Scotland has been lashed by storms today, with one gust measured at 164 mph - well into Category 5 hurricane territory. The Daily Mail has an article with many photographs of damage caused by the storm. This one in particular caught my eye. It shows a wind turbine that literally exploded when the wind damaged its mechanism.
There are two larger images of the turbine at the link, along with many other photographs.
That's the best part of three million dollars down the drain - yet another illustration of why wind power is a chancy thing, at best . . .
Peter
This is not a unique event. Wind turbines seem to have a propensity for burning up. Some say it is the lube oil that overheats and catches fire. It may also be caused by lightening stikes. The fire departments where thses thing exist have not solves the problem of how to deal with the fire. Don't build your house under one!
ReplyDeleteThat's okay, their .gov will fund a replacement(or two) on the backs of the taxpayers.
ReplyDeleteFiregeezer has an extensive collection of pictures of wind turbines bursting into flame.
ReplyDeleteThey are also surprisingly noisy. Or maybe it's not a surprise at all.
Yes Anony 7.57 our wonderful leaders have already charged us an extra £20 minimum per quarter increase to fund the electricity generating companies extra costs (?) for building Mr Huhnes (Energy Minister) bird mincers. So I can't wait for my next bill to include a little surcharge for the windmills that couldn't cope with too much wind, instead of just the extra for them not generating because not enough wind (or the wrong kind of wind???).
ReplyDeleteI'd turn to drink, but I can't afford it anymore as I have to save to boil the kettle.
Actually wind power (in some areas) is a very good thing - if it is doing what it is best at. Direct drive pump.
ReplyDeletePeriod. Electricity generation is so completely stupid. Cover the planet with them and you STILL can't light the 10 biggest cities (I made that part up, but I would be surprised if I am wrong).
Sigh... I'd like to see them all blow up.
Except the ones doing their job, year after year after... just pulling water up. Simple, useful.
They also have to be heated in the winter totally negating any power they generate.
ReplyDelete