No, nothing like that. The generator had purely electrical failure, and was stuck in the "brake" mode, where the shaft only spins at perhaps 15 rpm, no matter the wind.
I'd like to think I'm thorough, and yet I have found no reason for the tower failure. We're putting it back up about 60% stronger. Well, when it gets back, that is. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ <insert witty tagline here> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Patrick Shoemaker" <[email protected]> To: "WISPA General List" <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, May 27, 2009 1:51 PM Subject: Re: [WISPA] (topic change) sort of tower failure... > Was the generator shaft seized? Variable pitch blades locked at the > shallowest position? > > > Patrick Shoemaker > Vector Data Systems LLC > [email protected] > office: (301) 358-1690 x36 > http://www.vectordatasystems.com > > > [email protected] wrote: >> Ok, so, two weeks ago, after having stood for 4.5 years, through 2, and I >> mean TWO "century" wind storms, my generator tower failed on a very >> normal >> normal windy spring day. >> >> We took it the rest of the way down, cut it apart, looking for the cause >> of >> failure. >> >> And found none. No rust, no breaks, no corrosion, nothing. >> >> And found while it was down, that the generator windings and electronics >> had >> burnt themselves up, as well. >> >> A real head scratcher. All the "obvious" stuff ain't there. >> >> All we can think of is that there was some very localized freak >> conditions >> that did what the storm a year and a half ago could not do. The storm >> then was so strong that about 1/3 of all homes suffered significant roof >> damage. Fields migrated across roads. RV's tipped over. parked Semis >> tipped over. metal buildings exploded. Wind velocities at the normal >> stations set records. individual weather stations recorded high >> hurricane >> velocities. >> >> But our tower didn't bend or even show damage. >> >> But two weeks ago, where we had predicted "gusts" to 35 or 40 mph, caused >> it >> to fold. We had changed the blades on it a couple weeks before, on the >> advice of the maker of the generator. They insisted that wind loading >> was >> within 1% of the original. >> >> So, we're re engineering it and back up it goes when the generator gets >> back >> from the maker (who is rebuilding it under warranty). >> >> I love a mystery. NOT. >> >> >> >> >> >> >> ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ >> <insert witty tagline here> >> >> >> >> >> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> WISPA Wants You! