Robust housing for offshore applications
The lightning measurement device detects and analyses all the important parameters of lightning impulse currents in order to provide a better basis for making maintenance decisions. Offshore wind turbines in particular require a robust, reliable system due to the demanding climatic conditions on the high seas and the vibrations that occur at the installation site.
Brief technical description
- Customised small housing
- Suitable for top-hat rail mounting
- L x W x H: 170 mm x 70 mm x 80 mm
- Modular housing design to accommodate two electronic assemblies that are pluggably connected via a backplane
- Corrosion-resistant stainless steel housing
Highly effective EMC protection
Realisation
There was a great need to optimise the existing customer solution with regard to the existing housing. Above all, the design was to be converted into a modular housing concept in order to facilitate access to the electronics for possible maintenance work.
Furthermore, the assembly effort was to be significantly reduced in order to save costs. During the development process, a one-piece housing with over thirty screw connections was transformed into a sophisticated, easy-to-install housing with just two screw connection points.
In order to cope with the climatic conditions on the high seas, a corrosion-resistant stainless steel housing was chosen, which was also designed to withstand high shock and vibration loads in accordance with the external conditions at the place of use. To ensure reliable cooling of the electronics, an optimised passive ventilation concept with cooling openings in a honeycomb pattern structure was provided. EMC protection, which could be realised cost-effectively via contact elements integrated into the housing shells, played a special role.
In order to facilitate possible maintenance work, the decision was made in favour of a sliding concept. The particular challenge here was, on the one hand, to reliably contact the plug connectors of the electronic assemblies when installing or replacing a module and, on the other hand, to avoid impermissible loads on these plug connectors.
Customer benefits
- Very low assembly effort
- High ease of maintenance thanks to innovative pluggable housing concept
- High shock and vibration resistance
- Reliable contacting of the connectors under shock and vibration loads
- Optimised passive cooling
- Cost-optimised housing solution
