Accuride Slides Help Vestas Wind Turbines Harness the Power of Wind
A wind turbine is made up of four distinct parts - the generator, the tower, blades, and the nacelle. Most people will be able to identify the first three, however the fourth may be a little trickier. The nacelle is the compartment on top of the tower which houses all the components which work to turn the kinetic energy from the blades into electricity.
The nacelle is an impressive part of the wind turbine, and it can often be as heavy as 300 tons and over 15 meters long – some are even as large as a small house!
Vestas are a large player within the sustainable energy systems industry. They design, manufacture, install and service wind turbines, with an impressive 157 GW of wind energy produced across 88 countries. They are constantly rethinking their design to maximise large-scale wind growth, especially the design of the nacelle. Therefore, they were particularly pleased to find out that Accuride distributor Hans Buch A/S could recommend a full solution which would improve the inner workings of the nacelle.
The Importance of the Nacelle
The nacelle is an essential part of the wind turbine as it houses the generator and gearbox, which are the components the wind turbine needs to produce electricity. The wind powers the blades, creating kinetic energy, which is then converted into electricity using the generator housed within the nacelle.
The nacelle itself can be accessed via a lift and ladders, however it is also important that it is easy to access the components within the nacelle like the generator or UPS power supply in case of maintenance and repair work.
Vestas Controls is the sister company of Vestas Wind Systems, and they were looking for a telescopic slide which was strong enough to support and move the battery trays within the UPS power supply. Hans Buch A/S were careful to make sure they listened to the requirements and recommended the best solution.
“Our partnership with Vestas Wind Systems has been such a success because we were able to listen to their needs and provide a full solution. For this, we not only supplied the slide itself but the whole drawer system. This, along with our great working relationship, has culminated in a 15 year partnership which we are proud of.” – Claus Holm, Sales Product Manager Hans Buch A/S
In the end, Hans Buch recommended our DZ9308-E4 locking drawer slide for use in the floor of the nacelle to support and move the batteries. The slide can support an impressive 272kg, with the full extension feature ensuring easy access when required.
Propelling the system to success
The second project Hans Buch worked on was for Vestas Wind Solutions, for this they recommended our DZ3607-2 slide to move the fan within the nacelle out for maintenance.
The DZ3607-2 slide is a popular heavy duty slide due to its impressive load rating of up to 120kg and the slide’s full extension feature. The zinc-plated slide also comes with a lock-out feature which ensures that the slide remains firmly secured in the open position when required. The front disconnect feature also makes it possible to disconnect the slide for easy maintenance.
Wind turbines are powerful, with the largest type of wind turbine able to generate enough energy to power 600 homes. These powerful machines need the best components to ensure the best results. Do you have a requirement for a sliding system to make maintenance easier or to improve accessibility? We stock a range of sliding systems, with load rating of up to 600kg and features like full extension and lock in and lock out available. Browse our product range or contact us directly for more information.
