Gearless Wind Turbines getting a Big Boost

EU-Digest

Gearless Wind Turbines getting a Big Boost

Conventional wind turbines have an Achilles heel in the form of their clunky and expensive gearboxes. Gearboxes act as the middleman to convert the slow rotations of wind turbine blades into the faster rotations needed for generators to create electricity. The downside of such gears comes from their high-maintenance requirements due to constant stress from wind turbulence.But that could all change soon. By contrast, the turbine design of more advanced turbines connects the rotor shaft directly to the generator. The slower rotational speed gets offset by the presence of magnets that spin around at a larger diameter -- and hence higher speed -- to produce more current in the generator coil. Such direct-drive generators currently cost more than gearbox turbines at installation, and represent a 15 to 20 percent heavier load. But the future payoff may come from eliminating the repair costs and downtime associated with gearboxes -- a very important consideration for offshore turbines beyond easy reach.

For more information on direct drive wind turbines click on this link