What role does induction heating play in the promotion of wind turbines?

Oil crisis, energy crisis, global warming. We all recognize the need to find sustainable alternatives to fossil fuels. One of the most promising alternatives is wind.

Wind energy is clean, free and the supply is unlimited. There is only one problem. How can we harvest it? We will try to explain how modern technology harvests energy from wind and how induction heating can help us do so.
Wind energy is nothing new. For millennia, mankind has used it to move ships. And, of course, windmills have been grinding grain, pumping water and irrigating fields for centuries. What's new, however, is the prospect of using wind to supply electricity to entire cities - which isn't as far off as you might think.

For example, according to new data from the Global Wind Energy Council (an international wind energy advocacy organization), 60.4 GW of wind power capacity was installed worldwide in 2019, a 19 percent increase over 2018 installations and the second best year for wind power on record. Total installed wind power capacity worldwide is now more than 651 GW - a 10 percent increase over 2018.

These numbers are impressive. But what role has induction technology played in promoting green wind power? To answer this question, we must first look at the structure of a typical modern wind turbine. Essentially, a wind turbine consists of tower-mounted rotors that, when rotated by the wind, turn a low-speed shaft that is connected via a gearbox to a high-speed shaft that operates a generator.

To begin with, a large bearing is needed to keep the rotors turning, but not just any bearing will do. Because of the high loads and torque, the rotor bearing must be custom hardened - something for which the induction heating process is ideal.

Induction heating in wind turbines

The heart of any wind turbine is the gearbox. Here, the quiet rotation of the rotor blades is converted into the approximately 1500 revolutions per minute required by the generator. Induction hardening systems can be used to harden the teeth of the key motor responsible for keeping the rotor in the direction of the wind. The yaw motor rotates the rotors to the correct position using a cam wheel that connects to a large yaw bearing mounted on the turbine tower. An electronic controller, which is constantly fed with data from an anemometer mounted on the nacelle, tells the yaw motor when to turn the rotors.

Synergy of induction heating and wind energy

The contribution of induction heating to wind turbines is not limited to hardening components. A generator, for example, requires brazing, an operation easily performed by most commercially available equipment. Most manufacturers allow operators to braze even the hardest-to-reach generator parts. Additionally, the use of induction heating greatly reduces process time and increases productivity.

There is much talk about the "green" or "environmentally friendly" nature of wind turbines, but induction technology has the potential to make this energy source even greener. This is because induction itself is an inherently clean process. It eliminates open flames (and the smoke and fumes associated with them), reduces the need for fuel transportation, and promotes safer and healthier workplaces. Induction is also energy efficient. There is no massive heat loss associated with stoves and ovens. In fact, induction and wind energy form a "virtuoso circle" - Clean electricity from the wind powers induction heating systems, which in turn produce turbines that generate clean electricity.