Title: M3L1 Glossary
Course: WIND 100WH Introduction to Wind Energy > Section: WIND 100WH Introduction to Wind Energy

M3L1 Glossary

Terms

Term | Definitions
anemometer | a "wind speed" meter
bearing pillow-block | case used to house the shaft bearings and mount them to a chassis, bedplate, or other structure
brake | used to lock a device into position for maintenance, or for protection during harsh conditions or failures
controller | a computing device used to control special functions of some system
deck, mid | the top deck (walking area) of the lower tower section (large wind turbines)
deck, saddle | the top deck (walking area) of the middle tower section or the bottom deck of the upper tower section (large wind turbines)
deck, yaw | the deck (walking area) of the top tower section (large wind turbines)
downwind HAWT | a type of horizontal-axis wind turbine. Wind passes the nacelle, then over the rotor/blades. (less structural stress)
DTA | the down tower assembly: it houses power conversion equipment and monitoring/control systems.
grid-tied | a power generating system designed to add any unused power into the electrical grid.
high-speed shaft | this is the shaft that connects the gearbox to the generator
hub | the rotating structure of a wind turbine that connects the blades to the low-speed shaft (part of drive train) and nacelle.
low-speed shaft | also called the main shaft, this is the shaft that connects the rotor to the gearbox
nacelle | the structure at the top of a wind turbine, housing the drive train, generator, and control systems.
nose-cone | usually an aerodynamic cover for the front of hub
Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) | a durable device for industrial process control using ladder logic programming. Wind turbines use PLCs for special control purposes.
rotor | refers to the entire rotating assembly (the hub, blades, and nose-cone if equipped)
rotor lock | used to lock the rotor into place by maintenance techs before servicing
stand alone | a power generating system designed to provide power to a system that is isolated from the grid. Any excess power generated is sometimes fed into storage batteries.
teetering | mounting the rotor to a shaft tilted slightly upwards from the horizontal axis (on HAWTs)
tower | the large structure on which the rotor, drive train, and generator components (nacelle) of a wind turbine sit
upwind HAWT | a type of horizontal-axis wind turbine. Wind passes the rotor/blades first, then over the nacelle. (ordinary design)
yaw control | the system used to turn the nacelle and rotor into or out of the wind about a vertical axis