Despite its invisibility, wind is incredibly powerful and useful. Although we see it playing with leaves and feel it rippling through our hair, how often do we actually stop to consider what a powerful force it is? To harness that power, wind turbines were invented. These tall, white, tree-like structures convert the movement of wind into electricity, a process known as wind energy. The rotors within the turbines morph the wind’s kinetic energy into mechanical energy, which is then transformed into electricity.
Wind turbines are made up of many different, essential parts. The tower gives them their height (300 feet or more, generally) and helps them reach faster, less turbulent wind. Their blades change angle depending on the wind’s direction and serve to capture the wind’s power.waterproof Butt Connector The nacelle moves the energy through a gearbox to a generator that leads into the grid network (which is located underground). Using techniques like pitch control and yawing, the turbine is adjusted for optimum performance. Finally, some of the smallest mechanisms in a turbine (but still very important) are the wind energy connectors.
The number and type of connectors used in a single turbine varies based on its size, application, and location. When used with the blades for yaw and pitch control functions, for example, wind energy connectors are often a very specific type: high-realiability modular interconnects with “plug-and-play” abilities. Offering convenience in addition to increasing the speed of installation and maintenance, they’re the perfect choice for the job. Other connectors used in wind turbines include industrial circular, heavy duty, high voltage, high-performance signal and power, M8, M12, and M23 sensors, Industrial Ethernet, and terminal blocks. Turbines also utilize cable assemblies, with common types including data transfer, power distribution, control and monitoring, fiber optic single-mode, and multimode. Although these devices are generally quite small, they make up more than 25% of most wind turbine content.
Offshore and onshore are the two sectors of wind energy production, and you can guess which is which. Offshore wind makes up only 2% of the total wind energy capacity worldwide. Onshore wind is divided into small-scale (remote turbines usually standing alone) and utility-scale (turbines built closely together and controlled by SCADA systems).
The industry is strong and increasing production all the time, with new turbines predicted to be installed in Eastern Europe, Canada, Australia, Brazil, and Mexico. Wind energy connector manufacturers are simply working to lower their costs while improving quality. As consumers emphasize their hope for more environmentally-friendly (but still affordable) energy, wind energy is a great option.