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C-CLEAN TRIALS – REDUCING MAINTENANCE TIMES

The new C-Clean unit currently being developed by the CWind’s innovation team, has been designed to continually remove marine growth from turbine structures. This will reduce subsequent maintenance time needed to keep the turbine clean, while maintain a safe transfer zone.

The new C-Clean unit currently being developed by the CWind’s innovation team, has been designed to continually remove marine growth from turbine structures.

This will reduce subsequent maintenance time needed to keep the turbine clean, while maintain a safe transfer zone.

The key benefits of the C-Clean are:

> Easily fitted to existing turbines

> Highly efficient and effective way of removing marine growth

> Removes marine growth without manual intervention

> Maintains a safer transfer bar for crew transfers

Why is it important to clean the turbine landing point?

Successful transfer of technicians and crew to the ladders on the turbine, is reliant on a stable contact with the CTV, which is achieve by creating a friction hinge between the CTV’s rubber bumper and the turbine landing point. The build-up of the organic matter, slime, reduces friction between the CTV’s fender and the structure, and so impacts the ability of the CTV to maintain the hinge.  This ultimately can result in the CTV slipping, with a potential risk for injury.

Current cleaning techniques rely upon maintenance using pressure washers, or manually scrapping marine growth from the metal. Not only does this require a CTV, two persons and the fuel burn associated with it, the results are very short lived with primary propagation, the slime, returning quickly within just 24-48 hours.

What is C-Clean?

C-Clean, developed by the CWind’s innovation team, is a circular unit which is clipped around the landing tube of the wind turbine. The unit is designed to rise and fall using wave motion to remove marine growth without any manual intervention, a simple but highly effective means the elimination of marine growth is constant. Construction material is sufficiently soft to be engineered to not be a hazard to the structure.

C-Clean Trials Update

CWind has installed the first C-Clean unit on a cleaned, boat landing post of the ORE Catapult demonstration wind turbine.

To compare its performance, two bumper bars were cleaned by hand and C-Clean was fitted to just one of the bars. Initial result are good, with a noticeable difference between the marine growth on the bumper bar without the unit compared to the cleaner post with the C-Clean unit. The unit will continue to be monitored to check its performance.

TRL (Technology readiness level) Scale

Our Innovation Stories:

February 2020

C-CLEAN TRIALS – REDUCING MAINTENANCE TIMES

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