Why Wind Turbines Catches Fire?
In fact, fires in wind turbines are much less common than fires in other energy sources, such
as the oil and natural gas sector, where there are thousands of fires a year.
The main causes of fire in wind turbines are:
- electrical failure in the nacelle;
- mechanical failures;
- maintenance failures;
- lightning.
The biggest risk in wind turbine fires is with wind blades, which are made of composite material.
Although the glass fibers of the blade are an insulating material, are polymeric, that is, they are flammable.
In addition, in a wind turbine, there are more than 400 liters of system oil engine, which is also
flammable.
The prevention of fires in the nacelles of the turbines is a great challenge, because even
though they are infrequent, they are the second leading cause of accidents in wind turbines, accounting for approximately 10% to 30% of total claims recorded.
However, the good news is, Wind turbines are designed to international standards in order to meet safety and health standards, including fire safety. Monitoring systems are used so that turbine fires can be resolved quickly and effectively.
Juliana Lucena, Dr. in Energy (UFPE), Production Engineer (USP), Professor at the Federal Network
