Wind turbines are enormous pieces of machinery, but you might be surprised to find out they depend on reliable motor control and circuit protection, meaning small components like contactors, circuit breakers, motor starters, softstarters and switch-disconnectors are essential to keep your electro-windmills milling.
So even if you're building a massive power-propellor, ABB Value Provider and specialist ABB Distributor LED Controls has many of your key components in stock and ready to ship from from our warehouse today!
ABB AF Contactors: switching throughout the turbine
Contactors allow a relatively small control signal to switch a much larger electrical load, making them ideal for controlling motors, pumps and fans. In a wind turbine, this might mean pitch motors for adjusting blade angles, yaw motors for turning the nacelle into the wind, or even pumps and fans for hydraulic and cooling systems.
The ABB AF Contactor range can handle wide AC/DC control voltage ranges, helping reduce the number of variants required while providing built-in surge suppression and resistance to voltage fluctuations. LED Controls stocks and sources ABB AF Contactors alongside compatible overload relays and accessories.
ABB Manual Motor Starters: compact motor protection
ABB also specifies Manual Motor Starters for wind turbine pitch, yaw, hydraulic and cooling systems. These compact devices combine manual motor switching with protection against overload, short circuit and phase failure.
ABB Softstarters: smoother motor starting
Starting up a from a dead stop can produce high starting current and stress your motors out. Instead of immediately applying full voltage, ABB Softstarters provide smoother acceleration while reducing electrical and mechanical stress. So those pitch and yaw motors, and your hydraulic and cooling systems will be more efficient for longer.
ABB circuit protection: from MCCBs to MCBs and RCDs
Controlling electrical equipment is only half the job. Turbine circuits also need protection. ABB's Moulded Case Circuit Breakers (MCCBs) are used across wind architecture to provide higher-capacity protection against faults such as overloads and short circuits.
Smaller control, auxiliary and distribution circuits can use ABB Miniature Circuit Breakers (MCBs) and Residual Current Devices (RCDs). Together, these devices provide different levels of protection across turbine motors, controls, auxiliary equipment and electrical distribution.
ABB OT Disconnectors: safe electrical isolation
Turbines need maintenance, and engineers need to be kept safe when they're poking around in panels, so ABB OT and OT Plus Switch-Disconnectors are available for reliable isolation in a range of current ratings, pole configurations and mounting options, allowing isolation to be incorporated around motors, control panels and distribution equipment.
ABB Monitoring Relays: watching the electrical system
ABB CM-UFD Grid Feeding Monitoring Relays monitor parameters where a renewable energy source - in this case a massive wind turbine - connect to the main grid. This might include voltage, frequency, grid stability and loss-of-mains conditions. If measurements move outside safe limits, the relay initiates disconnection of the renewable system using external switching devices such as contactors or circuit breakers. Once grid conditions stabilise, the system can reconnect after a programmed delay.
ABB Sentry Safety Relays: protecting people and machinery
ABB Sentry Safety Relay range can form part of turbine safety systems, monitoring safety devices and helping protect personnel working around turbine machinery.
Essential equipment for a wide range of industries
LED Controls supplies ABB products suitable for applications across a vast range of industries, including Wind Power:
- ABB AF Contactors for motor and load switching
- ABB Manual Motor Starters for motor control and protection
- ABB Softstarters for controlled motor starting
- ABB MCCBs for higher-capacity circuit protection
- ABB MCBs and RCDs for smaller and auxiliary circuits
- ABB OT and OT Plus Disconnectors for electrical isolation
- ABB CM-UFD Monitoring Relays for electrical and grid condition monitoring
- ABB Sentry Safety Relays for machine safety
As an ABB Value Provider and specialist ABB Distributor, LED Controls can help specify and source the gear you need and get it to you when you need it. Browse our ABB products or contact our team for help selecting the right ABB products for your application.
