Large Wind Turbines

[Supertractorman]

Why is it when you look over at some of the large Wind Farms that when the wind is really blowing they are not working. Last Friday I saw quite a few inactive Turbines in all that wind returning from Scotland. Anybody know why ?:Sad:

David

 

[moandick]

As far as I am aware....... the 'sails' (wind vanes/wings, call them what you will) have to be reefed in heavy weather or the 'mill' turns too fast and the motors cannot take the pressure.

The sails are reefed by angling the blade into the wind (or parallel) with the wind direction so that it doesn't turn so fast - this is controlled by an internal computer BUT heavy winds tend to be very 'gusty', so every time a heavy gust appears the computer angles the blade to accommodate the increased speed but just a few seconds later the gust has died down so the computer has to re-align the blade etc., etc., etc until the blade is being readjusted so frequently it either wears out - or the computer goes 'Bang'.

In the end it is easier and a lot less wearing on the mechanism to turn it off when the windspeed goes over a certain speed.

However in Cornwall - when you see a wind mill stopped it generally means somebody has stolen the copper lightning conductor!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Supertractorman]

Thanks for that Mo & Dick it makes sense.

David