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Wind Turbine Construction On Our Farm (With Pictures)

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SONNY
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Wind Turbine Construction On Our Farm (With Pictures)

Postby SONNY » Thu Dec 06, 2007 10:08 pm

Are any of you interested in wind turbines? we are getting 2 put up at our farm, as part of a 240 turbine field by Horizon.--We have pics from the starting hole up as a step-by-step album and I will post them if there is any interest! --so far we are up to the parts being on site except for the propeller blades. thanks; sonny

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Donny M
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Postby Donny M » Thu Dec 06, 2007 10:42 pm

Of course we're interested :lol: :lol:
8)

Eugene
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Postby Eugene » Thu Dec 06, 2007 11:15 pm

Photos. For sure.

If you don't mind answering. How much rent are you receiving? The contract terms? Etc..

There are a number of wind turbine farms in Iowa and Missouri built or under construction - farmers are renting the land to the utility companies.
I have an excuse. CRS.

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SONNY
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Postby SONNY » Thu Dec 06, 2007 11:43 pm

I will try to cover as much as I can, a little at a time, up to this point, then If I am able to get to the farm to take pics, will complete the steps! (we gettin' snow as I post right now!)

This is where the diggin' starts, after all the surveying is done and temporary roads are put in!--the pics kind of got out of order while getting them, but maybe you can follow!
this is the right side of the floor (concrete poured) and the crane setting re-bar for next pour
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here is the rebar they are using,--and a sack of nuts
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this is bottom floor of the base
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pvc bolt sleeves to keep concrete away from the bolts
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the bolts and my hand for comparison
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the starting hole,--before concrete--center view
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left side of hole
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right side of hole
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more pics tomorrow night! ---LOTS MORE!! thanks; sonny
PS click on the pics I post for bigger pic, and usually after it loads click that one for an even bigger pic!

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Postby Bob Underwood » Fri Dec 07, 2007 5:57 am

Sonny; Thanks for the pictures. A few year back before retiring I delivered parts at nite for one of the large auto parts store, my route took me in Northwest Ohio on route 6 near Billie and Millie they built 2 or 3 of those . I only saw them at nite but was amazed at the length of the blades. Appreciate your time and effort.
Bob

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Postby SONNY » Fri Dec 07, 2007 5:20 pm

Here are some pics of the rest of the concrete work!
this is the bundle of high voltage and fiber-optic cables! that's my hand in the pic for size comparison.
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here is the way they string the grounding grid over the concrete
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right side view of the mound with forms still on,-- the forms came off a couple days later
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center view!--the tower goes on the top flat raised area
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this is what 500 YARDS of concrete looks like in a mound!!
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The blade length of ours is 125 feet each, and total height is 500 feet to tip of blade when at top of rotation! they have about a 390 foot diameter rotation pattern! They are big and beautiful structures! We could just watch them for hours on end, but wouldn't get much gardenin' done!
they have the first section of them generating right now, but the second part is not quite finished !
More pics in a bit! thanks; sonny

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Postby Don McCombs » Fri Dec 07, 2007 5:27 pm

Sonny, how deep is the foundation?
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SONNY
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Postby SONNY » Fri Dec 07, 2007 9:01 pm

Our foundation's need to be 25 feet deep!--some are deeper and some are shallower, depending on the subsoil structure and type.
the bolts and pvc sleeves sticking out of the concrete
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d-6 and 2 big roller's re-pack the backfill to a hardness many times the original soil structure over the mound
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the nuts are big too!--my hand on a nut for comparison!
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there are 103 bolts in each row around the base equaling 206 total bolts to hold the tower. The threads are a rounded smooth type!--not the standard sharp kind normally found on regular bolts. The bolt sleeves allow about an inch play in the concrete to act as shock absorbers! these tower's are designed to withstand 150 mph wind and keep upright! They automaticly shut down id a 50 mph wind for safety and also shut down if top-ring temp gets down to -50 degrees so steel ring don't get damaged!
all these controls are run from a computer in the base of the tower and also from master server in the control station at the end of the turbine field! More to follow! thanks; sonny

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Postby Bugler » Fri Dec 07, 2007 10:45 pm

Great thread Sonny,,,,,,, I think I remember seeing a wind turbine in one of your video's,,,,maybe cutting corn. I am going to look at my power wheelchair real good tomorrow and try to figure out how I can make it into a garden crawler,,,it goes well in the garden. :D
I can fix it,,,get me a bigger hammer.

