Hello!
Today we will talk about the operation of wind turbines.
In this video, we'll walk you through the process of building large scale wind turbines,
from building the foundation to creating the blades and final assembly.
In addition, we will talk about the features of installing wind turbines at sea.
You will see how, step by step, these important sources of clean energy are brought to life.
The first step in such a large project is laying the foundation.
With the help of a dynamite explosion and the use of heavy excavators, a construction
site is being prepared.
After the foundation pit is created, it is necessary to dig trenches for laying electrical
cables.
There will be many of these cables and all of them will be heavy, due to the large electrical
powers that they will transmit.
One wind turbine can generate seven to eight megawatt-hours of electricity per year.
Approximately 1,000 homes consume this amount of energy.
The first step in the construction phase of the foundation is the application of the first
layer of concrete coating and leveling the entire area of the base of the foundation.
In the middle of the foundation, an inner circle with holes is created, which fixes
the place for installing the anchor device.
The anchoring device consists of two semicircular steel plates, interconnected by steel rods
and secured with 10 cm bolts.
The anchor frame is an integral part of the wind turbine design.
It connects the wind turbine tower to the foundation and, due to its flexibility, will
allow it to withstand the various forces that will act on the wind turbine.
First of all, it is icing, strong wind and earthquake.
After installing the core of the anchor cage, the construction of its outer frame begins.
The outer frame is built using a complex bar structure consisting of perpendicular flat
bars at the base and curved bars at the top, which create a vault-shaped structure.
This shape will effectively distribute the weight of the wind turbine.
The outer structure of the structure must be filled with concrete.
For this, a concrete pump is used, which effectively copes with this task, using a hose to pump
concrete from a truck or container to the site.
To fill the structure, approximately one thousand cubic meters of concrete or 100 trucks will
be required.
As the concrete dries, it is covered with soil and thus the final appearance of the
foundation is formed.
But before proceeding to the final assembly, you should see the process of manufacturing
and transporting wind turbine blades.
The manufacturing process for a wind turbine blade begins with the application of a layer
of gelcoat, a liquid material that acts as a protective coating on the surface of the
blade.
This is followed by the application of a layer of fiberglass, which gives strength and stability
to the blade.
Next, a layer of tropical wood is added, which can withstand heavy physical exertion and
still remain light.
The two shells are then joined together to form the blade.
The blades are made using molds that create two shells.
Excess material from the shells is removed.
The blade is then polished, after which it is ready for final testing and assembly.
The dimensions of the blade are impressive.
Its length is 88 meters, and it weighs more than 20 tons.
It is extremely important to put the blade to the test to make sure that it can withstand
extreme conditions and does not break or fall apart during operation.
The blades undergo various material fatigue tests that can last up to 12 weeks.
Finally, they are ready to be transported to the installation site.
Due to its length, which exceeds the wingspan of a large aircraft, this is not an easy task
to do.
In addition, most wind farms are located in remote areas or on mountaintops, and this
requires not only special equipment to be installed upon arrival, but also special vehicles
to transport 90-meter blades.
The case is taken by the company Doul, responsible for transport systems.
She has perfected her vehicles for this task.
For this, a self-driving trailer was used, which you see on the screen.
It helps to overcome sharp turns.
Trucks are also equipped with telescopic trailers to accommodate various other long components.
Transporting a paddle of this size can cause disruption to traffic on the road.
There are even truck accidents with specialized transport equipment.
The reason may be slippery mountain roads, weather conditions or inexperienced drivers.
To prevent this, police and traffic control groups sometimes set up mobile checkpoints
on some sections of highways.
Therefore, for the transportation of the blades, they try to choose quiet country routes in
order to avoid traffic jams in more densely populated areas.
After a long journey, the assembly team arrives at the construction site.
She is ready to assemble the wind turbine.
The process of final assembly of a wind turbine begins with fixing the first part of the structure
- the tower, coming from the base of the foundation.
The turret is secured with large bolts.
They are screwed by a powerful screwing machine.
The second part of the tower is lifted with a crane.
Operators work from a platform located at the height of the joints between the parts
of the tower.
They ensure the alignment of the parts of the tower, fixing it in place with more than
100 screws.
This project requires a massive crane that takes six days to assemble.
Such a crane can lift up to six tons of cargo at a time.
When the topmost, final part of the wind turbine is installed, its height can reach the height
of the Statue of Liberty in New York.
Once the tower is securely in place, the installation of the nacelle, a critical component of the
wind turbine, begins.
The nacelle is the lid housing that houses all the generating components of the wind
turbine, including the generator, gearbox, transmission, and brake assembly.
Wind generator - converts the kinetic energy of the wind into electricity.
It weighs as much as four school buses.
The rotor hub serves as the center point to which the blades are attached.
The rotational force generated by the blades is transmitted to the wind generator.
Now the blades need to be attached to the wind generator.
This is one of the most difficult parts of the installation process.
The hook attaches to the center of gravity of the blade, allowing the crane to lift it
and keep it parallel to the ground when attached to the rotor.
The crane operator must be especially careful when the hook is unhooked to prevent any accident.
