Wind Power to the rescue

[cheezemonkhai]

Well good to see high winds are creating power for the UK:

http://news.stv.tv/scotland/west-central/286170-wind-turbine-bursts-into-flames-as-hurricane-force-winds-hit-scotland/

or not...

So they don't work when there isn't much wind, they don't work when it's blowing in the wrong direction and they don't work when it's very windy.

They cause noise pollution and are an eye sore and catch fire often (from a bit of research this isn't the first time.

Now remind me why we are wasting money on this over hydro, tidal and nuclear for base load?

[devonutopia]

I was confused thinking what was "window power" but reading your post now makes sense and I have edited it now.

Saw an interesting program on TV where "worms" use wave power to harness electricity - Just a shame it was such a large capital outlay but not much return.

[AlphaPapa]

Because this country is run by a bunch of ******* halfwit morons!

[slider]

Irrelevant - The brakes failed and turbine spun its self to death in 80-90 winds.

No technology is immune to mechanical failure.

This wasn't the only damage today.

My greenhouse blew in which is far more concerning!!!

[domhnall]

Whereas when a nuclear last fails.........

[gadgetman]

Didnt see the pic of the wind turbine exploding then.

[slider]

Didnt see the pic of the wind turbine exploding then.

That's exactly the pic I am referring to . Brake failed, turbine spun itself to death, overheated, caught fire and went bang,!

No real problem as these things as generally far enough awkay from buildings, roads etc

[trundlenut]

There is a video on youtube of another turbine where the brake failed and the blades gave up before the generator, quite impressive.

Given how many lorries and trees where blown over and the number of buildings damaged if only one turbine in Scotland was damaged that is pretty good going.

The first website where I saw that picture also had a shot of what appeared to be a Yeti that was squashed by a warehouse wall.

Edited 8 December, 2011 by trundlenut

[Moist Von Lipwig]

That's exactly the pic I am referring to . Brake failed, turbine spun itself to death, overheated, caught fire and went bang,!

No real problem as these things as generally far enough awkay from buildings, roads etc

They may be generally away from roads etc but are not always. I used to regularly drive on public roads very close to a large wind farm, these things are huge and I would be wary of driving those roads in weather like this.

[Aspman]

There is a video on youtube of another turbine where the brake failed and the blades gave up before the generator, quite impressive.

17 seconds.

[Golf-Fiend]

17 seconds.

Operating outside of 'design parameters' I'd say

I quite like wind turbines. I think they look impressive and majestic. They are not the solution to our impending energy crisis but are an important if small part of it. People complain of the noise issue. Nonsense I say. I've spent many hours on windfarms and the sound is quite soothing if a little eerie.

There is a possibility of danger to migrating bats as their sonar operates in directional cone hence if the blades are in their flightpath they can get struck as they have no chance of 'seeing' it.

[rjc]

Local reports, say it was struck by lightning not mechanical failure.

[fabdavrav]

Wind turbines.......bloody useless.........they can only run for about 33% of the time due to either high winds or not enough wind......then they kill any passing birds (the pictures of whole flocks, eagles etc at the base of these things after a blade strike.... :'( )........then there is the "strobing".... and the noise.......also the ice shedding in winter.......the repainting/maintenance......and the fact that the rest on huge concrete bases...10m x 10m x 10m........and then the heavy pads between them all to support the cranes to build the things........they are not efficicent and the cost per kW/hr...is very high when you take away the government subsidy!

[Clunkclick]

The winds were rated at hurricane force (>= 73 MPH).

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/uk/uk_forecast_wind.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaufort_scale

Pretty strong.Though, I would have thought within design limits - provided all the kit works.

The usual action when faced with the prospect of weather of this magnitude must be to stop the unit, face it into wind and feather the blades. Presumably, the brake failure meant they couldn't stop rotation and therefore couldn't feather the turbine blades and they went "Runaway".

Nick

Edited 9 December, 2011 by Clunkclick

[slider]

Wind turbines.......bloody useless.........they can only run for about 33% of the time due to either high winds or not enough wind......then they kill any passing birds (the pictures of whole flocks, eagles etc at the base of these things after a blade strike.... :'( )........then there is the "strobing".... and the noise.......also the ice shedding in winter.......the repainting/maintenance......and the fact that the rest on huge concrete bases...10m x 10m x 10m........and then the heavy pads between them all to support the cranes to build the things........they are not efficicent and the cost per kW/hr...is very high when you take away the government subsidy!

The anti's continually roll out propaganda tripe. Flocks of dead birds - what absolute twaddle. I have in on and around many wind farms and have never seen one. How many get hit by cars every day.

They may not be the answer to our energy problems but they are doing their bit in filing the gap till the next technology comes alone. The experience of developing wind turnbines has speedier the development of wave power.

The anti's never come up with the alternatives - nukes are probably the only viable technology we have at the moment!

[slider]

Operating outside of 'design parameters' I'd say

I quite like wind turbines. I think they look impressive and majestic. They are not the solution to our impending energy crisis but are an important if small part of it. People complain of the noise issue. Nonsense I say. I've spent many hours on windfarms and the sound is quite soothing if a little eerie.

There is a possibility of danger to migrating bats as their sonar operates in directional cone hence if the blades are in their flightpath they can get struck as they have no chance of 'seeing' it.

