Heavy duty connector Modular and innovative design reduces offshore wind power operation and maintenance costs
Lower capital expenditure
Equipping wind turbines with industrial connectors is an important way to reduce costs, because the production and installation time of wind turbines can be shortened by optimizing the wind turbine manufacturing process and reducing installation errors, resulting in lower labor costs.
Connectors can be used in many locations within wind turbines, where corrosion resistance and electromagnetic shielding are typically required. Depending on the usage environment and application requirements, SMICO offers three typical modular fan connectors. These modular connectors enable side-by-side transmission of power, signal and data, saving space and material by optimizing the total number of interfaces, thereby achieving cost savings. In general, connectors account for less than 0.3% of the total cost of a wind turbine..
The modular design of the connectors provides unique advantages during the fan production process and during installation, such as plug-and-play with new components or replacement parts, coded connectors to avoid mis-mating, and rear mounting options to speed up switchgear. assembly and so on.
Low operating cost
The entire life cycle of wind turbines requires regular maintenance. If a component suddenly shows failure, whether it's a large part like a blade, or a small part like a sensor, the failed part must be repaired or replaced quickly. The advantage of HARTING's modular connectors is that it takes less time to replace electronic components and thus enables faster failure analysis. Through the connector, the wind turbine components can be quickly disconnected and reconnected from the system, so that the system can quickly resume operation and reduce losses caused by downtime.
In wind turbines, there are often hard-to-reach areas that can quickly become time consuming if electrical maintenance, failure analysis, or component replacement is required. HARTING connector solutions help to improve working processes in these areas and even make it possible to insert and unplug components sometimes out of sight. Compared to onshore wind, the time window for on-site maintenance in the offshore wind sector is typically shorter. With connector technology, many tasks in offshore wind can be performed by semi-skilled workers, and the system can be brought back into operation quickly after a defective component has been replaced, so the benefits are even more pronounced.
In conclusion, in the production of wind turbines, the use of connectors enables many aspects of the manufacturing process to be optimized while reducing errors. With a plug-and-play design, users can quickly and easily integrate components into wind turbines, reducing the time workers spend on site. When installing wind turbines in the field, components such as hubs, towers and nacelles can be connected and commissioned faster with the help of connectors than by hard wiring. When replacing wind turbine components, maintenance can be carried out even without the involvement of professionals, reducing downtime and waiting for valuable time for specialists, resulting in significant savings in operating costs.
