The New Mexico Wind Energy Center near House, New Mexico officially went online in October of 2003. It is currently the third largest wind energy center in the United States. It produces enough renewable energy to power about 94,000 average-sized homes and does so without using any water, producing any emissions or generating any solid waste.
The New Mexico Wind Energy Center is owned and operated by Florida Power and Light (FPL) and Public Service Company of New Mexico (PNM) purchases all of its output.
The 136 turbines of the New Mexico Wind Energy Center sit at the edge of a mesa on 9,600 acres of both private and state-owned land. Each tower rises into the sky 210 feet, with three turbine blades extending over 110 feet in length.
The turbines require winds between 8 and 55 mph to produce electricity and will generate a peak output of about 1.5 megawatts per turbine. The expected yearly output for the plant is about 594,000 megawatt hours.
Keeping a plant such as this operating at full capacity requires diligent preventive maintenance on the turbines. Because the turbines are mounted on towers that are as high as a 20-story building, performing such maintenance is tall order.
The towers are 20 feet in diameter at the base and equipped with access doors to allow maintenance crews inside. Ladders mounted inside are the only means of access to the turbines mounted at the top. Maintenance crews climb 200 feet to a platform and from there are able to access the turbines more easily.
However, transporting tools and equipment to the platform while climbing a ladder would be nearly impossible and a serious safety concern. To solve the problem FPL purchased 67 Thern Series 4HWF Helical/Worm Gear Power Winches for raising and lowering the necessary materials for maintenance.
Thern, Inc. is a major designer manufacturer of winches, cranes and hoists for almost any application. The Thern Series 4HWF Helical/Worm Gear Power Winch is a heavy-duty winch designed for continuous reliability under even the most severe conditions.
According to George Griese, plant manager for the center, FPL chose the Thern winches because of their reliability and price.
The Series 4HWF Helical/Worm Gear Power Winch purchased by FPL is load rated for up to 1500 lbs. At the New Mexico Wind Energy Center maintenance crews are using the winch to raise and lower everything from wrenches to hydraulic torque tools. The loads may weigh up to 300 lbs.
Although Thern’s winches are available off-the-shelf through distributors, FPL worked directly with Thern and had the winches built to unique specifications for mounting them within the towers.
“The contact with Thern has been really good,” says Griese. “We had them build [the winches] to our specifications for mounting and everything else.”
The Thern Series 4HWF Helical/Worm Gear Power Winches that FPL is using in New Mexico are built with standard features including TEFC severe duty brake motors and enclosed gearing and flange style roller bearings. Available custom modifications include grooved drums, special drum lengths and diameters, limit switches, roller pressure bars and special finishes. Pneumatic, hydraulic and alternate motor voltages are also available.
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