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| Science & Technology |
| The Dangers of Wind Turbines |
| 2007-08-24 |
| Wind turbines continue to multiply the world over. But as they grow bigger and bigger, the number of dangerous accidents is climbing. How safe is wind energy? It came without warning. A sudden gust of wind ripped the tip off of the rotor blade with a loud bang. The heavy, 10-meter (32 foot) fragment spun through the air, and crashed into a field some 200 meters away. The wind turbine, which is 100 meters (328 feet) tall, broke apart in early November 2006 in the region of Oldenburg in northern Germany -- and the consequences of the event are only now becoming apparent. Startled by the accident, the local building authority ordered the examination of six other wind turbines of the same model. The results, which finally came in this summer, alarmed District Administrator Frank Eger. He immediately alerted the state government of Lower Saxony, writing that he had shut down four turbines due to safety concerns. It was already the second incident in his district, he wrote, adding that turbines of this type could pose a threat across the country. The expert evaluation had discovered possible manufacturer defects and irregularities. Mishaps, Breakdowns and Accidents After the industry's recent boom years, wind power providers and experts are now concerned. The facilities may not be as reliable and durable as producers claim. Indeed, with thousands of mishaps, breakdowns and accidents having been reported in recent years, the difficulties seem to be mounting. Gearboxes hiding inside the casings perched on top of the towering masts have short shelf lives, often crapping out before even five years is up. In some cases, fractures form along the rotors, or even in the foundation, after only limited operation. Short circuits or overheated propellers have been known to cause fires. All this despite manufacturers' promises that the turbines would last at least 20 years. Gearboxes have already had to be replaced "in large numbers," the German Insurance Association is now complaining. "In addition to generators and gearboxes, rotor blades also often display defects," a report on the technical shortcomings of wind turbines claims. The insurance companies are complaining of problems ranging from those caused by improper storage to dangerous cracks and fractures. More at the link |
| Posted by:mrp |
| #10 sounds more like the danger of crap engineering rather than the danger of wind turbines, per se. I agree, and I would know what crap engineering looks like, it..er..uhmmm nevermind |
| Posted by: Frank G 2007-08-24 22:07 |
| #9 A significant number will no doubt be hired back as consultants, bigjim-ky. Just like the old time programmers were during the pre-Y2K panic. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2007-08-24 21:44 |
| #8 Now with the baby boomers starting to retire in droves, those engineering staffs are going to be difficult if not impossible to replace. |
| Posted by: bigjim-ky 2007-08-24 18:07 |
| #7 As I understand it we've not had any accidents of that nature in the US. Can't figure out who the manufacturer of the defective equipment which means it may be a manufacturer who advertises in the local paper. |
| Posted by: mhw 2007-08-24 18:06 |
| #6 As a mechanical engineer who worked for many years in custom process equipment design, I can assure you that all of these problems are man-made and solvable. This is probably just another example of the trend for system manufacturers to eviscerate their engineering staffs and rely on component vendors for "free engineering". You get what you pay for -- sometimes less. |
| Posted by: Darrell 2007-08-24 15:47 |
| #5 Currently producing tooling for some monster blades; the parent specs have been provided to us and they read like we are building an airplane; material traceability, torque values on fasteners, redundant mechanical systems, all that really cool ISO9001 stuff. Well cool if your spousal unit's bread and butter is dependent on you being the resident ISO-geek..... |
| Posted by: USN, Ret. 2007-08-24 15:35 |
| #4 This sounds more like the danger of crap engineering rather than the danger of wind turbines, per se. My advice: don't buy Chinese wind turbines. And if you do, don't put them in your mouth. |
| Posted by: SteveS 2007-08-24 14:03 |
| #3 gag. So I guess we should get rid of powerlines too. How often do they fall? How many people die from touching them each year. And of course, we need to get rid of natural gas too. How many houses blow up each year? How many people die from unlit pilots? And that's not to mention the danger gas poses after an earthquake or in a fire. And while we are at it, shouldn't we just get rid of all planes trains and automobiles? Why, compared to wind energy, the death toll is staggering. |
| Posted by: Unutle McGurque8861 2007-08-24 13:44 |
| #2 Ahhhhhmm..see thaya, I..errrrrrrrahhhhhhhmmmm....told you! So...ahhhhmmmm...get off my...errrrrrrahhhhmmmm...back, friggin peons! |
| Posted by: Sen. Edward M. Kennedy 2007-08-24 13:37 |
| #1 And yet 75 year-old windmills continue to pump water out in Nebraska - though it sometimes takes rather creative repair work, since parts are not very available. |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2007-08-24 12:46 |