Industrial invited talk on "Wind Turbine Mechanical System Design"

Industrial invited talk on "Wind Turbine Mechanical System Design" by Dr. Bhavesh Kachhia from GE-Global Research

Dr. Bhavesh Kachhia is a Senior Scientist  in Mechanical and Materials Stream at GE Global Research, John F Welch Technology Center, Bangalore. He is a Mechatronics Engineer by training and obtained his Masters degree in Industrial Tribology from IIT-Delhi and PhD in Contact Mechanics from Insa-de-Lyon  France. He has been serving GE Global Research since 2006 in the area of Design of Wind Turbine Bearings.  His fields of interest are Pitch and Yaw Systems in Wind Turbine, Dry and Lubricated Contact Mechanics. He has authored more than 40 internal/external publications and recipient of number of GE technology awards.

Abstract of the talk

As our solar system moves closer  to the super-sun, human consciousness will continue to blossom. It will reflect in the way we use this planet. One of the things that is already happening in this direction is how we generate power; we are moving away from fossil fuel and trying to use the ultimate energy source known to the mankind - the sun. Although it is the right direction, the technological challenges are plenty to make renewable energy a mainstream choice. However, it is not beyond human’s wit.

Wind turbine is an electro-mechanical  machine that converts wind into electricity. In the recent years wind turbines have grown both in size and their ability to produce continuous power. It is important to increase the hub height and the rotor diameter in order to match the cost with that of  fossil fuel based alternatives. The mechanical challenges to design such a huge machine are enormous and the modern wind turbines are no less than an engineering marvel.