Wind turbines & Keller pressure sensors

In a typical construction the rotation of the blades has to be limited to a low speed to reduce the amount of mechanical strength/torque and noise they can produce.

The low speed rotation of the blades cannot produce enough force to generate any meaningful electricity. A gearbox is used to increase the rotation speed of the shaft running from the blades to the generator.

The necessary transmission ratio between the rotation torque and the high speed rotation required for the generator determines the overall size of the gearbox. The gearbox has to be extremely efficient because the transferred power output is extremely high. Energy loss can also be high, mainly due to heat, which is why the gearbox has to be cooled.

This is achieved with sophisticated lubrication technology in the gearbox. Oil pressure and oil temperature measurements are required in this process. In some applications the oil pressure is monitored by KELLER sensors. KELLER has provided multiple pressure transmitters from the 21Y series to a client who supplies these gearboxes for wind turbines.

The 21Y is the classic analogue industrial transmitter with a very low temperature error. It is small, robust and a good compromise between performance and price; making it the ideal solution for similar applications.

More information can be found at www.keller-druck.com