Wind Turbine Explodes!

tripp · 02-18-2009, 02:56 PM

One of the main boilers at the Apache-3 IGCC plant, currently under construction in Pueblo, CO collapsed. This boiler was over 4 stories tall! Who know how many hundreds of tonnes the thing weighs. Accidents happen. Simple as. Like Hy-o stated, the clean up is rather trivial and the degradation of the wind farms output is probably quite small due to the inherently module design of a wind farm.

jayman · 02-18-2009, 07:32 PM

Construction accidents and even fatalities are fairly common. You can imagine what would have happened if a hidden crack had opened and nice steam gushed out. Anybody for lobster?

tripp · 02-18-2009, 10:08 PM

Fortunately, they're nowhere near that point yet. I was chatting with an electrician who's working on this massive project and it sounds like a complete fuster cluck.

patsparks · 02-18-2009, 11:18 PM

Did you mean cluster ... oh never mind.

How often are there people wandering around a wind farm anyway?
and how much warning would you get while the turbine spins up to 3 or more times its normal operating speed?

usbseawolf2000 · 02-19-2009, 12:51 AM

Why is there an explosion on the ground (at the base) before the blades busted?

GrGramps · 02-19-2009, 09:32 AM

Seawolf, That was a good catch. I had not seen that until I went back for another look.

My guess is it was a result of the initial stage of the failure where a piece separated and was thrown downward.

Or, it was an explosive device to create the failure which would explain the "convenient photography".

Other ideas??

Roy

jayman · 02-19-2009, 11:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tripp

I was chatting with an electrician who's working on this massive project and it sounds like a complete fuster cluck.

That certainly sounds like my current project.

jayman · 02-19-2009, 11:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by usbseawolf2000

Why is there an explosion on the ground (at the base) before the blades busted?

Interesting. I was focused on the airborne section, not even paying attention to the ground.

qbee42 · 02-19-2009, 11:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by usbseawolf2000

Why is there an explosion on the ground (at the base) before the blades busted?

If you look at the video in slow motion, the blades are separating before the "explosion" on the ground. It appears that a small piece of blade strikes the ground at very high speed.

Tom

jayman · 02-19-2009, 12:56 PM

Ah. The video isn't exactly HD

02-18-2009, 02:56 PM	#11
tripp Which it's a 'ybrid, ain't it? Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Denver, CO Posts: 4,323 My Car: 2005 Prius Model: Package: #3 Thanks: 0 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts Friends: 6	Re: Wind Turbine Explodes! One of the main boilers at the Apache-3 IGCC plant, currently under construction in Pueblo, CO collapsed. This boiler was over 4 stories tall! Who know how many hundreds of tonnes the thing weighs. Accidents happen. Simple as. Like Hy-o stated, the clean up is rather trivial and the degradation of the wind farms output is probably quite small due to the inherently module design of a wind farm.

02-18-2009, 07:32 PM	#12
jayman Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Winnipeg Manitoba Posts: 11,560 My Car: 2004 Prius Model: Package: B Thanks: 35 Thanked 185 Times in 168 Posts Friends: 12	Re: Wind Turbine Explodes! Construction accidents and even fatalities are fairly common. You can imagine what would have happened if a hidden crack had opened and nice steam gushed out. Anybody for lobster?

02-18-2009, 10:08 PM	#13
tripp Which it's a 'ybrid, ain't it? Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Denver, CO Posts: 4,323 My Car: 2005 Prius Model: Package: #3 Thanks: 0 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts Friends: 6	Re: Wind Turbine Explodes! Fortunately, they're nowhere near that point yet. I was chatting with an electrician who's working on this massive project and it sounds like a complete fuster cluck.

02-18-2009, 11:18 PM	#14
patsparks An Aussie perspective Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Adelaide South Australia Posts: 9,229 My Car: 2004 Prius Model: N/A Package: Base Thanks: 124 Thanked 181 Times in 139 Posts Friends: 33	Re: Wind Turbine Explodes! Did you mean cluster ... oh never mind. How often are there people wandering around a wind farm anyway? and how much warning would you get while the turbine spins up to 3 or more times its normal operating speed?

02-19-2009, 12:51 AM	#15
usbseawolf2000 HSD PhD Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Queens, NY Posts: 3,254 My Car: 2006 Prius Model: Package: #3 Thanks: 106 Thanked 178 Times in 111 Posts Friends: 59	Re: Wind Turbine Explodes! Why is there an explosion on the ground (at the base) before the blades busted?

02-19-2009, 09:32 AM	#16
GrGramps Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Western North Carolina Posts: 37 My Car: Other Non-Hybrid Model: Package: N/A Thanks: 0 Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts Friends: 0	Re: Wind Turbine Explodes! Seawolf, That was a good catch. I had not seen that until I went back for another look. My guess is it was a result of the initial stage of the failure where a piece separated and was thrown downward. Or, it was an explosive device to create the failure which would explain the "convenient photography". Other ideas?? Roy

02-19-2009, 12:56 PM	#20
jayman Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Winnipeg Manitoba Posts: 11,560 My Car: 2004 Prius Model: Package: B Thanks: 35 Thanked 185 Times in 168 Posts Friends: 12	Re: Wind Turbine Explodes! Ah. The video isn't exactly HD

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