SmartSignal predictive diagnostic software protects Invenergy GE wind turbines

(31/12/2009)

SmartSignal® Corporation has been selected by Invenergy to install SmartSignal EPI*Center® predictive diagnostic software to protect Invenergy’s GE wind turbines across its entire U.S. fleet. SmartSignal will be monitoring all 975 GE 1.5 MW turbines at 14 Invenergy wind generation projects. The agreement calls for SmartSignal to deploy, maintain, and provide support services for EPI*Center, which will be hosted by Invenergy.

SmartSignal and Invenergy worked closely together in 2009 to enhance the SmartSignal solution to address the needs of wind energy operators fleetwide. The rollout comes after a successful collaboration between Invenergy and SmartSignal’s research and development group, along with a SmartSignal Solution Test Drive that ran from early July through September at Invenergy’s Forward site in Wisconsin. SmartSignal’s solution will be deployed on top of Invenergy’s existing OSIsoft PI System™ implementation.

This is the first of many important customer relationships that SmartSignal is developing with the wind industry in the Chicago area, a headquarters of green technology. SmartSignal CEO Jim Gagnard commented: “Efficient wind farm management presents distinct challenges, given changes in ambient conditions and loads characteristic of wind. With the help of industry leader Invenergy, SmartSignal is now extending its expertise from traditional power to wind in order to provide the same level of support and diagnostic intelligence. We’ve been thrilled to work with Invenergy to develop our offering, and we see this as the first of many opportunities to help improve the fleetwide efficiency of wind operators in Chicago and around the world.”

Invenergy CEO Michael Polsky added: “The rollout of SmartSignal is key to Invenergy’s building of the most reliable wind power fleet in the world. The work our firms will do together will permeate the wind power industry and help establish Chicago as the leadership center for green power.”

SmartSignal’s EPI*Center software detects, diagnoses, and prioritizes developing mechanical and instrumentation turbine failures for SmartSignal’s wind customers. SmartSignal develops personalized empirical models for all turbines, each of which is composed of a sophisticated combination of interrelationships of all related sensors that affect turbine performance. These unique turbine models automatically adapt to fluctuations in wind speed, direction, shear, turbulence from ambient conditions, and equipment performance. SmartSignal analyzes in real time all the data collected in the nacelle—literally tens of thousands of data points every ten minutes across a fleet—and detects and notifies wind farms of impending problems, allowing owners to focus on fixing problems early and efficiently.

Related categories:  Wind power