I think substations need continuous power for all the communications and control gear. Can't have the computers go down every time the wind stops blowing.
They draw power from the grid back to the ESP. Our town has the wind farm shut off due to blade failure. But power is going from the grid to the ESP still.
The main appeal of the SF6 switchgear is that the footprint is much smaller than standard metal-clad, air-insulated switchgear. But that SF6 gas is intense and there must be checks on the gear regularly to assure there is no gas leaking and can lead to heavy EPA penalties. I don't know the exact science behind SF6 as a greenhouse gas but I know that since it's a synthetic chemical, it doesn't exactly break down quickly and easily in nature.
Ultimately, there are always tradeoffs and no free lunches. For offshore wind, there are a ton of them.
Glad the gig is almost up! I followed the link to the Ocean Wind Construction and Operations Plan to try to figure out why backup diesel generators are needed. I got to page 121 before seeing a mention of any diesel generators (may have missed something, reading quickly), and it sounds like it's only needed for a short time ('temporary') turbines will need a back-up power supply until a connection can be made. A temporary backup diesel generator would be installed at the turbine until the connection is made." So I'm in the dark as to why offshore substation backup generators would need over 52,000 gal of diesel. The chart you've depicted is on p.169, under 'waste management'. What are the backup diesel generators for? I thought when there's not enough wind, or too much wind, the wind turbines are just shut down.??
I’d also like to understand the reason for all the diesel generators and such large storage amounts of diesel fuel. Diesel fuel is also hydrophilic and, if in long-term storage, needs to treated carefully, refreshed, and the generator run (“exercised”) on a regular basis regardless of whether it is ever used for its intended application. IOW, this isn’t just a static storage of fossil fuels On a regular basis these installations require the transportation of and onsite burning of fossil fuels. Very enlightening.
I'll admit my ignorance on wind turbine design but I believe most of them are synchronous motors. Synchronous motors require excitation for startup and that requires a secondary power source or generator.
If they shut down, then there is no energy going into the grid. They want us to be totally "green" and no fossil fuels by some future fate. So no wind, no power! Or when the AI/crypto data center needs the power, I wonder who will get priority?
I think substations need continuous power for all the communications and control gear. Can't have the computers go down every time the wind stops blowing.
They draw power from the grid back to the ESP. Our town has the wind farm shut off due to blade failure. But power is going from the grid to the ESP still.
In the table what does WTG stand for.
Wind Turbine Generator
The main appeal of the SF6 switchgear is that the footprint is much smaller than standard metal-clad, air-insulated switchgear. But that SF6 gas is intense and there must be checks on the gear regularly to assure there is no gas leaking and can lead to heavy EPA penalties. I don't know the exact science behind SF6 as a greenhouse gas but I know that since it's a synthetic chemical, it doesn't exactly break down quickly and easily in nature.
Ultimately, there are always tradeoffs and no free lunches. For offshore wind, there are a ton of them.
Glad the gig is almost up! I followed the link to the Ocean Wind Construction and Operations Plan to try to figure out why backup diesel generators are needed. I got to page 121 before seeing a mention of any diesel generators (may have missed something, reading quickly), and it sounds like it's only needed for a short time ('temporary') turbines will need a back-up power supply until a connection can be made. A temporary backup diesel generator would be installed at the turbine until the connection is made." So I'm in the dark as to why offshore substation backup generators would need over 52,000 gal of diesel. The chart you've depicted is on p.169, under 'waste management'. What are the backup diesel generators for? I thought when there's not enough wind, or too much wind, the wind turbines are just shut down.??
I’d also like to understand the reason for all the diesel generators and such large storage amounts of diesel fuel. Diesel fuel is also hydrophilic and, if in long-term storage, needs to treated carefully, refreshed, and the generator run (“exercised”) on a regular basis regardless of whether it is ever used for its intended application. IOW, this isn’t just a static storage of fossil fuels On a regular basis these installations require the transportation of and onsite burning of fossil fuels. Very enlightening.
I'll admit my ignorance on wind turbine design but I believe most of them are synchronous motors. Synchronous motors require excitation for startup and that requires a secondary power source or generator.
If they shut down, then there is no energy going into the grid. They want us to be totally "green" and no fossil fuels by some future fate. So no wind, no power! Or when the AI/crypto data center needs the power, I wonder who will get priority?
Great info!