r/interesting • u/closedcasket96 • 5h ago
Just Wow Brake pads from a Wind Turbine
On the left is a brake pad from the rotor brake of a Wind Turbine. On the right is what they look like when they need to be replaced
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u/Sir_Scribble_Lot 5h ago
TIL wind mills have brake pads, I though they just let the thing go as fast as it wants to get the most juice.
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u/Mister_Goldenfold 5h ago
If it goes too fast it’ll blow earth out of the universe again
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u/closedcasket96 5h ago
The rotor brakes are the secondary means of braking on a Wind Turbine, with the first being the actual blades. In too high of winds, sensors will tell the blades to pitch themselves in a way where they will just slice the wind instead of catching - preventing ‘runaway’ blades (YouTube a video of that), and vice versa when the winds are low.
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u/LoneSnark 3h ago
Can they reverse the blades? I feel that works be a good way to slow down before applying the brakes to stop if the winds get too high.
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u/Vilastrimoz 5h ago
Wind turbines have a maximum permitted RPM. They self destruct if they go too fast. So brakes are used to limit the top speed in high winds. Also, when the energy demand is low they don't need to spin as fast to meet demand.
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u/ListenBoth434 5h ago edited 5h ago
I would have assumed they'd be able to adjust pitch angle to be suboptimal to slow them down?
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u/Silver_Lined_Bullet 4h ago
Wind varies. If the pitch is adjusted so that the speed never goes too high at maximum wind speeds, then it will be generating very low power the majority of the time. High pitch blades with brakes allows the most power generation, even at slow wind speeds, while preventing the mill from reaching breaking-speeds.
I know the modern mills have automatically adjust blades, but i imagine that brakes were the first means of slowing down old mills
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5h ago
[deleted]
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u/Sweaty_Science286 5h ago
I think they would be toast after 1 windy day if it would relied completly only on them.
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u/guzzti 4h ago
No they absolutely are pitched. The mechanical break pads are used when personell is up in the nacelle for maintenance work as an extra safety precaution.
If brake pads were used to slow the blades down, it would 100% break the gear box and generate tremendous amount of heat. The same energy that goes into heating homes and electrifying the grid would in that case go into the brake pads.
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u/ColettesWorld 3h ago
Watch a video of a wind turbine brake failure. It's cool but terrifying. They spin so fast they rip themselves apart
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u/corrreccctor 5h ago
after how many days/weeks/months/years?
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u/closedcasket96 5h ago
I would say the normal span of these brake pads would be 2-3 years.
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u/xtiaaneubaten 4h ago
how much would one of those cost?
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u/TheBigBo-Peep 3h ago
Since it's probably just businesses and governments buying, probably something outrageous. And also negotiated one at a time.
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u/BlueMaxx9 3h ago
Don't try to scam me, there is plenty of life left on those pads! I said just change the oil! AND DON"T YOU DARE SHOW ME THE AIR FILTER!
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u/babesboysandbirb 5h ago
When turbine brake? Why turbine brake?
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u/Left-Impress4056 4h ago
Do you have a computer? Take compressed air and blow air through one of the fans. Hear the funny noise it makes? If you keep doing that, it will grenade. Same thing with wind turbines.
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u/Hot-Firefighter-2331 4h ago
I literally thought about whether wind turbines have brakes today after seeing a video of one burning lol.
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u/NewspaperShoddy7441 30m ago
Daaaamn, a GE colleague. Seeing that pad on elastomer gave me goosebumps just thinking about the hex screw with spring that you need to put back on
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