Belgium: Mersen to Supply Signal Transmission Systems for Thornton Bank

Mersen has been chosen by REpower, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of onshore and offshore wind turbines, to supply signal transmission systems for the Thornton Bank wind farm located 28km from the port of Ostend (Belgium).

This wind farm will eventually comprise 48 giant wind turbines, each with 6.15 MW in unit capacity-the most powerful built to date. The first of the 48 nacelles was installed on March 21.

The signal transmission systems are key components of a wind turbine’s electrical system because they directly affect performance and thus availability levels. The signals they carry control the pitch motors and also deliver information back from sensors in the blade area, such as fatigue and vibration data.

Mersen’s systems were chosen for this project because they meet the specific requirements of offshore facilities and are suited for high-power installations. The Group’s key strength is that it has designed a hybrid approach combining graphite brush and wire contact technologies in the same signal transmission system. As a result, its systems can carry both analog and digital signals via all the communication protocols used in the market.

This project establishes Mersen ideally in the burgeoning market of offshore wind turbines.

[mappress]

Offshore WIND staff, April 13, 2012; Image: rwe