Hawnjigs
KISS
And wondered how something so humongous is built?
Ever seen a wind turbine?
- Thread starter Hawnjigs
- Start date
Cool vid, kinda reminds one of the giant shovels they use for tar sands and mining ops. I live in an area with wind farms (Laf/IN/I65) and still freak that they withstand such violent storms. Yeah, they're big, but so are Midwest T-storms and they seem to shake it off pretty well. No idea about tornado worthiness on these rigs, just know for sure I'd not want to be near that combination if it ever goes down.
BucktailJiger
New member
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- Dec 2, 2011
- Messages
- 1,166
I use to build the blades for a company here in Iowa .
Blades were 40m and 53m .
Blades were 40m and 53m .
Uncle Grump
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- Apr 20, 2010
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Yup - have watched them being built for the last two years - I live in SE MN, and it's the 4th windiest spot in the country - so the wind farm people are all over this area (including N Iowa). There are at least 4 other farms besides the one I "live" in.
I have two of them within 8-900 ft of my house - 100 meter towers - constant whoosh-whoosh noise of the rotor's turning and you can sometimes hear the turbines turning as well. Not happy about it, but there are so many HUGE $$$$ involved with these things that the small land owner (me - 10 acres, and others like me) has no say in matter. Not even our township officials have a say - all issues are handled at the county or state level.
Have recently learned that the wind company that put them up hasn't been paying their bills, so now the land owners who got them are getting mechanics liens against their ground for payment of the materials - lots of concrete and rebar go in to the
concrete footings for those towers - in addition to fuel, gravel, sand, etc etc.....
Have also learned that they can be dangerous in the winter - ice accumulates on the rotors like it does on a air plane wing, and then gets slung off when the rotor turns - it can fly 100's of feet.
UG
I have two of them within 8-900 ft of my house - 100 meter towers - constant whoosh-whoosh noise of the rotor's turning and you can sometimes hear the turbines turning as well. Not happy about it, but there are so many HUGE $$$$ involved with these things that the small land owner (me - 10 acres, and others like me) has no say in matter. Not even our township officials have a say - all issues are handled at the county or state level.
Have recently learned that the wind company that put them up hasn't been paying their bills, so now the land owners who got them are getting mechanics liens against their ground for payment of the materials - lots of concrete and rebar go in to the
concrete footings for those towers - in addition to fuel, gravel, sand, etc etc.....
Have also learned that they can be dangerous in the winter - ice accumulates on the rotors like it does on a air plane wing, and then gets slung off when the rotor turns - it can fly 100's of feet.
UG
Fatman
Active member
They put a bunch up on the mountains here in Vermont - driving the environmentalists NUTS!!!!!! People told the enviro's you busted butt working and finally getting the Nuclear Power Plant shut down, so other companies are putting them up to generate some power and the same with solar panel farms.
It's getting crazy!!
It's getting crazy!!
LedHed
Sponsor
You should see around Palm Springs!!
BucktailJiger
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The wind turbines in my opinion are a Devistating Blow to the Enviroment . As stated I worked for TPI/G.E building the Blades . The only reason was it was a job to support my family prior to the Resession .
They never talk about what goes OUT the BACK DOOR and into the landfills . There are chemicals that if and when they hit ground water supplies will desimate wildlife and people . The waste will never degrade . Average life span of a single blade is 6 yrs . Where does it go ??? ground up and dumped in the landfill .
Then there is the workers health risks are high and some even deadly or crippling . Breakouts are bad they are various reactions to fiber glass or the chemicals , its like taking a grinder to your skin till you see raw meat and blisters and burns , then the respitory issues breathing in micro fiberglass particles causing perminet lung damage . I personally have been affected and its not good .
Well enough said , WIND ENERGY is FREE at a cost ...............
They never talk about what goes OUT the BACK DOOR and into the landfills . There are chemicals that if and when they hit ground water supplies will desimate wildlife and people . The waste will never degrade . Average life span of a single blade is 6 yrs . Where does it go ??? ground up and dumped in the landfill .
Then there is the workers health risks are high and some even deadly or crippling . Breakouts are bad they are various reactions to fiber glass or the chemicals , its like taking a grinder to your skin till you see raw meat and blisters and burns , then the respitory issues breathing in micro fiberglass particles causing perminet lung damage . I personally have been affected and its not good .
Well enough said , WIND ENERGY is FREE at a cost ...............
Bucko
New member
Seen a couple blades that came into our landfill after an accident on the interstate. I drove my 65000 fuel truck over and it wouldn't break. The massive compactors at the landfill could barely take a small chunk out of them. They had to eventually bring in a separate company to cut them up into smaller pieces to be able to bury them. It had to be cut up on a Sunday when they were closed and had to have a dust collection system to protect neighbors down wind.
So yea, how are these things being disposed of on a massive scale? Makes you think if it really helps the environment after it's all said and done?
So yea, how are these things being disposed of on a massive scale? Makes you think if it really helps the environment after it's all said and done?
papaperch
Active member
One wind turbine generates 1.5 megawatt of electricity. The built in 1950 coal fired plant that I retired from generated 230 megawatts. The plant I worked at had a wet scrubber attached to the exhaust. Plant was at almost zero harmful emissions. 99.9% removal EPA rating.
