Wind Turbine Surge Protection Systems Improve Efficiency
The two most important ways to improve nearly any system is to reduce the cost of operation and increase the capacities of the product being produced. When it comes to power production, we are talking about reducing the amount of maintenance necessary to keep the exposed elements of the system in working order as well as the costs associated with the components themselves. Traditional methods of power production involve the purchase of a fuel source like coal or oil, which will also impact the prices which are ultimately paid by consumers for the electrical product. Green energy technologies do not need to purchase the fuel source as they utilize natural occurring elements like wind and sun in order to turn turbines which produce electricity. The costs associated with these types of systems are generally in maintenance, as certain characteristics create higher repair costs than fossil fuel systems will have. As an example, we can look at wind power production as a method of producing electricity that has advantages and disadvantages. The advantages over fossil fuels are that there is no pollution being generated through the burning of a fuel source, as well as having the potential to be produced at lower costs in the future. As the technologies involved in systems such as this are improved, the prices associated with production are driven down. Eventually, improvements to the systems will create situations where the power is generated at a lower cost than the comparable fossil fuel systems, ultimately making fossil fuel power systems obsolete. When a production method is both more environmentally damaging and also more expensive, there is no reason for that type of system to be chosen over a better, cleaner method. We are on the verge of this situation with wind power production.
The disadvantages to wind turbine systems are that they are easily damaged by inclement weather and lightning strikes, and have limited capacities as far as production and storage. With regards to the production capacities, power can only be generated when the wind is blowing. This means that through the development of better energy storage systems, we can harness and distribute more electricity even when the wind is not blowing. By developing better methods of avoiding damage as a result of the known primary sources of damage, we can also drive down costs by not only keeping the systems online for longer periods of time but also by reducing costs of maintenance. Wind towers are notoriously difficult to maintain, and any extension of the lifespan of the equipment involved reduces costs significantly. Lightning strikes to the blades and nacelle are difficult to avoid, but through the development of cheaper composite materials we can reduce their replacement costs. Even more impactful is the development of improved surge protection systems that can be integrated into wind towers in order to isolate damage of a lightning strike to the strike point itself. Lightning strikes produce power surges which move from the strike point through the system and overwhelm computerized equipment attached. By isolating the surge to the area around the strike point, we can protect the equipment downstream and further drive down costs. Eventually, this will result in cheaper power being produced by wind towers then by fossil fuel systems.
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