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Hope you all enjoyed the various embedded videos. Pretty rare that the BBC was given such video access. It's not an easy climb, though most take the lift (as for sure the camearman did with his equipment.)

The REpower turbines at the Ormond site (in the video) are older 5MW machines (though just now commissioned), but one gets a good sense of where the technology is going. The 5M has a standard power train, with a gearbox. They are the same turbines which have been used in previous projects financed by the ET founder.

Of course, i most enjoyed the interview with the engineer, describing the work and the provisions for three days if you get stuck out there.

Danke for posting, Helen.

"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." - Anaïs Nin

by Crazy Horse on Tue Aug 16th, 2011 at 04:00:15 PM EST
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Clearly, that three-day inventory is unnecessary and reduces the return on investment of the park. Lean it away!

After all, we don't plan to camp out on the turbine, do we?

</MBA>

- Jake

Friends come and go. Enemies accumulate.

by JakeS (JangoSierra 'at' gmail 'dot' com) on Tue Aug 16th, 2011 at 04:11:44 PM EST
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Forgot to add that the "jacket" foundations he refers to are designed to lessen the faults and costs of monopile foundations traditional for earlier (and smaller) offshore projects.

Depending on the subsea soil/rock configuration and the turbine weight and type (and harmonics), there are currently several optimal foundation designs, with more coming.

"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." - Anaïs Nin

by Crazy Horse on Tue Aug 16th, 2011 at 04:35:58 PM EST
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wind turbine makers aren't cracking open the champagne just yet

Thought you should see one of the thousand details. She's marking surface irregularities. Degrades performance of the airfoil, resulting in less Megawatt hours. Will be retouched before shipping.

That's an onshore blade, 43+ meters. The article itself doesn't even come close. We're in a high-risk period, though signs do show improvement.

"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." - Anaïs Nin

by Crazy Horse on Tue Aug 16th, 2011 at 06:14:02 PM EST
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