Wind turbine generators are becoming increasingly well loved as an alternative energy source; producing electricity by harnessing the power of the wind. The largest of these windmills stands 150 feet tall with blades half a football meadow long. At the top you’ll find the generator, hub and gearbox which weigh 30,000 to 45,000 pounds. So, what is it that makes an enormous and heavy windmill turn so it can take subsidy of wind management? Well, slew drives of course. But not all slew drives are equally suited to this type of job.
Have you ever driven past a windmill meadow only to see a bunch of the windmills turned the incorrect way and motionless? Chances are their slew drive has failed because of too much torque positioned on it from powerful winds and its own weight. Torque is the twisting force that is exerted upon an axis or pivot and, for some slew drives, wind turbine torque is just too much to bear. For optimal wind turbine performance, you need a slewing drive that can handle a lot more torque. That’s where the hourglass technology comes in very handy.
Hourglass technology makes a slew drive that can withstand five to nine times survivability load. A standard slewing drive engages just one tooth, which is fine for very low-torque applications. An hourglass slew drive engages engages five to eleven teeth at one time. This increased tooth engagement gives the gearbox tremendous power and strength and the slewing drive much higher torque endurance and durability. These attributes make it the perfect choice for wind turbines as well as other high-torque, high-load applications. This hourglass technology also allows you to get both load-holding and rotational torque from the same gearbox.
So, the next time you see a windmill standing motionless with its back to the wind, it’s very possible that a faulty slew drive is to blame.
Related posts:
- Build Wind Turbines – Generate Free Power Everyday
- Wind Turbine Generators – Homemade Wind Turbines
- Do You Want Good Wind Turbines?
- How Wind Turbines Operate?
- Super-Charge Roof Mounted Wind Turbines By Using Roof Effect
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.