Wind turbine accident sparks widespread safety talk
HIGASHIDORIMURA, Japan -- Japanese officials are investigating the safety of foreign-made wind turbines began after a recent accident in Higashidorimura.
A 223-foot generator on the wind farm in the Aomori Prefecture fell when the concrete base cracked, The Daily Yomiuri reported. The steel rods that were meant to support it and secure it to the base were left.
Officials said the reason for the crash was still unknown but it was not likely the fall was caused by strong winds. It's designed to hold up in winds up to 134 mph, which is a high-rise building standard applied to wind turbines.
Bethany Wind Turbine Committee's January Report
I have obtained a copy of Bethany's "final" wind report. You can download it at http://www.effierover.com/downloads/ReportFinal.pdf
Don't know at this time if the town will offer it on their website (they usually do) or what the general reaction is.
Need a propeller?
On Samsø, a 55 kW Nordtank threw a blade through a window into an indoor swimming pool, according to one knowledgeable source.
20 Elephants for the small ones
If you weighed Zephyr, our wind turbine, it would tip the scale at a hefty 90 to 100 tons - about the same as 20 elephants.
Industry means accidents
In the mid-1990s, 14 men had been killed on wind turbines or working with wind energy. Since then six more have died, including the first member of the public, a parachutist who literally flew into a turbine in Germany.
Downed Turbine, Germany 2002
(Translated from German)
February 19, 2002
WKA accident in Javenloch at the ostfriesischen coast.
Parts of the rotors flew up to 235 meters far, measured by pacing down, according to an observer from Jever.
Because no roads were in the proximity, nobody was injured.
Turbines Set Fields on Fire, California
(Apologies for the poor-quality image; scanned from the Herald, June 23, 1994)
The Alameda County Zoning Administrator approved strict new measures Wednesday to prevent grass fires sparked by Altamont Pass windmills, just as firefighters battled a searing windmill blaze off Vasco Road.
County officials in Hayward could not have known how timely their decision was.
An afternoon grass fire sparked by a turbine charred 10 acres in southeastern Contra Costa County, melting the windmill's machinery. At one point, the turbine itself burst into flames and had to be doused by several helicopter passes.
German Fire, 2004
(Translation of Donnerstag newspaper)
June 9, 2004
The tempest which swept over Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein yesterday morning caused damage to the value of serveral million (euros). The lightning strikes caused rail delays of approxinately 1 hour between Keil and Hamburg.
Nothing could save the wind turbine in the Wulfhagen wind park. Even with a fire appliance the firefighters could not reach the fire which was at a height of 65 metres (213 feet).
Wind farm fears as blade snaps
(reprinted from the Times, April 2005)
A TURBINE at a Scottish wind farm has broken down after one of its blades snapped off.
The 10-tonne turbine, one of 31 at the £80 million Crystal Rig wind farm near Dunbar, East Lothian, was destroyed last week when a mechanism to stop it spinning too fast failed. Onlookers reported strong winds and said one of the turbine blades flew off and hurtled into the countryside.
Aragon Province, Spain
This turbine in Aragon province, Spain, is leaking oil profusely. Repeated attempts to get the problem fixed have resulted only in promises.
