Components of a Wind Energy Converter

Rotor blades, gear box, generator and tower are the main components of a wind energy converter. Glass fiber reinforced plastic blades are preferred in modern turbines due to less weight and more strength. Hydrodynamic gear boxes may offer efficiency related advantage over conventional design. Synchronous as well as asynchronous generators are both used in wind energy converters. Depending upon the height of converter, the type of tower is chosen out of a simple pole or lattice tower to a modern tubular steel tower are concrete tower. Other components, such as yaw mechanism and anemometer, also play an important role in the efficient operation of a wind turbine, whereas foundation, vibration measurement, and brakes are important for its safe operation.