Many parts of the wind turbine are hidden inside the nacelle. The following are the internal components:
(1) Low speed shaft
When the wind turbine blades rotate, the low-speed shaft is driven by the rotation of the wind turbine blades. The low-speed shaft transfers kinetic energy to the gearbox.
(2) Transmission
The gearbox is a heavy and expensive device that can connect a low-speed shaft to a high-speed shaft. The purpose of the gearbox is to increase the speed to a speed sufficient for the generator to generate electricity.
(3) High-speed shaft
The high-speed shaft connects the gearbox to the generator, and its sole purpose is to drive the generator to generate electricity.
(4) Generator
The generator is driven by a high-speed shaft and generates electricity when the high-speed shaft delivers enough kinetic energy.
(5) Pitch and yaw motors
Some wind turbines have pitch and yaw motors to help maximize wind turbine efficiency by positioning the blades in the best possible direction and angle.
Usually the pitch motor can be seen near the hub of the rotor, which will help to tilt the blades to provide better aerodynamics. The yaw pitch motor will be located in the tower below the nacelle and will make the nacelle and rotor face the current wind direction.
(6) Braking system
The key component of a wind turbine is its braking system. Its function is to prevent the wind turbine blades from rotating too fast and causing damage to the components. When braking is applied, some of the kinetic energy will be converted into heat.
Post time: Nov-24-2021
