Through the promotion of renewable energy sources worldwide, wind energy investments are increasing day by day. However, wind power plants have certain inherent fire risks. For example, in case of a fire, wind turbines are out of the response capacity of firefighters due to their height. On the other hand, human intervention is not possible in wind power plants that are installed on the sea.
The majority of wind turbine fires break out in the "Nacelle" section on top of the turbine tower due to lightning strikes, overheating, mechanical failure, short circuits and similar electrical faults. Most of these fires result in the turbine becoming unusable due to the almost-impossible external intervention and the rapid spread trend. It can be also seen that the fire spreads to the surrounding areas due to the broken parts. Downtime and need for making an investment in a new turbine constitutes a substantial financial loss.
There are multiple fire extinguishing solutions that can be installed in wind turbines. For example, Water Mist Suppression Systems ensure efficient protection without occupying too much space in the compartment thanks to their lower water requirement. Gaseous Suppression Systems that use Chemical, Inert or CO2 gas can contain electrical fires in a very short time. Aerosol Suppression Systems and Fine Spray Suppression Systems also protect the generator compartments of the wind turbine against fire.
Each solution that we have mentioned here has its own benefits as well as some challenges such as maintenance procedures, size of storage area and corrosion effect etc. When selecting the system, the criteria such as absence of vibration in the compartment, amount of dust, dirt and airflow and high temperature changes should be taken into consideration.
Another significant fire risk in Wind Power Plants is the transformer and electrical control panel that are used to transfer energy to the grid. In the small building, which contains such equipment and which is located next to the tower; a fire may occur due to lightning strikes, failure to perform regular maintenance and loose connection points. Here, too, early fire detection and automatic extinguishing are essential for ensuring continuity.
Neglecting the fire protection in wind power plants, which have inherent risks and operational difficulties, may result in enormous loss. Early detection and automatic extinguishing of a possible fire prevents much larger and irreversible damages.
As EEC, we offer the most suitable solutions for fire protection of your wind power plants based on our knowledge, experience and robust staff. Contact us now to protect your investments against fire risks.
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