3 ms·
For some definition of easy :-). Consider the following, in order to work, the turbine (which has a fairly high mass) has to avoid being blown out of position
by ChuckMcM 5y ago
For some definition of easy :-).
Consider the following, in order to work, the turbine (which has a fairly high mass) has to avoid being blown out of position by the very winds it is trying to harness. Because it is quite high, the distance between the turbine and the base form a moment arm of great length. So the entire system understands the torque moment on the turbine and has in place the ability to avoid tilting.
Compare that with the displacement mass of pretty much any ship you might send out there to work on it. I'm guessing that you're more than likely to winch the maintenance ship out of the water than your are going to get that turbine to tilt over. (disclaimer here, a spent a lot of my youth sailing and got a pretty good appreciation both for how "hard" ocean winds could try to tip you and how much a boat with a serious keel could resist that attempt to turn them over.)
- ncmncm 5y agoYou might also need to attach a float at the bottom of the tower, and inflate it while winching down. As I said, there will be complications. But that's what engineers are for. Anyway, ships are often astonishingly massive.
- ChuckMcM 5y agoNot disagreeing, I just tend to flinch at the word "easy" for complex engineering tasks :-). Certainly a ballast transfer system would be useful, and there are examples of that with deep sea drilling rigs that transition from horizontal to vertical.
- ncmncm 5y ago"Easy" is provocative. But the Economist publishing an article on an engineering problem by someone who evidently didn't bother to talk to an engineer is more provocative. To an engineer, there little space between "easy" and "too expensive for you".
- 7952 5y agoWhy not assemble onshore and tow it out fully assembled rather than messing around with tilting the turbine?
- ChuckMcM 5y agoWind turbines need maintenance. Periodically the whole generator section needs to be lubricated and aligned and there are other wear and tear that needs to be mitigated as it comes up. In California, when you drive through some of the wind farms here you will see them out doing maintenance, not a job I would want given the height at which these folks are working.
- 7952 5y agoBut surely that would be best done at height rather than tilting the tower. Climb up from a boat or fly in on a helicopter.
- pbhjpbhj 5y agoSome companies are doing this, you need specially built ships. They actually assemble turbines at the dock-side, with the floating part in the water (shorter crane needed). Videos on YouTube if you look.