Modular towers and the quest for stronger wind

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Excerpt: Taller towers for wind turbines make sense in many ways. For instance, an 80-m tower can let modern 2 to 3-MW wind turbines produce more power than if  installed at 60 m, and taller towers will let larger turbines enter the market. Taller towers also allow putting turbines in less turbulent winds, …

Where is the market for cranes?

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Excerpt: Has the market for crawler cranes been affected by the turmoil on Wall Street? This question has been floating around crane manufacturing companies and crane rental companies lately, but a report from Essex Crane Rental Corporation says no. Well, not yet. According to the report, demand for crawl …

Can an air leak give turbine rotors an efficiency boost?

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Excerpt: An idea originally developed to increase lift in slow moving aircraft wings and simplify helicopter rotors may soon improve the efficiency of wind turbine rotors and possibly reduce their cost of manufacturing. This "circulation control" aerodynamic technology could let wind turbines produce signifi …

Scanning Spot Laser Sensor Speeds Welding of Wind Towers

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Excerpt: A new, scanning-spot laser sensor designed to automate and speed the manufacture of wind towers and other structures containing metal of different thickness has been launched by Meta Vision Systems. Designated DLS200, the sensor is produced at the company's factory in Eynsham, Oxfordshire. The th …

28-port Ethernet switch configures in the field

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Excerpt: A manufacturer of industrial and commercial machine-to-machine networking equipment has released an industrial managed Ethernet switch platform. The EL228, a 28-port switch from Sixnet Inc, Ballston Lake, N.Y., combines the reliability and redundancy required of demanding industrial environments …

First Assess the Site, Then Build the Wind Farm

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Excerpt: Wind developers come in all sizes. For those who would like to offset their electric bills with a small turbine or two, local ordinances provide sufficient guidance and permission. But those who would like to install units capable of generating a few megawatts and more will have to do a little homew …

Fast Accurate Flow Solver for Wind Turbine Simulations

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Excerpt: AcuSolve, a general-purpose finite-element-based flow solver, has evolved through years of development, experience, and feedback. The software's advantages are its reliability, speed, and accuracy. Users can rapidly obtain quality solutions without iterating on solution procedures or worrying ab …

Tools for Torque, Tools for Tension

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Excerpt: Wind turbine OEMs provide plenty of guidelines and instructions for tightening the bolts on their equipment. Each bolt gets a prescribed torque or tension. Bolts that fasten tower flanges, for instance, are often tightened to 2065 ft-lb. while foundation bolts are assigned a particular tension. Tens …

Simulations Key to More Efficient Wind Farms

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Excerpt: How can a wind-turbine OEM as well as their countless suppliers squeeze more power from the wind using already well  developed equipment? Even a small efficiency increase would be welcome. The viability of the business depends on it. The wind business is also counting on such gains to improv …

Keeping Weight Down Key to Boosting Turbine Performance

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Excerpt: The V90-3.0 MW turbine from Vestas Americas improves on previous designs thanks to lightweight carbon fiber in  blades and stronger steel for a lighter tower. What’s more, a microprocessor controlled pitch regulator and  redesigned nacelle further improve the turbine’s performance. The com …