Electrolube Encapsulation Resin Meets Tough Specifications for Wind Turbine Electrical Installation

Wind turbines present some of the most challenging environments for electrical and electronic installations. Often subject to extremely high humidity levels, high temperatures and vibration, these installations require specialised protection measures above and beyond what would normally be needed under less aggressive conditions.

This was the case recently, when Electrolube was approached by a customer seeking advice on the protection of electrical devices and controls destined for installation within wind turbine units. Although sealed within an enclosure, these devices were nonetheless considered prone to moisture/water ingress as a result of internal condensation. Moreover, due to the levels of mechanical vibration present, the devices also required some form of physical protection.

Electrolube suggested an encapsulation resin as the best solution for protecting these devices from both moisture ingress and vibration damage. Further discussion with the customer revealed that the chosen resin must also be UL approved, offer excellent electrical insulation properties and be able to resist peaks in temperature of up to 120°C. Furthermore, it was deemed essential that the resin was capable of dissipating some of the heat away from the devices.

As a result of these consultations, Electrolube recommended its ER2188 UL94 V-0 approved encapsulation resin for this application.

ER2188 is a flame retardant two-part potting and encapsulating compound with a relative thermal index (RTI) of 130°C, a thermal conductivity of 0.91W/m.K and a high volume resistivity. It provides excellent adhesion to a wide variety of substrates and offers a high level of protection in a range of environments.

The customer duly tested the resin for this application and approved it for use.

See original article from Electrolube here