A wind power engineer’s responsibilities could include material design, manufacturing, and maintenance of wind turbine generator assemblies. He or she may be tasked with testing, repairing, or installing wind turbines. Gathering, researching, and analyzing geographical and meteorological data on a wind farm site is another common task for a wind power engineer. Electrical engineers who connect the wind power generated to the electrical grid are also employed in this field.
Engineers who work in the wind power industry usually design the components that make up the assembly of a wind generator. Another task that an engineer may perform or supervise is the manufacturing of these components. A wind power project’s blades, turbines, and posts must meet engineering standards for both performance and public safety.
Tests and evaluations of prototype wind power assemblies can also be done a wind power engineer. Some mechanical engineers may build assemblies to make the blades’ composite structures, which are often quite large. Composite materials engineers are a subset of this profession in charge of designing and manufacturing blade assemblies.
Wind turbines and assemblies are subjected to a great deal of physical stress as a result of the physical forces used in wind power generation, necessitating repair. Wind turbine repair is also overseen mechanical or electrical engineers who work in the industry, ensuring that the work done construction personnel meets safety and performance standards. A wind power engineer may also supervise the installation of weather data collection equipment. He or she can use that information to determine the best wind turbine orientation and placement. This is common during the site preparation phase of a wind farm project, before the infrastructure is installed.
Wind energy engineers may collaborate with electrical engineers to design a suitable power grid connection. This is done to ensure that the electrical current generated can be safely distributed from the generator to the power grid without putting people in danger. A wind power engineer will also do calculations to figure out how much energy is generated a wind source. Because wind power is intermittent and reliant on natural wind movement, a wind power engineer can look back at previous wind performance. He or she will do so in order to assist electrical utility managers in forecasting peak and low wind power generation levels.
“Wind power engineer” is a catchall term in this industry. It usually refers to someone who has earned a degree in aerodynamic engineering, indicating that he or she is knowledgeable about and skilled in manipulating aerodynamic forces. Mechanical and electrical engineers work in the wind energy industry, constructing the supporting structures for the wind turbines’ aerodynamic operation.