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Energy & Power

Power generation from renewable sources of energy is one of the most effective ways of producing electricity. Various energy sources such as solar, wind, thermal etc are used for this purpose. Sensors play a very special role in certain applications relating to power generation with their non-contact measurement methods that makes the process much more efficient and faster. In the energy sector, sensors are employed to collect and transmit data in real-time.

Bestech Australia offers sensors facilitating high efficiency in  power plants and large motors, thereby providing accurate and reliable results. These sensors are ragarded safe for use in plant operations in the test bench and in high volume applications.

  • Inclination sensors
  • Draw wire sensors
  • Capacitive displacement sensors
  • Acceleration sensors
  • Eddy current sensors
  • Laser triangulation sensors
  • Thermal imaging cameras

Measuring the bearing gap in wind turbines

Measuring the bearing gap in wind turbines

In wind turbines, there are two main bearings in which rotor shaft runs. Measuring the bearing clearance is important as it provides information on the sliding properties. If the clearance width is reduced, then the thickness of the oil film is also reduced. This causes reduction in the sliding properties and exposed the bearing to friction-induced wear. Further reduction of the oil film may causes contact between the components and increases the friction that results in an increased temperature inside the bearing. This may result in rapid wear and bearing damage. Modern sensor technology helps in reducing maintenance and service costs...


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Gap measurement in photovoltaic modules

Gap measurement in photovoltaic modules

During the production of photovoltaic modules, there are high chances of hotspots being developed on the surface of the panel due to badly soldered surfaces or any structural defect. To overcome this limitation, Apollan Solar introduced NICE technology that brought air and humidity tight sealing technique for automating the fabrication process and reduce production defects. This technology enables the use of spacers made of organic sealant material placed in between the back metal sheet and the front glass pane to prevent the solar cells from hitting the glass pane. The gap between the glass pane and the metal needs to be maintained throughout the production...


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Displacement measurement on wind turbine rotor testers

Displacement measurement on wind turbine rotor testers

Test rigs are developed for performing load testing on wind turbine rotor blades to simulate real loads caused by high winds and storms in order to avoid destroying the expensive rotor. During this process, rotor blades up to 70m in length are tested, as per a new rig test developed by the Fraunhofer Institute IWES in Bremerhaven. Due to mechanical loads experienced during the test, the rotor blades are proned to distortion by up to 10m. Because of this, the rotor blade is mounted horizontally in the test rig. To measure these distortions, 12 draw-wire sensors by Bestech Australia are used. This measurement...


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Air gap monitoring of rotor in generator

Air gap monitoring of rotor in generator

In large generators and electric motors, certain imbalances during various operations are bound to occur. These imbalances could be the result of wear caused by extreme wind and weather conditions, which could cause the the rotor touch the stator. Since the rotor and the stator are quite flexible, their shape and position can be  influenced by operating forces. Hence, the gap between the inside diameter of the stator and outside diameter of the rotor, i.e. the air gap must always be maintained and kept consistent in order to keep the rotor from damaging due to magnetically induced heating. Capacitive displacement sensor capaNCDT from Bestech Australia...


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Offset Measurement of the coupling ring

Offset Measurement of the coupling ring

In wind turbines, at above 100 meters of height, enormous wind loads act on the rotor blades, housing and tower. This is why the gearbox and generator have an elastic bearing. In such condistions, it is important that the relative movement of the gearbox and generator are balanced in couplings in wind turbines. To determine the load profile, the offset of the coupling ring is measured using eddy current sensors to determine distance. Eddy current displacement sensors by Bestech Australia are robust sensors designed for harsh ambient conditions and integrated in restricted installation spaces such as the the metallic coupling ring in this case. To...


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Strain Measurement in Gas Turbine Engine

Strain Measurement in Gas Turbine Engine

There has been significant increase in the demand for light-weight gas turbine engines, with newly developed vectoring nozzles. This has resulted in higher strain levels as in order to increase the engine thrust, combustor and turbine modules are operating at higher temperatures and pressure. This is causing an increase in structural loading. The extremely high aerodynamic loads have led to abnormally high static stress levels in the blade attachment area of the rotating disk. Therefore, special measurement methods are employed for monitoring strain in such a high-temperature environment. The high-temperature Weldable Strain Gauges of AW series from TML are ideal for this...


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Structural Monitoring in the Steel Tower of Wind Turbine

Structural Monitoring in the Steel Tower of Wind Turbine

A wind turbine is mounted over 80 meters (approx.) high steel tower, which has the structure of a standing tube with varying diameter and wall thickness along the height. A prominent issue in the steel tower has been the dimensional fabrication tolerances of the ring flanges used to connect the tower segments. This is mainly responsible for the loss of contact between some parts of the flanges that leads to low performance of the bolts which remain subjected to higher stress ranges. To monitor these changes, structural monitoring of different levels of the tower is performed to identify the modal parameters and...


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Expansion measurement on the concrete wall of an energy storage tank

Expansion measurement on the concrete wall of an energy storage tank

As energy consumption increases, the need for cost-effective and environmentally conscious methods of producing and storing electricity becomes even more apparent. The majority of future green electricity will be generated by wind and solar power plants, which deliver electricity to the power grid. However, this production is not constant, it might be less or more than the amount of electricity needed. Due to this inconsistency, a way to store this energy is required. For this purpose, a concrete tank with lava stones filled in it is used as the intermediate storage for storing the energy in the form of heat....


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