Mersen is a global expert in materials and equipment for extreme environments and for the safety and reliability of electrical equipement.
Mersen, Expertise, our source of energy
Mersen's expertise is geared to serving expanding markets like energy (including renewable energies), transportation, chemical-pharmaceuticals or electronics, but also its traditional markets like process industries, helping them to achieve greater energy efficiency.
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Mersen's expertise is geared to serving expanding markets like energy (including renewable energies), transportation, chemical-pharmaceuticals or electronics, but also its traditional markets like process industries, helping them to achieve greater energy efficiency.
- Anticorrosion and process equipment
- Electrical Solutions For Motors And Generators
- Advanced materials and solutions for high temperature
- Safety & Reliability for electrical power
Mersen’s business is organized today around 2 poles of expertise on which the Group holds leadership or co-leadership positions. Graphite systems and high-tech materials for highly demanding industrial environments: high temperature applications, anti-corrosive equipments; Components and innovative solutions underpinning the performance and safety of electrical installations: carbon brushes and brush holders, signal transfer systems for wind turbines, industrial fuses, cooling for power electronics…
With over 60 industrial sites and local representative offices around the world, Mersen’s network guarantees our customers a high-quality response right around the planet together with an unmatched delivery lead times.
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Mersen’s corporate project is first and foremost based on men and women of the Group.They are the one that have the expertise and develop innovative solutions. Their knowledge and know-how are Mersen’s primary asset, its human capital.
By signing up to the French Diversity Charter, Mersen has undertaken to promote a pluralistic approach and to combat all forms of discrimination.
initiative is part of a whole series of measures that the Group has implemented over the past few years to promote diversity. As a priority avenue of im...
Mersen makes this space available for its shareholders. You will find essential information about he Group with regulated information, presentations, letters to shareholders as well as other documents allowing you to better understand Mersen and its strategy.
Mersen makes this space available for its shareholders. You will find essential information about he Group with regulated information, presentations, letters to shareholders as well as other documents allowing you to better understand Mersen and its strategy.
No. 6: Mersen’s dedicated solutions for the wind energy market
After describing how a wind turbine works in its last edition, Focus Mersen will now present the range of solutions marketed by the Group to wind energy industry players, including wind turbine or generator manufacturers or wind farm operators.
MERSEN EQUIPMENT IS USED AT SEVERAL STAGES OF THE PROCESS OF GENERATING ELECTRICITY USING WIND ENERGY.
Firstly in the rotor (hub). The blade orientation system called « pitch » adjusts the angular position of blades to optimize the generator’s output by regulating their rotation speed (cf. Focus Mersen n°5). An automated device processes the charac- teristics of the wind, speed and orientation, and controls the pitch motors via a signal and power transfer system (1). Mersen is one of the principal manufacturers in the market of these systems. These pitch motors are fitted with brushes* (2) and brush-holders, also manufactured by Mersen.
Then in the generator – which is around 3m long and 2m high for a 2 MW wind turbine – key components manufactured by Mersen include brushes (43), brush-holders (34) and slip-ring assemblies (5).
The aim of the slip-ring assembly, which comprises rings is to carry the current produced by the rotor to the external circuit via brushes. For the slip-ring/brush assembly to work properly, it is important to keep the brush in contact with the collector under adequate pressure. This is the role of the 3 brush-holder.
Asynchronous generators account for 80% of the wind energy market, part of which is fitted with brushes (60% to 65%). There is also an alternative technology, namely synchronous with or without brushes. We will discuss advantages and drawbacks of these technologies in a next issue of Focus Mersen.
A whole series of electrical protection solutions is also fitted in wind turbines:
- air coolers to circulate air around the generator and gearbox to prevent overheating,
- water coolers (6) for cooling the power converter downstream of the generator,
- fuses (7), switches and power-isolating switches to protect the electrical and electronic circuits of the wind turbine, which are found in the coupling box linked to the nacelle, but also in the foot of the mast, notably in the cabinet connecting it to the electricity grid.
Most of these solutions have been adapted specifically by Mersen to meet the constraints of wind energy equipments. The objective is to enhance their longevity and their reliability to reduce maintenance and maximize the output and quality of signals carried by their systems.
