Formulating for the future of wind turbines

The industrial gear oil market is becoming a challenging lubricant segment for suppliers and end users. Lubricants must protect hardware from friction & wear and also cool gearboxes, often with smaller design configurations carrying higher loads and higher thermal stress. The results are a continued trend for lower lubricant fill volumes, expected to do more and last longer than traditional fluids. Continued rationalization pressure from end users requires that lubricant suppliers provide robust products suitable for use across a wide range of applications, often under demanding environmental conditions. Combined with the viscosity grades required across multiple applications, this increasingly drives the need for advanced lubricants formulated with synthetic base fluids and components.

Evonik has developed a systematic approach to assisting oil marketers to formulate synthetic gear oils using their VISCOBASE® synthetic base fluids, oils that meet or exceed international standards and OEM requirements.

Supporting load-carrying performance, hardware durability, service life and efficient operation at an attractive cost position can help oil marketers address their customers' technical and commercial objectives..

Evonik's NUFLUX® technology, when applied to industrial gear lubricants is designed to support productivity, less downtime and optimal fluid service costs.

Harsh environmental conditions, varying loads and speeds and lubricant compatibility all contribute to demanding wind turbine gearbox operating conditions, making wind turbines one of the most challenging applications for industrial lubrication.

Industry expectation of an increasing service life for gearboxes requires that lubricants exhibit exceptional durability and reliability in service. Wind turbine gear oils (WTGOs) used in wind farm service are a significant contributor to the overall operating cost of wind power generation, especially the attendant costs of replacement and quality monitoring. Consequently, lubricant solutions are expected to support performance requirements while helping operators manage maintenance and operating costs.

Evonik has created Formulation 8175, a WTGO developed with NUFLUX® technology, for critical OEM and owner/operator service requirements. Formulated with NUFLUX® technology, additional Evonik-formulated components, as well as base fluids and additives from other suppliers, Formulation 8175 has been designed to meet or demanding WTGO performance requirements, even under the most demanding conditions.

Evonik is bringing Formulation 8175 to market through selected lubricant formulators and marketers. These partners have the resources and expertise to support wind farm operators with full-system protection for their turbine gearboxes.