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Partnering February, 2018
HARTING Connectors Boost Efficiency of Wind Power Plants
By Carsten Edler, Industry Segment Manager — Wind Energy, and Norbert Weiss, Team Leader Marketing Services — Han®, HARTING Electric GmbH & Co. KG G
ermany’s roughly 30,000 wind turbines currently produce around 50,000 MW of electric-
ity for households and companies. The expansion of wind energy both onshore and offshore is helping to de- termine the pace and success of the shift in energy policy introduced at the beginning of the decade —a move away from nuclear power toward re- newable energies, as well as reduced energy consumption. Profitability and efficiency are critically important to the site prepa-
ration, installation, operation, and maintenance of wind turbines. Com- bined, these factors contribute to in- vestment and operating costs and ul- timately determine the economic im- pact that a wind power plant can provide. Plants that are down pro- duce no energy, receive no feed-in tariffs and leave their potential to generate revenue untapped.
A Partner to the Wind Industry With its connection technology,
the HARTING Technology Group is
accompanying the transformation under way in the energy sector. HARTING’s product portfolio ranges from single components to complete customer-specific solutions and digi- tization strategies. The company’s of- ferings also include consultation services, providing the basis for long- term, lucrative and secure invest- ments in the sector. Wind turbines are subjected to
extraordinary stresses both onshore and offshore, due to the particulari- ties of their respective locations, cli- mates, corrosion, and other environ- mental influences. Creating the foun- dation for maximum value retention of these systems requires optimal re- liability, the best materials, high me- chanical robustness, rapid assembly, strategic maintenance cycles, and service that is easy to perform. HARTING connectors help to
For all your workbench needs.
reduce the cost of erecting and oper- ating wind turbines. Modular wind turbines have flexible designs and components that are easy to switch out. Connectors significantly in- crease the modularity of these facili- ties and an ever-increasing number of wind turbines are being designed this way. The pre-assembly of individual
units makes the modular concept work. Components are assembled quickly and joined together at the wind turbine’s final location.
Connecting Turbine Modules HARTING connectors offer a
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number of benefits. Using these con- nectors for wind turbine modules can reduce the costs accrued during in- stallation and operation of the plants. An example is the type of con- nector used between the slip ring body and stationary nacelle. The slip ring is used to transmit signals for the pitch systems that determine the angle of incidence of the rotor blades. A pluggable design, HARTING’s Han-Modular® contact inserts and hinged frame, has many advantages over permanently-attached wiring. The slip ring can be replaced
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quickly, reducing downtimes and minimizing revenue loss. If servicing is required, the slip ring can be re- placed without intervention in the pitch system and without disman- tling the connecting cables. The drives for rotor blade ad-
justment, blade heating, lighting systems, and yawing, as well as the generator brakes, can also be con-
nected easily. Complex wiring is no longer required. In the event of maintenance, worn parts can be quickly and easily replaced. Connec- tors also facilitate the work of the as- semblers, who often need to install components in difficult-to-reach places on the gondola and tower. Many types of wind turbines
use a gearbox to tune the speed and torque between the rotor and the generator to optimize efficiency. Con- nectors speed up installation there as well. Pre-assembled cables and connectors with a high degree of pro- tection, e.g. the Han® Eco, Han HPR or Han M, quickly make the neces- sary connections between the gear units.
Using HARTING connectors
also offers advantages for tower lighting. The energy bus elements for the lighting can be pre-installed in the tower segments. At the con- struction site, fitters only need to put the segments together. Connectors speed up installa-
tion and increase the modularity of a wind turbine, reduce investment and operating costs, and provide options for the optimization and modulariza- tion of the power cabinets. In addi- tion, without a modular design, the onsite logistics of onshore plants with an average output of 3.3 MW — including connectors — would quick- ly reach their limits. As a rule, the cost associated with the use of plug- in connectors is usually amortized within a few years. In addition, the company pro-
duces LED lighting systems as turnkey system solutions with plug- gable device connections, pre-as- sembled cables, distribution units and, if required, uninterrupted power supplies. The HARTING Technology
Group is a partner to the wind indus- try and is contributing to the world- wide energy transformation. The company researches and produces — partly autonomously and partly with wind turbine manufacturers — con- cepts, components and customized systems for the specific requirements of wind turbines on land and at sea. Making connections between modu- lar wind turbine components is help- ing to advance the global energy in- dustry.
Contact: HARTING North
America, 1370 Bowes Road, Elgin, IL 60123 % 847-717-9217 E-mail:
christina.chatfield@
harting.com
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