Dougster

Would you really want one next to your house?



YouTube - Danish Windturbine colapses in storm

This is a Vestas wind turbine. Big brand, very popular here in the states.

Dougster™

Attached Images

Wind Turbine.jpg (5.8 KB, 47 views)

PaulChristenson

Wind turbines are supposed to declutch themselves when they are in winds over their operating speeds...Based on some of the comments on this Youtube page...they went for the intentional failure...

Paul in VT

I used to own an ant farm but had to give it up. I couldn't find tractors small enough to fit it.
-- Steven Wright

Dougster

They went for an "intentional failure"???

And you base this conclusion on comments posted on YouTube???

Paul, please tell me you aren't serious here. Do you know what those things cost? Can you imagine the licensing and marketing repercussions?

This was a safety system failure pure and simple.

Dougster™

PaulChristenson

For the international audience:
The windmill was situated in Denmark.
Two repairmen was in in the tower investigating an anomaly reported by the remote surveillance system, when they noticed a mechanical failure, and the mill running out of control. Of course they hurried away.
The mill then proceeded uncontrolled for several hours until this happened.
Normally, emergency brakes (several redundant systems)would have taken care of such a situation.
Wind conditions was 10-12m/s at time of failure.

Paul in VT

I used to own an ant farm but had to give it up. I couldn't find tractors small enough to fit it.
-- Steven Wright

Dougster

Just to add to that, the wind turbine was supposedly about 10 years old. Two such Vestas turbines failed within the same week causing Vestas stock to take a sharp dip from which it has since recovered. They are supposed to be very good machines... but Mayor Bloomberg's idea about putting these things atop bridges and skyscrapers in New York City is just plain foolish in my opinion.

Dougster™

Mark / Ohio

That's still only approx. 25 mph. I thought they run up to 30-40 mph winds before shutting down. Would depend though if that was peak gust or an average speed. Peak could have been way above that with a high average speed not letting the rpm drop back much. Some turn sideways as well to keep from running away in the wind. The generator was no doubt already cooked from the high rpm long before the blades failed if it run that long free running.

On the plus side when they do fail, after the parts quit falling and any fires are put out, there is no lingering radiation for the next xxxx years.

Mark

2002 John Deere LT150

Deanster

Weird. How many hundreds of thousands if not millions of these things are there in existence? One of them blows, and it's all over the internet. Seems like people are anxious for these type of solutions to fail.

___________________________
Cub Cadet Yanmar EX3200, CL300 Loader w/ Rankin toothbar, Land Pride bucket forks, CB75 Backhoe w/ mechanical thumb, Woods LR72 Landscape Rake, Rankin RC20-72 rotary cutter.

Dougster

There are "tens of thousands" of them in service according to Vestas... albeit many of them much smaller than this one. Equipment failures are much more common than you'd think although few are as spectacular (and well photographed) as this one.

I don't think anyone anywhere is anxious for them to fail... ... and that was certainly not my point in posting. Three things caused me to post: 1) I received the video in an email from a former coworker, 2) Mayor Bloomberg's dubious idea to put wind turbines atop bridges and skyscraper's in NYC, and 3) Ads running endlessly during the Olympics describing windpower as "free" power. Only the most naive folks out there would ever describe windpower as "free" power. In fact, it remains the second most costly form of bulk electric power production in the world today.

Dougster™

Deanster

Sorry Dougster - I wasn't directing that at you. I recieved that same video in 3 emails and saw this post within an hour. I hadn't noticed who actually posted it. It is some pretty spectacular footage.

Also - what is the first most costly form of bulk electric power production in the world today?

___________________________
Cub Cadet Yanmar EX3200, CL300 Loader w/ Rankin toothbar, Land Pride bucket forks, CB75 Backhoe w/ mechanical thumb, Woods LR72 Landscape Rake, Rankin RC20-72 rotary cutter.

Dougster

Not counting fuel cell electric generation (a specialty source which I don't believe is in commercial use in any central station application anywhere in the world), photovoltaic still ranks as number one.

Note that this does not mean such technologies as wind and photovoltaic do not have their appropriate applications and/or niche markets. They definitely do. In fact, if I am ever lucky enough to buy and move up to the top of "Dougster Mountain" (to be so renamed upon purchase) up in the land of "Live Free or Die"... the old Dougster™ will be counting on wind and photovoltaic to power Dougster Manor! Backup to be provided by diesel power and battery banks, of course!

Dougster™