Wind Turbines 2

[unclesyd]

Last week I while caught by a train I saw 6 nacelles and 6 rotor hubs going by. Today I was caught by the train again and counted 12 nacelles, no hubs going by. This equipment is made by GE at their local facility. It looks like there is an increase in demand for wind turbines as I've never seen more than one unit before.

It is kinda ironic that these components are made by GE in a building built for Westinghouse Nuclear Components Division.

 

[patdaly]

Yep, right now they are putting up 350-400 in mid-Illinois. They just finished the same further downstate.

Bring em on!

 

[dpc]

So how many of these do you think will still be operating in 10 years?

 

[metengr]

Not many if they don't correct gear box manufacturing problems and blade cracking problems. Thus far, gear box reliability seems to be the long term problem in the US. Structural cracks in blades have surfaced with some wtg OEM's. This has been my part time job for the last 18 months.

 

[dpc]

They will need another tax incentive program to do maintenance on them probably...

 

[patdaly]

Let me guess, they are not built to the same standards as the rest of the worlds units?

Lovely, I guess I had better beef up my homeowners insurance.

 

[dpc]

I'm not sure there are many standards at this point.

One already fell down in the Northwest during testing.

 

[davidbeach]

dpc, the one that fell down was being (inadvertently) operated way outside any reasonable conditions. During the work the blades had been allowed to become fully pitched, should have been fully feathered, the brakes were disengaged, and the turbine was not connected to the grid; there was nothing to limit rotational speed and bad things happen under those conditions.

 

[dpc]

David, you're right, they were doing something they should not have been doing, but the guy is still dead. A more mature control system might/should have prevented this from occurring.

A rigid boiler code was developed over many years to reduce the hundreds of boiler explosions and thousands of deaths each year. I suspect this will happen with wind turbines, assuming they stay operational long enough.

 

[BJC]

The guy who was killed voilated standing proceedures, he returned to the nacelle for just a minute to get his cell phone he left in their. He didn't follow any of the lock-out proceedures.
Design on wind turbines to lessen the cost of maintenance seems to be in order. The first thing they usually need is a crane or two that can cost $4-1000 a day, plus travel time, set up time. The cranes that can do the job may not be free when needed. If you could put the generator on the ground it would seem possible to build a hoist into the tower that would handle the blade(S).

 

[dpc]

I still feel that violating test procedures should not cause a major structural failure of the system. Either the structure needs to be stronger or the safety systems need to be truly fail-safe.

 

[metengr]

The wind turbine business unfortunately has taken off so quickly in the last 2 years that the problem I have seen has more to do with supplier bottlenecks and qualification with parts as I mentioned in an earlier post versus design. All wtg designs are reviewed and approved by a 3rd party company like G-L in Germany.

The current top tier wtg OEM's (like GE, Mitsubishi, et al) have worked through their blade and gear box reliability issues early on. The current problem is that wind turbines are the flavor of the month for most energy producers.

This means that demand far exceeds the supply, the various wind turbine OEM's know that they have their customers over a barrel. This is where the sub par suppliers begin to supply parts that are not manufactured to the highest quality standards.

 

[jmw]

The offshore turbines are bigger still and need special support vessels.


JMW

http://www.ViscoAnalyser.com

 

[BigInch]

I think this is a case of size outgrowing technology where bigger is not necessarily better.

http://virtualpipeline.spaces.msn.com

"What gets us into trouble is not what we don't know, its what we know for sure" - Mark Twain

 

[UBbaja]

for anyone else stumbling upon this thread unfamiliar with wind power-

http://www.windpower.org/en/core.htm

pretty comprehensive

 

[unclesyd]

Here are some photos of wind turbine components going to an Indiana wind field. These parts are different from the one's in my original post. These were made in the UK and the ones I saw were made in Pensacola, FL.

http://pnj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/galler...NEWS01&ArtNo=805010806&Ref=PH&Params=Itemnr=1

 

[metengr]

The ones in Pensacola, FL were made by GE Wind. They have a fabrication shop in Pensacola, which I am scheduled to visit. By the way, stay away from any Suzlon S88 wind turbines until the blade cracking issue is rectified.

 

[ewh]

I don't know where they are made, and imagine they are going to west TX, but I often see them moving west on I-10 (San Antonio area) during my work commute.

Believe it if you need it or leave it if you dare. - [small]Robert Hunter[/small]

 

[eyec]

yesterday i was driving along the PA Turnpike near Somerset(US)and came across a smal (maybe a dozen) wind turnines in a field. my camera was in my bag behind my seat but tomorrow on my return trip i am going to stop and take a picture of one specifically. . .

it had one blade just dangling at a strange angle from its normal position and was not running while the others were truning away. i will post a link to the picture when i get home.

p.s. i must mention that i am more partial to MATS (multi axis turbine systems)wind turbines. the ones commercially available as well as the ones some universities are working with.

 

[unclesyd]

wwh,
You are probably correct. Aside from what is now under construction it been announced that T. Boone Pickens, famed for oil deals, is behind a 792 unit wind farm in west Texas. The turbines are to be supplied by GE.