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Shaft-Grounding Ring for Wind Turbines

Electro Static Technology’s AEGIS WTG wind turbine grounding ring seeks to prevent bearing damage that could otherwise cause generator failure by safely channeling harmful shaft currents away from bearings to the ground. Maintenance-free, effective at any wind turbine speed, and available for any-size generator, the ring is designed for OEM installation or easy up-tower retrofit.

As the Maine-based company explains, high-frequency currents induced on the shafts of wind turbine generators can reach levels of 60 amps and 1,200 volts or greater. If not diverted, these currents will discharge through the generator’s bearings, causing severe electrical damage that results in bearing failure and catastrophic turbine failure, sometimes in as little as six months. The WTG uses a conductive microfiber technology to divert up to 120 amps of continuous shaft current at frequencies as high as 13.5 MHz and discharge up to 3,000 volts (peak). Ideal for use as part of a preventive maintenance program to protect against premature bearing failures, it can be installed whenever bearings are replaced. (http://www.est-aegis.com)

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