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Postby beaconlight » Sat Dec 08, 2007 12:24 am

My brother Rich moved to Blacksburg Va 20 or so year ago. There was a big turbine generator installed near him. It worked well for a while but has since been retired. I think it had to do with metal fatigue of the blades. The turbine was supposed to feather the blades with excess wind speed and all the other good stuff. This was a proving ground for todays improved technology.
Bill

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check something for me...

Postby itllbejohn » Sun Dec 09, 2007 10:31 pm

Sonny,
Nobody is a bigger proponent of alternative energy than me; that being said, I've heard a lot of people say that wind turbines are responsible for a lot migratory birds being killed when they fly into the turbine in darkness or inclement weather. I don't know if this is a real problem or not, but could you keep an eye on the base of the turbines for dead birds? I'd be interested.

Thanks
Itllbejohn
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SONNY
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Postby SONNY » Mon Dec 10, 2007 5:01 pm

I too, have read the "propaganda" from the "anti's", and we have personally been looking, and have permission from most all of the landowners in this project to enter their property to look! (we know most of them, or their families and they too are keeping an eye out)
So far wildlife ignores the turbines and we see no threat to any species at this point! I have seen hawks zip around the blades and plop down on rabbits right under the towers and take off with their kill!--they know the blades are there! --at 11 to 22 rpm, they are very visible and audible to birds in the air!
The geese fly way higher than the blades so they would never get hit.
Actual studies that were, and still are being done,(free from the "anti's" interference) show very low kill rates. most birds can hear the blades ahead and avoid the area, but the resident birds get used to them!
There were numerous studies that had to be done before this project was cleared and 6 turbine sites were dropped just because the "anti's" found a few bricks at the sites!--great world!--takes all kinds! thanks'; sonny

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SONNY
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Postby SONNY » Mon Dec 10, 2007 6:34 pm

Ok!!--more pics, to date of where we stand on parts!--only thing we missing is the blades!(haven't been delivered yet from the rail-yard in town)!
our tower section! (there are 4 sections total)
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this is the top section, (notice the taper on the end?, thats where the the nacelle mounts)
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1 of our nacelle's (shipping tag)
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inside one of the sections
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inside a tower section lookin' down!
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inside the hub! (it's crammed with servo's and controls for the blade pitch and sensors etc.!
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hub hatches to get in after the hub is mounted to the nacelle
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another view of the hub
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this is a view going up the tower inside, (rest platforms are provided!--I think there are 2 of them )
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this one is also going up and you can see the feed/control cables behind the ladder
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As you can see, there is more than meets the eye in one of these turbines! they are stuffed with hi-tech. electronics from ground up!
Each complete turbine costs right at 2 million dollars! ---bigger ones cost even more!
We are now "iced in" and don't know if contractor is working or not!--he says he installs them in all kinds of climates at all temps down to -50 below zero!--but then he is from Minnesota!
I hope the ice lets up so I can get a good update as they go up!--this is the current stage that we are at! I do have some pics from last year's section 1 that I will post a little later for your enjoyment! thanks; sonny

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Pictures

Postby Charles (49) Mo » Mon Dec 10, 2007 10:20 pm

Excellent pictures, keep them coming.

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Postby beaconlight » Mon Dec 10, 2007 10:21 pm

Thanks sonny.
Bill

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