• Initial excavation of the turbine foundation
  • 52” wide excavating bucket – 3 yard capacity
  • Foundation excavation
    65 – 70 ft diameter hex, 9 - 10 ft deep
  • 3 - 4” concrete floor base (rat slab) for rebar
  • Setting up the rebar structure
  • Bolt pattern ring
    15 ft. bolt pattern ring form to be centered on the foundation base
  • Bolt ring guide
  • Rebar foundation curved to center ring
  • Concrete delivery
    Pumper truck pumps 23 loads ( 240 yards ) of concrete into rebar form
  • Concrete delivery
    Each concrete truck driver inserts his load ticket in the mail box on top of the pumper to indicate the completion of their load
  • Base platform is filled with concrete
  • Center support
    Top center base form over platform base
  • Center support
    Note the size of the nut compared to the brick
  • Final foundation completed
  • Final preparation of center support
    Dirt filler packed over foundation base up against center support
  • Electrcal conduit
    Burying electrical conduit from foundation to future electrical box (transformer)
  • Electrical trench
    Electrical trench extends from tower to tower to the sub-station
  • Wiring
    Top – insulated electrical wire. Bottom - copper ground wire
  • Computer control center and electrical transformer
    White shrink wrap covers computer control center that is placed over the tower base, green electrical transformer is set beside tower base
  • Inside the electrical transformer
  • Nose cone shipped in shrink wrap for protection
  • Inside the nose cone
    Three total motors for changing the pitch of the blades
  • Nacelle arrives on 9 axle trailer
  • Nacelle
    Located on top of the tower and houses the main components such as the gear box, generator, main bearing and shaft
  • Nacelle
    Size - 29 ft x 11.5 ft x 12.5 ft. Weight - 114,640 lbs (57.32 tons)
  • Top of nacelle
  • Inside nacelle – generator and gear box
  • Variable speed, doubly-fed induction generator
    Maximum power output - 1.5 MW or 1,500 kW. Dimensions – 11 ft x 5.5 ft x 6 ft. Weight – 17,636 lbs
  • Main power shaft – approximately 23” diameter
  • Three tower sections
    Base diameter = 14.92 feet
  • Three tower sections
    Bottom section – 73 ft long, weighs 64 tons. Mid section - 82 ft long, weighs 42 tons. Top section - 98 ft long, weighs 33 tons
  • Cleaning tower components
    All tower components are thoroughly washed inside and out before assembly
  • Ladder inside the tower base
  • Red (mid-size) crane positions bottom two tower sections
  • Final tower section is lifted into position
  • Final tower section fastened into position
  • Nacelle lifted to position on top of tower
  • Nacelle fastened to top of tower
  • Arrival of the blades
    122 ft. long blades arrive on site. Each blade weighs approximately 13,000 pounds
  • Blades are bolted to the hub
    Rotor is composed of three blades and a hub. Diameter - 252 feet. Overall weight - 73,193 pounds (36.6 tons)
  • Blades are bolted to the hub
    After blades are bolted to hub, marks are made to easily identify any movement
  • Lifting the rotor assembly and blades
    Rotor being wrapped into crane cradle hook (note man in orange safety vest)
  • Lifting the rotor assembly and blades
    Large crane to lift rotor assembly & small crane supports bottom blade from dragging
  • The blades go up!
  • The blades go up!
  • Finishing touches
    Technician crawls up tower, through the nacelle, and into the hub to bolt rotor to nacelle
  • Ready for service!
    Tower height - 263 feet. Total height of tower & blade in vertical position - 389 feet. Complete weight of tower, nacelle and rotor - 232 tons
  • View 21st Century technology… providing electricity for our future!

 

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