Before moving on to off shore wind farms let us first understand what wind farms are. Wind farms refer to a group of wind turbines that are set up together in one particular location. The wind turbines are connected to each other so that the power generated from each of them can be accumulated. A wind farm could have a minimum of 12 turbines or it could have one hundred turbines.
An off shore wind farm refers to a farm that is built away from the shore such as the ocean surface.
The advantage of such a location is that there are more winds blowing with excellent intensity on the ocean surface. The sensors in the wind turbines pick up the direction of the wind so that the wind turbine head can move to collect maximum wind energy. The wind energy is then transferred to the generator which is connected to a turbine.
The generator converts the wind energy into electricity which can then be used by households and offices.
Once the optimum location is chosen for the offshore wind farm, the piles are installed on the seabed. The piles are protected by an erosion protection system so that the sea water does not damage the piles. The top most part of the turbines is colored bright to avoid any kind of accidents. Once the group of turbines is installed the sensors turn the head of the turbines in a direction to collect maximum wind energy.
The blades face the wind to collect maximum wind energy. The gearbox installed inside the shaft powers the generator to convert wind energy into electricity. There are also cables installed on the sea bed for transferring power form the generator to the offshore transformer.
The accumulated wind power from the wind turbines helps to generate high voltage electricity. The best part of off shore wind farms is that precious space can be saved on the land and there is no noise from the wind turbines. The sea is an area where peace of the people is not disrupted. And the major currents of winds blow on the ocean bed and hence the off shore wind farm can make the most of the wind currents. The disadvantage is that the engineer will have to go out at sea for the maintenance and repair of wind turbines.