Huaying HY5-AD5.6

[Alan H]

This 6KW Wind turbine was very popular throughout East Anglia, However the company that supplied and installed them went bust, (WindCrop) about 18 months after my 2 turbines were installed.
However, I am in desperate need of a service engineer to carry this out on my 2. Companies I have contacted to help will only touch them if I change the turbines at considerable cost! Does anyone know of any company or person that could help me out.
AS far as I am aware there is nothing wrong with my actual turbines.   Grateful Thanks in anticipation. Alan H.

[MR GUS]

Have you not got details from a previous service of the engineer by name on any documentation? that would be my likely first port of call for locating knowledgeable folk, or via companies house, get the MD's details & ask them nicely for details of their ex installers & who regionally is capable, & for details as to actual contact origin of the sourced turbines in china.. leads likely to be forthcoming, as would an inspection of any installation plates of turbine specs / manuf company beyond windcrop.

....
https ://huayingwind.en.made-in-china.com/  (remove the space after https)

How are they performing in terms of data logging output & payback?

https ://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/07118010/officers  (remove the space after https)

From a 1 minute dig, several of the names (inc an engineer) are / were East Anglia based, potentially not far to drive if thats whats needed, plus naturally, sticking their details in a linked in search (a nasty data-rape & location site) as to easy potential immediate contact.


Where in E/ Anglia are you,  have you tried
Presumably you have done all this in the first instance?

There is a big maintainence company in St ives cambs (or was) it  may offer advice if you are stuck after conducting a proper search via the manufacturer  for example.

[floydy]

Hi Alan,
Whereabouts are you based, I wasn't sure if you're in East Anglia or are elsewhere?
 I have one of these here as a bit of a project, so am familiar with them. The reason for the company going bust was I suspect that the blade mount castings have a tendency to fail allowing the blades to fly off. It looks like poor metallurgy and an element of poor design there too. Certainly if your machines are anywhere near people they may be an accident waiting to happen. A shame as the rest of the design is very good and robust.

I've attached a picture of the blade mount. In continuing to run the blades are likely to fly off eventually! I'm in the process of re-engineering the mounts at the moment as a bit of a project. I do fix turbines (mostly Bergeys) for a living, but this is a personal one!

Andy

[Alan D]

Hello Andy

From looking at the picture I would say the blade mount is made of cast iron
I have had failure / 4 metre long Blades flying off on one 10K.W. and one 5 K.W. Yangzhou Shenzhou turbine.
Lots of other design failures also. Not much Chinese material left on them now.

Cast iron blade mounting hub. ( cast iron not suitable for that application ). Blades come off.
A quick check with an angle grinder can confirm. Bright sparks / Mild steal. Dull / Orange sparks / Cast iron.
I made myself a / welded / balanced mild steel hub in 2007. Turbine still working / never been lowered since.
I am in full agreement that Alan should shut them down before failure takes place. For at least a hub visual / Non destructive test.

Regards

Alan

[floydy]

Hi Alan D,
Surprisingly enough it's actually cast steel, just of an awful quality... I think a lot of the problem is design though, there's a lot of stress on a small area, the blade would be much better going onto a bolt on flange. I've a set of Evoco blades that are done like that.  I've been considering turning the shaft ends down on the lathe and welding a flange on, then making up two halves for the blade that sandwich around the blade root. The original is really only attached to one side of the blade. Other option is to machine the shafts from scratch, but it might prove a bit time consuming.

It's a real shame about some of the Chinese machines - this one has a really robust pitch and brake setup and a pretty decent generator, all with very good sealing. It's just the blade mounts that let it down.

Andy

[Alan H]

Hi Mr Gus,
 Thank you for your reply. Originally the MD did come back and continued to service them for a while, we then were able to continue with other companies. I have pursued your idea of contacting him to possibly get contacts for his staff, and found him.
However, my aim for coming to this forum was hoping to find someone directly who could service my turbines on this media. If this fails I will get to contact the old MD.

[Alan H]

Hi Alan,
Whereabouts are you based, I wasn't sure if you're in East Anglia or are elsewhere?
 I have one of these here as a bit of a project, so am familiar with them. The reason for the company going bust was I suspect that the blade mount castings have a tendency to fail allowing the blades to fly off. It looks like poor metallurgy and an element of poor design there too. Certainly if your machines are anywhere near people they may be an accident waiting to happen. A shame as the rest of the design is very good and robust.

I've attached a picture of the blade mount. In continuing to run the blades are likely to fly off eventually! I'm in the process of re-engineering the mounts at the moment as a bit of a project. I do fix turbines (mostly Bergeys) for a living, but this is a personal one!

Andy

Hi Andy,
 I am in East Anglia, Essex, Clacton area. My 2 turbines are in a farm field well away from anybody, however the blades do look ok at the moment although being close to the sea, salt air can often be a problem although I am about a mile inland. At the moment neither of my turbines are turning, they are just expensive bird perches!
 If your interested in having a look at these let me know, although mostly the problems I believe are on the electrical side in the main box.
 
 

[biff]

  If there are any suspicions about the strength of the Hubs or think that they might disintegrate  there is nothing to stop one putting a 10mm flat steel plate on the back of the hub and bolting through the cast to it with a layer of epoxy resin inbetween.
  The other thing is,  balancing the blades is all important.
  When a prop is off balance, it behaves the same as a front wheel of a car that goes off balance having struck a kerb or the edge of a pothole. An off balance from wheel degrades all the suspension links around it especially during braking, Turbine props that are allowed to run off balance will murder the bearings and hammer the yaw and slip-ring assembly.
 A well balanced prop is easy on everything and furls smoothly into the wind.
   A day spent lowering your turbines, inspecting the blade socks for hairline cracks and checking the hubs for the same is day that could save you many future headaches.
      Biff