New Class H rewind comes with industry-leading 5-year warranty
(Greenville, SC — May 21, 2019) IPS, the North American leader in custom-engineered solutions for electric motor and generator reliability, has introduced WindGuard™, its first insulation system designed specifically for wind turbine generators.
WindGuard™ has the dielectric and mechanical strength to prevent the problems that cause premature generator failures, including electrical, mechanical, thermal and environmental stresses. IPS engineers addressed specific failure modes with this next generation insulation system:
- Inter-turn insulation failures associated with high dv/dt transients
- Ground wall failures associated with high cycle fatigue
- Thermal aging associated with rapid thermal cycling and harmonics
- Mechanical failures associated with continuous-duty cycle ramps
WindGuard builds on the innovations of PowerSeal®, the patented IPS medium-voltage insulation system UL-qualified with a 60-year log life aging curve— 50% longer than the previous industry benchmark. PowerSeal keeps over 10,000 electric motors and generators running in harsh & severe duty environments throughout North America.
Engineering wind power’s best rewind
WindGuard combines the dielectric strength of PowerSeal VPI Mica Tapes with the additional surge resistance of polyimide film, applied directly to the conductors using an advanced polymerization process for unsurpassed surge protection. The PowerSeal VPI Mica Tapes in WindGuard have the highest commercially available dielectric rating, bonding with 100% solids elastomeric Class H VPI epoxy resin.
This unique combination lets the rewind withstand the high-voltage transients and high-duty cycles associated with wind turbine generators.
WindGuard has a Class H or 180° C thermal class rating with unprecedented heat dissipation characteristics. Its ability to maintain flexibility with zero thermal aging during rapid thermal cycling makes it the most robust insulation system offered to the wind power industry.
Test results set a new industry standard benchmark
- Surge test @ 10 PU – 40 kV, 0.2 µs rise time without failure — IEEE 522
- AC hi-pot to 10x designed voltage, 17.5x operating voltage — IEEE 95
- Voltage endurance tested at greater than 5x phase voltage without failure — IEEE 1043, 1553
The reliability wind power needs
“We’ve designed WindGuard to minimize unplanned downtime and costly up-tower repairs. This will lead to significantly lower dollar per kWh cost for wind farms,” said John Zuleger, IPS President and CEO. “Once again, IPS engineers have built on our intellectual property, so the wind power industry can enter a new era of operating reliability.”
For more information on WindGuard or to arrange an interview with the IPS engineers who developed the insulation system, contact Megan Thompson, IPS Director of Marketing, at 864.451.5636 or [email protected].
About Integrated Power Services
Headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina, IPS is the North American leader in the service of electric motors, generators and mechanical power transmission components, with over 5,000 customers across a wide range of capital-intensive industries, including but not limited to power generation (fossil, nuclear, hydro and wind), petrochemical, air separation, oil & gas, metals, underground mining, paper, aggregates and cement. IPS has 28 service centers and field offices across North America, combining industry-specific experience with deep engineering resources to keep electric motors and generators running.
IPS services include engineering, in-shop repair, on-site field services, distribution, motor storage programs and contract manufacturing.