The assembly team then carefully prepares the blades for final assembly.
Their work at such a height is especially difficult and dangerous.
These people must have nerves of steel to securely fasten the blade to the rotor, as
even a small mistake can have serious consequences.
Finally, the wind turbine has been assembled and is now ready to produce large amounts
of clean energy for decades to come.
The cost of one such large and complex project is more than three million dollars.
Now let's see how wind turbines are installed in the sea.
The world is changing and its need for energy is constantly growing.
One of the fastest growing energy solutions for coastal and island countries is the use
of offshore wind farms.
These massive complexes are made up of huge turbines that use the energy of ocean winds.
They convert it into electricity and send the electricity to the shore.
Here it will be used together with energy coming from conventional sources.
The top five markets in terms of total offshore installations are China (47%), the UK (22%),
Germany (14%), the Netherlands (5%) and Denmark (4%).
Currently, the largest wind farm project in the world is the Dogger Bank Wind Farm, which
is being built 180 miles off the east coast of Yorkshire, England, in the North Sea.
When completed, this massive plant will include over 200 individual turbines.
The electricity generated by the wind turbine is sent ashore via undersea cables.
Because offshore winds blow at higher altitudes and at a more constant speed than on land,
they can produce much more energy than their land-based counterparts.
This makes them more attractive for investment in countries seeking renewable energy.
Of course, there are many challenges when operating turbines at sea.
One of the biggest problems is the size of the components of modern wind turbines.
Some of the latest models reach a height of more than 150 meters, and the length of the
blades exceeds 80 meters.
At this size, assembling a turbine is quite difficult, and doing it at sea becomes an
even more incredibly difficult task.
Bad weather and poor visibility can often delay turbine installation by weeks.
In addition, the likelihood of equipment being lost or damaged is much higher than on land.
That's why most of the turbine's components are assembled on the ground, and then a vessel
with special lifting gear takes it to the installation site.
The foundation for the wind turbines consists of two tall metal pipes, 10 stories high,
and transition pieces, painted yellow, placed on top of the pipes.
Loading the installation vessel with this gigantic cargo requires great precision and
experience.
The ship's special mechanism drives the pipes deep into the seabed until it reaches a solid
footing.
The wind turbine must be firmly anchored to the seabed, so a steel pipe is driven into
the ground to a depth of about 35 meters.
Only then can the nacelle and rotor blades be assembled into a single turbine tower.
These jack-ups are designed with support legs that can be raised or lowered to the seabed.
They ensure the stability of the vessel during offshore operations.
The largest and most advanced of them are equipped with 100-meter legs, which allow
installation of turbines at a depth of up to 65 meters.
It looks like this.
When the ship is afloat, the supports are gradually pressed into the ground along two
diagonals, providing a carrying capacity of 8,000 tons.
When the supports are lowered, all engines are turned off and the vessel begins to rise,
the so-called jacking.
The ship is pushed out of the water.
Thus, the raised vessel becomes a working platform, which stands firmly on four legs.
The huge deck area allows the ship to carry wind turbine components.
The vessel is equipped with a powerful crane with a large lifting capacity.
In addition, there are two more auxiliary cranes for lifting components during installation.
A transitional part is placed on top of the monolithic pile.
It provides a solid base for the turbine and serves as a platform for technicians arriving
by boat.
Once the foundation is in place, the ship returns to the port to deliver the wind turbine
and its components.
Under ideal conditions, it takes only 12 hours to load 4 towers, 12 blades and control boxes
onto a ship.
Siemens has developed a special lifting bail with automatic connections so that technicians
can move large components, and above all the turret, by remote control from the safe deck
of the ship.
Once the tower is installed, proceed to the installation of the turbine housing, namely
the rotor hub and nacelle.
Here
are
the generator and all other electrical components that convert the kinetic energy of the wind
into electricity.
Then three giant rotor blades are installed.
Once the huge vane is aligned inside the cell, technicians make final adjustments before
it mates smoothly and safely with the rotor.
Such a turbine can be installed in one day.
Over the next week, technicians connect all cables and carefully check all components.
Thus, the wind farm comes into operation.
At great depths, where it is impossible to build turbines with a fixed foundation, floating
wind turbines are used.
This is an offshore wind turbine that is installed on a floating structure that allows the turbine
to generate electricity far from the coast, in deep places.
Floating wind farms can significantly increase the sea area available for offshore wind farms,
especially in countries with limited shallow waters such as Japan, France and the US West
Coast.
Location of wind farms further from the coast can also reduce sea pollution, provide better
placement for fishing and shipping lanes, and achieve exposure to stronger and more
stable winds.
Deep sea turbines should remain floating on buoys.
Therefore, two common types of engineering structures are used for them, which include
systems of tension supports and chain suspension systems.
And although the technology of these turbines is quite simple, their maintenance
is a constant source of headache for engineers and poses a certain danger to human life.
Even just getting into the tower when the stormy sea
is raging around is already a danger.
But despite all the problems and construction costs, more and
more countries around the world are looking to develop or expand their wind power.
That's all.
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