Anotherpower.com Forum
Renewable Energy Questions/Discussion => Wind and Hydro => Topic started by: tomw on July 18, 2012, 06:15:19 pm
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Hey, folks. Talk about "failing safe":
(http://pics.ww.com/d/451784-2/100_5312.JPG)
(http://pics.ww.com/d/451788-2/100_5313.JPG)
(http://pics.ww.com/d/451791-2/100_5314.JPG)
(http://pics.ww.com/d/451794-2/100_5315.JPG)
(http://pics.ww.com/d/451797-2/100_5316.JPG)
We had a bit of heavy weather earlier today and I was going across the driveway to stop the turbines as a precaution. A major straight line gust hit me as I crossed the drive making me run down wind to keep my balance, dodging buckets, firewood size tree limbs and other debris.
When I got inside I noticed no voltage much from the turbine.
I found the above when I looked up the drive after the squall passed.
Power is out here now so posting before internet dies when their battery backup goes flat. More later.
Tom
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Damn....
I hope a gust of wind comes along and blows the tail back around. I know it's a stupid question but, did you notice any wear when you had it down? Maybe that pipe and sleeve did get a little damage when it hit the ground?
Bummer....
Good luck Tom.
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I've had that happen too Tom. I changed the position of the upper stop so it would fall back down into the normal position after
the event. And also keep putting out power while trying to survive. It's awesome to see a well balanced machine dance in high winds.
Looks good, just a little tinkering left.
Mike
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Well, being the motivated guy I am, and with the grid as flat as my ex wife, and the temps dropped into the '70s F from 90+ I lowered it to check it out to be sure it was truly "safe". The "stop" hit the yaw tube and the cam action jacked it up and around the yaw tube. The tail boom tagged all 3 blades as shown:
The locked up pivot bits:
(http://pics.ww.com/d/451800-2/100_5317.JPG)
The biggest blade ding:
(http://pics.ww.com/d/451803-2/100_5318.JPG)
Crappy photos of other blades:
(http://pics.ww.com/d/451806-2/100_5319.JPG)
(http://pics.ww.com/d/451809-2/100_5320.JPG)
Reset tail geometry:
(http://pics.ww.com/d/451812-2/100_5321.JPG)
Another photo of the worst ding:
(http://pics.ww.com/d/451818-2/100_5323.JPG)
I probably will touch up the blades and put a through bolt through the tail pivot so it cannot do this again. Or, perhaps add some wider iron or cut off and move that stop which is located in a bad position (too far in to the yaw tube).
Just an update as it grows dark and the grid remains @ 0 Volts. At least the freezer & fridge are running and a light or two.
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Quite a shame to nick those nice looking blades... but it could have been a lot worse
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Quite a shame to nick those nice looking blades... but it could have been a lot worse
Just send 'em back under warranty <grin>
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Oh hell ya, glad you figured it out. Good luck getting it back up and going. Best wishes.
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Well, I got the prop cleaned up and stuck a half inch hard bolt through the tail boom tube top and fixed tube top to keep it together.
Just cleaned up the impact areas on the blades with my orbital sander and a razor knife and painted the tips with red equipment enamel to seal them.
No structural damage to the blades just scuffed and chipped out some on all three.
Here it is flying. Was rotating about 30 RPM:
(http://pics.ww.com/d/453943-2/100_5356.JPG)
(http://pics.ww.com/d/453946-2/100_5357.JPG)
(http://pics.ww.com/d/453949-2/100_5358.JPG)
This large version of the previous image kind of shows the bolt sticking up out of the yaw tube:
http://pics.ww.com/d/453947-1/100_5358.JPG (http://pics.ww.com/d/453947-1/100_5358.JPG)
Just an update.
Be nice if "they" would see why this failed and maybe share it but I doubt they care enough to admit failure. The main reason it failed is the stop is way too narrow and it climbs right up the tube because of the angle and narrowness and gets past the main tube and into the prop.
Anyway, there you go fixed the design flaw after it damaged the prop.
Tom