DC21 are delighted to report that we have just completed our 50th Endurance wind turbine overhaul and upgrade.
Matthew Tidmarsh, Business Manager at DC21 says, “This milestone is a testament to our commitment to maintaining the longevity of Endurance turbines within the United Kingdom, and we are grateful to all our customers for entrusting our team of specialists with their turbines.
DC21 are a leading service provider of maintenance, upgrades, and repairs to E-3120, E-4660, and X-series turbines since 2009. We own and operate 12 wind turbines, so we understand our clients’ needs when it comes to maximising uptime and return on investment.”
Endurance Wind Power, the manufacturer of Endurance turbines, went into administration in 2016, in the wake of unsustainable warranty claims due partly to the E-3120 turbines’ many problems.
Endurance E-3120 Wind Turbine Upgrades
Some of the E-3120’s problems are listed below:
- Hub Slip
- Hub wear
- Bedplate cracking
- Low speed shaft cracking
- Spring tube failure
Working alongside several specialists, DC21 can offer upgrades to many customers, including complete, precision-engineered hub refurbishment and an alternative to bedplate replacement using “light-weighted” technology to reinforce the steel structure of the bedplate.
Low speed shaft cracking is a significant problem for the Endurance E-3120 turbines, as the low speed shaft (LSS) connects the rotor to the gearbox, transmitting all the energy generated by the turbine blades.
LSS failures can cost upwards of £60,000 due to the consequential damage, far more than the new LSS offered by DC21, designed and manufactured in the UK.
Spring tube failures can be catastrophic and result in significant damage to blades. They are designed to restrict the rotor speed should the brakes fail by pitching the turbine’s blades to slow them using aerodynamic stall. DC21 can offer a spring tube upgrade with a 5-year insurance-backed limited warranty.
Endurance Wind Turbine Upgrade Video
After a full overhaul and upgrade service in our refit centre, watch this Endurance E-3120 wind turbine being reinstalled on-site. It is often more cost-effective to bring a nacelle in for a complete overhaul than trying to do repairs piecemeal up-tower.
Endurance E-4660 Wind Turbine Upgrades
DC21 also upgrade common issues found in the E-4660 wind turbine, which include:
- Hub arm wear
- Flex coupling failure
- Loose Gearbox reaction arm
- Low speed shaft cracking
- Spring tube failure and wear
Similar to the E-3120 hub refurbishment, our E-4660 hub upgrade includes bronze bushings for the hub arm that can be replaced up-tower.
Connecting the generator to the gearbox on an E-4660 turbine is a flexible coupling. Should this fail, it can cause damage to the turbine, including the brakes. DC21 can provide an upgraded coupling designed to prevent this secondary damage.
If the gearbox reaction arm pin comes loose on the E-4660, it can reduce performance as the arm aids the effective transfer of wind-generated power into the rotor and generator. The excessive movement caused by the loose pin can also increase wear and tear. DC21’s solution was to redesign the reaction arm attachment to the bedplate, preventing it from coming loose and preventing the arm from twisting and unfastening the bracket bolts. With this upgrade, a secondary safety attachment has also been included to restrain the gearbox should the reaction arm fail.
As with the E-3120 turbine, DC21 can offer a spring tube upgrade to E-4660 turbines.
Endurance X-Series Wind Turbine Upgrades
Finally, we offer upgrades for the gearbox design in X-series wind turbines, as almost all have or will require major repairs due to the gearbox’s flawed design.
Cost-effective, Superior Wind Turbine Upgrades
Matthew Tidmarsh concludes, “DC21 are at the forefront of providing cost-effective Endurance wind turbine upgrades. There is a reason why we are the only original UK mainland dealer who hasn’t gone out of business or sold on, and it is partly down to our technical know-how and our ability to work alongside other innovative parts or systems suppliers. This allows us to take advantage of our extensive knowledge of Endurance turbines and incorporate technology often developed for other equipment or machinery to good effect.
We continue to improve and add to the maintenance, monitoring, repairing, and breakdown services we offer, helping to keep our customers’ turbines operating efficiently and productively.”
DC21 looks forward to completing our next 50 wind turbine upgrades and invites all Endurance owners to contact us, no matter the issue you may be having.
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