Wind turbine safety increasingly important as industry expands

Wind energy has begun to lead the way in alternative energy solutions.  Manufacturers of wind turbines face challenges such as reducing downtimes and maintenance work.  Some of the demands placed on turbine components include extreme temperature conditions, vibration, oscillation and aggressive offshore air composition.

Keeping wind turbines safely operating is becoming increasingly important as more windmills are built and America begins to use wind as larger source of energy heading into the future.

In the event of a management failure or the failure of individual components, the configurable control system PNOZmulti from Pilz guarantees that the wind turbine is brought to a safe condition for both human and machine.  Some of the safe monitoring functions include: emergency stop pushbutton, master low voltage switch, oil pressure protection and hermetic protection for the medium voltage transformer, and pitch system.  Additional safe monitoring functions include: limit values for true power, vibration, generator speed, rotor speed and line transposition (monitoring of azimuth position) and signals from the fire detection system.

All the safety functions are created directly on the PC with the PNOZmulti Configurator and can be stored on a chip card and downloaded to the base unit.

By differentiating the reaction to various operational circumstances, the PNOZmulti can clearly reduce the load on mechanical wearing parts. A safe condition for both humans and wind turbine can be achieved by reducing the rotor speed and preventing all movements or by switching off hazardous voltages, provided these are not required for the safety function. With PNOZmulti, manufacturers can avoid unnecessary downtimes and thus increase the cost effectiveness of their wind turbines.

PNOZmulti is available in a coated version for use under extreme environmental conditions. This version can be used in extended temperature ranges, permits condensation and is resistant to aggressive air composition.  Also, the configurable control system PNOZmulti can communicate via all relevant fieldbus systems.  With PNOZmulti, applications can achieve up to Performance Level (PL) e of EN ISO 13849-1 and Safety Integrity Level (SIL) CL 3 of IEC 62061. PNOZmulti is certified worldwide.

Another benefit of the PNOZmulti is that the user program is password protected, enabling manipulation protection to be differentiated – with a range of access levels for maintenance staff and installation engineers.

Tipper Tie Chooses the PNOZ Multi for Safety

As the premier supplier of packaging, clipping, and clip machinery throughout the world, Tipper Tie is committed to sustaining a leading edge position in automation and safety for its customers. Recognizing the importance of safety for both customers and its employees, Tipper Tie has chosen to partner with Pilz Automation Safety, also a world leader in its field, to achieve a high level of safety integrity that Tipper Tie’s customers and employees have come to expect.

The challenges in meeting today’s safety standards are more difficult than ever. And meeting those standards in the most effective and efficient manner can be particularly complex.  Rising to this challenge, Pilz Automation Safety’s PNOZ Multi safety controller is being used and was selected as the optimal safety solution for monitoring devices such as safety gate interlocks and emergency stops buttons.  Pilz Automation Safety’s PNOZ Multi family provides the ultimate in flexibility and simplicity and facilitates a very powerful safety positioning for Tipper Tie’s target markets.

The flexibility and expandability of a programmable safety relay controller, such as the Pilz PNOZ Multi, translates into a common and scalable safety solution that is capable of meeting a variety of safety challenges on any machine design. It also affords a platform on which Tipper Tie could design changes to accommodate changing market requirements.  Moreover, Pilz’s PNOZ Multi features useable diagnostic information which is unmatched by any other product offering.  Thus, Tipper Tie is assured that its customers have the maximum safety flexibility and machine availability.  Lastly, the PNOZ Multi’s ability to communicate over an Ethernet based network is a feature that helps Tipper Tie to distribute diagnostic information from the PNOZ Multi to a variety of HMIs and PLCs.  This capability gives machinery operators the ability to easily determine machine safety status.  It also optimizes troubleshooting processes to minimize engineering and technician resources.

Tipper Tie is the premier packaging, clipping, and clip machinery company throughout the world and it has chosen Pilz’s PNOZ multi as an important safety controller in its machine design.  Attached are two photos highlighting Tipper Tie’s use of this controller in a panel and an HMI image.