Annual "Check-up" for Small Wind Turbines: What to Do for Annual Maintenance

Annual "Check-up" for Small Wind Turbines: What to Do for Annual Maintenance

While small wind turbines provide us with green electricity, they also silently endure constant exposure to wind, sun, and rain throughout the year. A comprehensive and systematic annual "check-up" is crucial. This not only allows you to understand the "health" of your equipment but also enables you to identify and resolve problems early through preventive maintenance, effectively extending its service life and ensuring stable and efficient operation in the coming year.

I. Safety First: Preparation Before Inspection

Before performing any operation, safety must be ensured.

Choose the right time: Choose a sunny day with no wind or light breeze. Climbing or working at heights is strictly prohibited in strong winds.

Completely disconnect:  Be sure to completely electrically isolate the wind turbine from the entire system (power grid, battery) through the controller or distribution box, ensuring that the wind turbine is not outputting power and cannot start.

Use appropriate tools and protection: Prepare appropriate tools (such as wrenches, Allen keys, grease guns, etc.) and wear personal protective equipment such as safety helmets, non-slip gloves, and safety harnesses, especially when climbing the tower.

II. Detailed Inspection Checklist for Core Components

1. Mechanical Structure Inspection: Ensuring a stable "framework"

Tower and foundation: Check all connecting bolts and anchor bolts of the tower and foundation for looseness or corrosion. Observe the tower body for any obvious bending, deformation, or severe paint peeling.

Main unit and nacelle: Check if the connection between the generator and the top of the tower is secure. Gently try to shake the wind turbine by hand along the plane of rotation of the blades and in the vertical direction to feel for any abnormal looseness (this should only be done when absolute safety is ensured, there is no wind, and you have a stable footing).

Blades: This is a key area. Carefully observe the leading edge, trailing edge, and surface of each blade, checking for cracks, damage, dents caused by foreign objects (such as birds), or peeling or flaking of the surface coating. Touch the blades to check for any abnormal bulges. Even minor damage to the blades can affect balance and aerodynamic efficiency, and even lead to accidents. 2. Electrical Connection Inspection: Ensuring the "Nerves" are Functioning Properly

Wiring and Connectors: Starting from the generator at the top of the tower, inspect the cables, checking for signs of wear, cuts, aging (hardening and brittleness), or animal damage. Pay particular attention to wear and tear at the tower corners and conduit entry points.

Inspect all electrical connectors (such as waterproof plugs and terminal blocks) to ensure tight connections, no looseness, no scorching or discoloration, and no signs of water ingress. If necessary, open the connectors, clean any oxidation, and re-tighten them.

3. Rotation and Transmission Component Maintenance: Ensuring the "Joints" are Flexible

Bearings and Rotating Parts: These are the heart of smooth rotation. Inspect the bearings of the main shaft, yaw system, etc.  Attempt to manually rotate the blades (ensuring safety, the system is powered off and locked), feeling for smooth rotation and checking for any sticking or abnormal friction. Apply the correct type and amount of lubricant to the specified bearings according to the equipment manual.

Moving Parts: Inspect the yaw system, mechanical brakes (if any), and other moving joints. Remove rust, lubricate appropriately, and ensure smooth rotation without jamming.

III. Functional Testing and Data Review

After completing the static inspection and maintenance, perform dynamic verification.

Restore Connections: After ensuring all inspections are complete and all personnel and equipment are safely away, restore the electrical connections.

Observe Startup and Operation: Under light wind conditions, observe whether the wind turbine starts smoothly and accelerates steadily. Listen for any new abnormal noises during operation (such as friction sounds or periodic knocking sounds).

Review Operating Data: Check the controller's recorded annual cumulative power generation, fault alarm history, and other data to assess whether its annual performance is normal and whether there is a trend of abnormal power generation decline.

IV. Documentation and Follow-up Actions

Establish a Maintenance Record: Briefly record the date of this inspection, the problems found, and the measures taken (e.g., which bolts were tightened, which parts were replaced, and what type of lubricant was added).

Categorize Problems:

Minor problems can be handled independently: such as tightening bolts, cleaning debris, and adding lubricant. Complex or critical issues: such as blade cracks, significant bearing noise, or generator electrical faults, should not be handled independently. Contact a professional installation or maintenance service provider for inspection and repair.

In summary, a "year-end checkup" for a small wind turbine is a systematic process of observation, listening, questioning, and testing: observing the structural appearance for any damage; listening for any unusual noises during operation; checking if the data records are normal; and testing for smooth rotation.  With consistent annual maintenance, your wind turbine will reliably capture every breeze year after year, generating real and tangible clean electricity.