You're either lazy or rushing to be "viral" like a teen on social media.
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Locked on 07/23/2022 5:36:22 PM PDT by Admin Moderator, reason:
Search still works |
Posted on 07/23/2022 3:55:31 PM PDT by UMCRevMom@aol.com
CROWELL, Texas - A North Texas wind farm is one turbine down thanks to what officials believe was a devastating lightning strike to one of the massive structures on Friday afternoon.
Videos from witnesses and firefighters showed the wind turbine generator ablaze and disintegrate in the sky over Crowell, Texas.
Doppler radar indicated there was plenty of lightning strikes around the Foard City wind facility before firefighters received the call about the high-altitude fire.
Crews with the Crowell Volunteer Fire Department responded, but Fire Chief Perry Shaw said there was little his firefighters could do to put the fire out.
"We’re not equipped to handle that kind of fire. Nobody in the area really is to speak of," Shaw said.
The fire chief estimated there were 800 gallons of oil in the gearbox and around 1,300 gallons of mineral oil in the ground-level transformer, which caused the smoke to appear dark black in the sky.
The facility’s operator, Innergex Renewable Energy, said all personnel at the more than 31,000-acre complex are safe, and the fire only impacted one of its energy turbines.
The Foard City wind farm has around 139 GE turbines and was commissioned in September 2019.
Shaw said he has seen plenty of videos of turbine fires, but this is the first time he recalled an incident involving one in Crowell.
"We’ve done training with the wind farm company, and they are not safe to approach during that scenario. There weren’t any people in danger of being hurt, so we let the fire do what it is going to do," Shaw said.
Texas produces more power from wind than any other state, and the U.S. Energy Information Administration reports the Lone Star State is home to more than 13,000 turbines.
“The morons in Texas used to brag about their windmills”
You mean the windmills of 100 years ago?
Excellent comment. 😀
-Signed,
A person who once had a calico cat named Dulcinea
Title searches do not always bring up an article. That’s been a “bug” of FR forever. Also, stories fall off the front page and some people are only on FR a couple times a day and wouldn’t see them if they were only posted once.
I understand people’s complaints when a story is posted repeatedly and have seven or eight different threads going on the article all on FR’s front page, but this is actually the first time I’ve seen the story. So, give the guy/gal a break.
You're either lazy or rushing to be "viral" like a teen on social media.
Oh pish posh. No need to be ugly. FR search has failed before. And, as I said not everyone sees the first posting of an article. It’s not as if there is several threads on the it. At the time of this posting, I could only see the one thread.
Dr. Frankenstein approves your comment.
“Forty plus percent of Texas’ electric portfolio is dependent on wind.”
MOPE!
It sucks to be stupid.”
You should know!
I appreciate multiple postings as it gives me a better chance to see it.
I wasn’t even talking to you in the first place. You just decided to jump in and reply on someone else’s behalf.
best wind site. check regularly. note all the articles today in red in left column:
Stop These Things
https://stopthesethings.com/
btw I’ve read in the past that offshore turbines - including in the Gulf of Mexico - have a lifetime of more or less 8 years! if anyone finds a documented reference, please post, as I can no longer locate the article I read.
“I really enjoyed the carcinogenic toxic black smoke”.
LOL! I was kind of skimming this column and thought you said,
‘I really love the carefree toxic black smoke’
(as if in sarcasm)
Not that that ever happens on oh so serious FR.
“Title searches do not always bring up an article”
Search works
https://freerepublic.com/focus/search?m=all;o=time;q=quick;s=turbine
I wasn’t replying on the article poster’s behalf. I was speaking on my own behalf. I often miss the first posting of an article and thus appreciate a posting of the same information later in the day when I have time to check FR. I don’t see why the issue is so important to you. You seem to have “Karen” issues. Just stop it. Let it go!
“If anyone finds a documented reference, please post, as I can no longer locate the article I read.”
I found this: https://energyfollower.com/how-long-do-wind-turbines-last/
“At 10 years of life, blades and gearboxes are needing to be replaced already so it is unlikely they will make it another 10 years. The cost to teardown a single turbine is $200,000, not including any payback from selling or recycling valuable materials, which is heavily labor intensive and not always cost effective. Instead of decommissioning, more often the site will be ‘repowered’ which means replacing the turbines with newer technology.”
Another excerpt:
“Top Causes for Wind Turbine Failure
Why do most wind turbines fail? Externally, the reasons may be birds, lightning, rainfall, blade detachment, delamination, blade cracks [7]. Internally, electrical and mechanical failures are to blame such as a short circuit or if the gearbox stops working.
Electrical failures are the most common reason and very expensive to fix. These failures are mostly due to high humidity levels over 60% in the nacelle and tower where the electrical components are located. The cabinets are not completely airtight, so the outside air puts the electrical system at risk.
Likewise, the moisture in the air will weaken metal components such as the gearbox, bearings, and yaw gear. Better humidity control and filtering any salt from the air is essential to the turbine’s life.”
ARTICLE REFERENCES:
References
4. https://www.tripadvisor.com/
5. https://www.power-technology.com/
6. https://www.twi-global.com/
11. https://www.firetrace.com/
12. https://www.reutersevents.com/
13. https://www.sciencedirect.com/
15. https://www.windpowerengineering.com/
ZOT!
And last years Big Freeze the wind turbines did I not work, seems no one thought to have the low temp oil in the gearboxes..... always something....
Yes I do! Now go on being stupid.
Same here with me. Mellow out, Francis.
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