Hyland 920 small wind turbine. The safest on the market.
October 14, 2021 - Written by Diffuse Energy
Telecommunications companies play an essential role in keeping Australia (and the world) connected. They are often solely responsible for maintaining critical infrastructure systems such as emergency .....
Unlike large wind turbines, small wind turbines are often located near humans which can increase the chance of accidental injury or damage. Consequently, it is important that the design of the wind turbine focuses on safety to prevent any accidents from occurring.
Our Hyland 920 small wind turbine has been designed with safety in mind and leverages over 20 years of research and development at the University of Newcastle. We are confident in saying that it is the safest and most efficient small wind turbine on the market.
You may have noticed that our turbine has a ‘ring’ that surrounds the blades. This is called a diffuser (read more on our diffuser here) and its primary purpose is to increase the efficiency of the turbine – however it also significantly increases the safety of the turbine. It does this by reducing exposure to the blade tips and also increasing the visibility of the turbine’s outer circumference (as the blades can be quite hard to see when spinning at high speeds).
Another benefit of the diffuser becomes apparent in the highly unlikely event of a catastrophic blade failure. Just to be clear, catastrophic blade failure is exactly how it sounds - the blades go flying at high speed away from the turbine. The presence of the diffuser shroud effectively ‘catches’ the blades and damage to surrounding equipment is minimised, which we have verified through destructive testing.
The Hyland 920 has also been designed for ease of installation. Our turbine is essentially ‘plug-and-play’ into existing solar and battery systems - all that is needed is a suitable place to install it.
Due to the Extra-Low Voltage (more on this below) design of the Hyland 920, a licensed electrician is not required for installation which reduces installation time and cost. This is particularly useful for our off-grid customers as they can safely install the Hyland 920 simply by following our Installation Guide (which is supplied after purchase).
For our telecommunications customers, a typical install is done at the top of existing towers by their licensed tower climbers. This is a straightforward procedure with no electrician required, again due to the Extra-Low Voltage design of the Hyland 920.
From a safety perspective, the simple installation process results in a lower chance of complications during more involved installations (like the top of a telecommunications tower for example).
Our Hyland 920 is not only designed with safety in mind – it is engineered to last more than 10 years in the harsh Australian outback, with components that are easily replaceable when things do go wrong.
All mechanical components have been designed in accordance with the international small wind turbine design standard IEC 61400.2 – 2013. We have utilised state-of-the-art computer aided engineering software to test and verify these components. Furthermore, we have conducted extensive wind load testing with a calculated return rate of 50 years as per AS 1170.2 for Category D wind speed.
In addition to the thorough design and testing process, all turbine components have been manufactured using premium-grade, long-lasting materials that require zero maintenance over their lifetime. Read our article here for more information on the design and materials of the Hyland 920.
Similar to the mechanical design of the Hyland 920, great care has been taken to ensure the longevity and safety of the electrical systems within the turbine. All electrical components have been designed to comply with the Extra-Low Voltage standard AS 3015 – 2004 (to prevent electrical shock injury). Additionally, our Hyland 920 MkII Controller has inbuilt storm protection and thermal derating which allows the system to automatically shut down when there is a risk of damaging turbine components.
We understand that each application for our Hyland 920 is different, and you may have more specific questions related to your needs. Please reach out to us at sales@diffuse-energy.com if you would like any additional safety information.
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