This chapter summarises the knowledge available on the failure rates of engineering sub-assemblies used in MECs. It demonstrates that there is a great deal of reliability information already available, some of it from a renewable energy environment similar to that into which MECs will be deployed.

Chapter Contents:

• 5.1 Introduction and reliability data collection
• 5.2 Typical root causes and failure modes
• 5.2.1 General
• 5.2.2 Root causes
• 5.2.3 Failure modes
• 5.3 Current reliability knowledge
• 5.3.1 Reliability analysis and industrial reliability data for sub-assemblies
• 5.3.1.1 Wind industry databases: WMEP, LWK and Windstats
• 5.3.1.2 Oil and gas industry database: OREDA
• 5.3.1.3 Generic reliability databases
• 5.3.1.4 Portfolio of surrogate data (PSD) and useful references
• 5.3.2 Major sub-assemblies
• 5.3.2.1 Electrical machines
• 5.3.2.2 Gearboxes
• 5.3.2.3 Power converters
• 5.3.2.4 Electrical, cable and connector systems
• 5.3.2.5 Hydraulics and ancillary systems
• 5.3.2.6 Structures, anchors and ancillary systems
• 5.4 Summary

Inspec keywords: power generation reliability; power convertors; tidal power stations; wave power plants

Other keywords: marine energy converters; tidal device reliability; renewable energy environment; MECs; reliability information; engineering subassembly; failure rates; wave device reliability

Subjects: Tidal power stations and plants; Power convertors and power supplies to apparatus; Wave power; Reliability