Yet became uneconomical to operate due to overly stringent EPA regulations. As more and more coal fired plants are forced to shut down watch your electric bill go up up up. Lots of utility companies are now switching over to natural gas fired boilers. While natural gas is now low in price. It won't stay low for long as more and more gas fired plants get started up.
The last figures I had to read. Was fuel costs represented almost 75 % of any coal fired plants annual budget. Nuclear plants represent the highest construction cost but lowest cost to operate. Coal fired plants were a happy medium. Wind power turbine cost per megawatt hr to produce as it takes so many to replace any standard plant. The wind is free of course but there are high maintenance costs that are also native to wind power operation.+
Yet became uneconomical to operate due to overly stringent EPA regulations. As more and more coal fired plants are forced to shut down watch your electric bill go up up up. Lots of utility companies are now switching over to natural gas fired boilers. While natural gas is now low in price. It won't stay low for long as more and more gas fired plants get started up.
The last figures I had to read. Was fuel costs represented almost 75 % of any coal fired plants annual budget. Nuclear plants represent the highest construction cost but lowest cost to operate. Coal fired plants were a happy medium. Wind power turbine cost per megawatt hr to produce as it takes so many to replace any standard plant. The wind is free of course but there are high maintenance costs that are also native to wind power operation.+
Hawnjigs
KISS
I often fish the Sutherland Reservoir which inlet water source is also used to cool the adjacent coal fired Gerald Gentleman power plant, and am impressed that I never see visible emissions coming out of the massive stacks. However, I do wonder where the ash is dumped, since toxicity is a concern.
Hawnjigs
KISS
Thinking more about it Papa, what happens to the scrub water? I hope it doesn't get dumped with the warm water outflow into the reservoir, cuz I eat the fish.
papaperch
Active member
Scrub water as you call it in a coal fired plant does not touch the ash. River water or lake water is primarily used for cooling purposes. On bearing lines and such. The water that is mixed with the coal slag is pumped to a special pond. The pond is constructed as to prevent seepage into water table. The EPA even limits that. During the peak of the summer heat we were often limited on our load rating. So that our discharge temp did not vary from our intake temp by so many degrees. The fines imposed for " thermal pollution " by the EPA were severe enough. That no company could afford a non compliant operating standard.
After the ash pond gets to a certain level. A removal/ recovery company pumps out to tank trucks. The water is treated to remove all impurities. The solids are recovered and often used as sandblasting abrasive or as coating on roofing shingles.
The plant where I worked the ash pond was approximately 20 acres in size. The periodical ( every 3 years ) clean out cost the company a little over a million dollars.
The river our plant was stationed on was heavily polluted prior to the 60's. Water testing in the more modern area found no ill effects from our plant. But the pollutants found were not the type that a coal fired plant would cause. But were of the type caused by coating industry such as chrome and of steel fabrication. Which is understandable since the Mahoning Valley was heavily industrial prior to the 80's.
After the ash pond gets to a certain level. A removal/ recovery company pumps out to tank trucks. The water is treated to remove all impurities. The solids are recovered and often used as sandblasting abrasive or as coating on roofing shingles.
The plant where I worked the ash pond was approximately 20 acres in size. The periodical ( every 3 years ) clean out cost the company a little over a million dollars.
The river our plant was stationed on was heavily polluted prior to the 60's. Water testing in the more modern area found no ill effects from our plant. But the pollutants found were not the type that a coal fired plant would cause. But were of the type caused by coating industry such as chrome and of steel fabrication. Which is understandable since the Mahoning Valley was heavily industrial prior to the 80's.
Hawnjigs
KISS
Thanks for the first hand experience explanation. Coal ash toxicity hazard appears to be arguable.
Coal ash contains arsenic, lead, mercury, and selenium, as well as aluminum, barium, boron, and chlorine. All can be toxic. Particularly where there is prolonged exposure, these toxins can cause cancer, heart damage, lung disease, respiratory distress, kidney disease, reproductive problems, gastrointestinal illness, birth defects, impaired bone growth in children, and behavioral problems. In short, coal ash toxics have the potential to injure all of the major organ systems in adults (including pregnant women) and children. (Sierra Club)
Studies have shown that although trace elements may leach from coal ash in
prolonged contact with the water table, they do not migrate far from the ash site
and are present in very low concentrations, and therefore do not present
a health threat. (Electric Power Research Institute, 1998)
Coal ash contains arsenic, lead, mercury, and selenium, as well as aluminum, barium, boron, and chlorine. All can be toxic. Particularly where there is prolonged exposure, these toxins can cause cancer, heart damage, lung disease, respiratory distress, kidney disease, reproductive problems, gastrointestinal illness, birth defects, impaired bone growth in children, and behavioral problems. In short, coal ash toxics have the potential to injure all of the major organ systems in adults (including pregnant women) and children. (Sierra Club)
Studies have shown that although trace elements may leach from coal ash in
prolonged contact with the water table, they do not migrate far from the ash site
and are present in very low concentrations, and therefore do not present
a health threat. (Electric Power Research Institute, 1998)