Shrapnel from a wind turbine

At the time of writing we are slightly nonplussed. The recent high winds having abated, we freed the turbine and allowed it to run.

It was spinning rapidly; a bit too fast for comfort. We decided that a 60W load would slow it down. We switched on the lamp.The turbine slowed to a more civilised speed and we left it alone.

Fifteen minutes later, something was wrong - we couldn't see the blades. But it was dark, and raining, so we left it until morning.

Next day we found fragments of blade scattered across the field. One fragment six inches long weighing about a pound had gone through the roof of our outside office - through the outer and inner aluminium skin (plates an eighth of an inch thick with honeycomb insulation between) and embedded itself in the wall (one-inch ply). Here's the picture:




More pictures are shown below.

Imagine if the roof was plastic, with people sitting underneath. They would have had no chance.

The initial fracture appears to have started around a bolt-hole in the blade root. After one breakage the rotor would be out of balance and other fractures would follow.

We are still trying to find time to put up a larger turbine supplied by the same company.

I wonder how many big turbines have suffered damage in the recent storms, and which ones are out of action. One thing is certain - we won't be told.



WIND TURBINE BLADE FRAGMENTS






FRACTURED TURBINE BLADE EMBEDDED IN OFFICE ROOF
Here's where the blade went in. Part of it is still embedded in the roof; two-thirds of it broke off and ended up buried in the wall. Luckily no-one was in the office underneath.






WIND TURBINE AFTER THE BREAKAGE

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