That's an old clip and totally unrelated to the two incidents in yesterday's gales

[keystonedriving]

As wind energy is such a super idea and has no problems of any kind, why not have a turbine every 400 yards on each side of the Thames from Hampton Court to Greenwich. That way they would be generating the power where it is most needed.

Of course it won't happen, they are too ugly, to noisy, too obtrusive, etc.

If they aren't fit for an urban area they aren't fit for a country area either. The last thing we need is a forest of turbines ruining the wilder bits of the countryside. If peolpe are that keen on the things, why don't they have them on their own doorstep?

I think we all know the answer to that one.......

[Kenny R]

I propose that all the pro wind turbine mob,get their electricity supply cut off and a wind turbine installed in their garden and see how they get on. As said above they only generate approx 30% (thought now to probably be 20%) of the time, and on cold frosty mornings there is no wind so no electricity.

National grid hate them as they have to balance out the load swings from wind farms, as when the wind drops they have to fill the gap with power from coal/ gas power stations .

[Hannibal]

they have to balance out the load swings from wind farms, as when the wind drops they have to fill the gap with power from coal/ gas power stations .

And here we have the crux of the issue. For everyone wind farm we need back up gas fired or similar. That and the fact that there's so many objections from the NIMBI crowd that we're building them offshore at considerable expense. And when phase 3 kicks off and they're in 80M of water rather than 20M I wonder which way the cost will move.....

[VWD]

Wind turbines.......bloody useless.........they can only run for about 33% of the time due to either high winds or not enough wind......then they kill any passing birds (the pictures of whole flocks, eagles etc at the base of these things after a blade strike.... :'( )........then there is the "strobing".... and the noise.......also the ice shedding in winter.......the repainting/maintenance......and the fact that the rest on huge concrete bases...10m x 10m x 10m........and then the heavy pads between them all to support the cranes to build the things........they are not efficicent and the cost per kW/hr...is very high when you take away the government subsidy!

:clap: :clap:

I origonate from the west coast almost opposite you . Years ago - this level of wind( force 10 -12) was a common occurance . But sadly the gerenies missed this when looking at sites for thse abominations . Perhaps now those on the Isle of Lewis might be spared the horrors of these green abominations .

[slider]

As wind energy is such a super idea and has no problems of any kind, why not have a turbine every 400 yards on each side of the Thames from Hampton Court to Greenwich. That way they would be generating the power where it is most needed.

Of course it won't happen, they are too ugly, to noisy, too obtrusive, etc.

If they aren't fit for an urban area they aren't fit for a country area either. The last thing we need is a forest of turbines ruining the wilder bits of the countryside. If peolpe are that keen on the things, why don't they have them on their own doorstep?

I think we all know the answer to that one.......

I have, and I have no issues with them...........

[slider]

I propose that all the pro wind turbine mob,get their electricity supply cut off and a wind turbine installed in their garden and see how they get on. As said above they only generate approx 30% (thought now to probably be 20%) of the time, and on cold frosty mornings there is no wind so no electricity.

National grid hate them as they have to balance out the load swings from wind farms, as when the wind drops they have to fill the gap with power from coal/ gas power stations .

So what's your answer to future power generation. More nukes?, more open cast coaling digging the countryside up till it runs out, burn more oil till it runs out, import more gas from Russia, till it runs out or maybe even light a whale blubber powered Tilly lamp, till we run out of whales".............

As I have previously said wind power is not the final answer but is stop gap on the way to the next solution (which wil undoubtedly haveroblems and injectors too).

Or you could always turn your computer, hating and lights off an not use any of this vile wind energy.

[gadgetman]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-16115139

[Golf-Fiend]

I propose that all the pro wind turbine mob,get their electricity supply cut off and a wind turbine installed in their garden and see how they get on. As said above they only generate approx 30% (thought now to probably be 20%) of the time, and on cold frosty mornings there is no wind so no electricity.

National grid hate them as they have to balance out the load swings from wind farms, as when the wind drops they have to fill the gap with power from coal/ gas power stations .

DOH! Get over it! Put it this way - the more turns of a wind turbine means that less fuel oil is burnt to power your PC etc - means that there is more fuel oil to turn into petrol to put in yer Yeti.

As said by me an others. It is not a replacement energy source but until a more viable one comes online then it's what we've got to work with and every little helps. Just think how inefficient the internal combustion engine was in 1910. Perhaps they should have given up on that back then? A need stimulates invention.

Incidentally - the current thinking is to utilise wind power more BUT to come up with better ways of harnessing this energy in storing it in large battery configurations until needed. The problem therein lies that battery technology has not significantly improved in the last 20yrs or so and the energy density matrix cannot be increased to be useful at the moment. This is likely to change over the next 10 years.

The gov. could do more to help. Think of the Severn barrage. A huge potential source of engery 4x a day, every day and a predictable time. The gov. says it's too expensive (34billion quid) and the greenies say 'what about the lesser spotted mud flappers'? Now it's going to private tender so probably a French energy company will do it and sell our free energy back to us.

[GentleGiant]

You dont need batteries to store energy. I am reminded of a hydro electric plant that worked by using excess off peak energy to pump water up to a reservoir, and then release it during peak demand, allowing the turbines to generate the power needed by the grid. Then pump it up again during the next off peak period.