle that the system is about to be energized. 24 Festo Didactic 52070-00
Ex. 1-1 Nacelle Familiarization and Safety Procedure 12. Ask everyone to remove their individual padlock and tag. Next, remove the hasp from the main switch. 13. Ask your instructor for permission to power the nacelle training system. Apply power to the training system by turning on the main power switch. The default Windows user name is Administrator. No password is needed: just click OK. 14. Wait for the HMI to boot and log into Windows. The HMI should start automatically. The MAIN screen should open with some (flashing red) visual alarms, as shown in Figure 1-26. a The PLC may take a minute or two to boot after the HMI starts. Figure 1-26. MAIN screen when the HMI starts. Festo Didactic 52070-00 25
Ex. 1-1 Nacelle Familiarization and Safety Procedure 15. Press the safety reset button. The MAIN screen should resemble Figure 1-27. a Figure 1-27. MAIN screen as system starts. If the ALARMS button is flashing red at this point, press it. In the opening ALARMS screen, press the check box to acknowledge each current alarm. Next, press RESET ALARMS, if necessary. Alarms will be covered in detail later in this manual. Locking the rotor hub Most turbines have a locking mechanism between the hub and the nacelle for servicing and repair periods. Your training system features a locking pin for this purpose. This mechanism must not be confused with the rotor hydraulic brake which can be used to bring the rotor to a stop ( soft brake ) or as a parking brake. 16. Return to the MAIN screen and press Start Trainer. Then, press MANUAL to change Operation Status to Manual Mode. 17. Press MANUAL OPERATION at the bottom to navigate to the MANUAL screen. 26 Festo Didactic 52070-00
Ex. 1-1 Nacelle Familiarization and Safety Procedure 18. According to the Rotor panel, is the parking brake engaged? Yes No 19. If the parking brake is still on, press RELEASE on the Rotor panel to release it. 20. Use the JOG button on the Rotor panel to align a hole in the perforated rotor disk with the rotor locking pin. Once aligned, open the nacelle top safety panel (front side) and engage the locking pin using the hand lever (Figure 1-28). a It may be difficult to align the hole and the pin perfectly on your first try. You may need to make several attempts. Because you opened the safety panels, a few extra steps are necessary every time, namely: Close the safety panels. Press Start Trainer on the MAIN screen. Press MANUAL to change Operation Status to Manual Mode. Go to the MANUAL screen and press RELEASE on the Rotor panel. Figure 1-28. Hub rotor lock. 21. Press the flashing red SERVICE button to access the SERVICE - ROTOR AND GENERATOR menu (Figure 1-29). As a general rule, status squares have the following meaning: Table 1-2. Meaning of status squares. The stated condition is satisfied, or the option is selected. The stated condition is not met. The stated condition is in an unknown state, or the option not selected a Red color can also suggest an alarm condition. Festo Didactic 52070-00 27
Ex. 1-1 Nacelle Familiarization and Safety Procedure Figure 1-29. SERVICE ROTOR AND GENERATOR menu. 22. In the Rotor Driving Mechanism panel, you can verify that the conditions for the Rotor Axis Interlocks are not all met. This is why Missing Interlock is in red, indicating a faulty condition preventing any activation of the rotor. What is the name of the condition next to the square that changes color when you lock/unlock the pin? 23. Close the nacelle safety panels. 24. Navigate to the ALARMS screen using the ALARMS button in the lower navigation bar. 25. Which alarms are listed under CURRENT ALARMS? 26. If you refer to the legend, what does the Status code of the first alarm in the list mean? 28 Festo Didactic 52070-00
Ex. 1-1 Nacelle Familiarization and Safety Conclusion 27. Highlight each alarm in the CURRENT ALARMS list and press the check box ( ) to clear each of them. Can all of the alarms be cleared? Yes No 28. Open the safety panel and disengage the rotor hub locking pin using the hand lever. Close the safety panel. 29. Use the main power switch to turn all system power off. CONCLUSION In this exercise, you became familiar with the main components and safety aspects of the nacelle trainer. You secured the system by following a lockout/tagout procedure and identified some key components. Then, you started the system under supervision to be able to lock the rotor hub. REVIEW QUESTIONS 1. What device on a wind turbine senses wind speed? 2. Which component on the nacelle trainer provides power to the rotor and yaw brakes? 3. Which component on the nacelle trainer allows a user to operate and monitor the functions of the trainer? 4. Which easily accessible component on the nacelle trainer sends the signal to open the electrical circuit of the trainer so that all electrical energy ceases? 5. Which component of the nacelle trainer is represented in the following graphic? Festo Didactic 52070-00 29