Safe Management of Pressure Equipment Contained in Wind Turbines

Abstract

Renewable energies are the backbone of the energy transition. Among these energies, in recent years wind energy (together with solar) has largely established itself thanks to technological innovation and the production of increasingly performing wind turbines (for example the modern Enercon E-126 turbine can produce up to 7 MW). The wind turbines contain pressure equipment (hydraulic accumulators), the use of which can pose risks to the safety and health of the personnel assigned to supervise and maintain the wind turbines themselves, if they are not adequately managed. The hydraulic accumulators, installed in the nacelle of the wind turbine, are part of the hydraulic system (equipped with an oil tank) which regulates the pitch of the wind blades (i.e. the speed of the blades) and for the functioning of the braking system. The aforementioned accumulators can withstand a maximum operating pressure exceeding 300 bar. For such equipment, in Italy, the manager of the wind turbine, after correct installation and the relative risk analysis, must request commissioning and the first periodic check at INAIL (National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work). Following the authors' experience in this field, the purpose of this article is to give wind turbine managers an organic approach for the correct management of pressure equipment, in order to prevent the risk of accidents, starting from the construction phase of the devices up to phase of their use.