Total’s initiative in a wind farm
Total has chosen Mardyck, near Dunkirk, a place swept by the winds of Northern France's plains, to
build its wind farm in 2003. The farm has two 2-megawatt Vestas turbines, two 2.5 megawatts
Nordex turbines, and a gigantic 100 meters high, 3.2 megawatts General Electric turbine.
Air power Wind turbines are complex mechanical installations. They require three types of special lubricant :
- oils for hydraulic circuits and brakes,
- greases for the slewing rings and bearings,
- lubricants for the speed-increasing units.
Wind energy: a demanding industry for reliable and high performance lubricants
- Speed-increasing units are particularly heavy lubricant consumers: from 350 to 700 litres.
- When the wind moves a wind turbine naturally, its blades rotate at about thirty revolutions per minute (rpm).
- With the speed-increasing unit, the generator can reach speeds of 1,500 rpm.
Total has invested considerable R&D in this field, and developed two synthetic oils :
- Carter SH 320, a polyalphaolefine chemical-based lubricant
They avoid fatigue-related wear on the gears and corrosion on the gears, while also remaining fitter-friendly,
non-foaming, water-resistant and harmless to operators. They offer long intervals between oil changes,
up to 5 years with Carter SH 320. |
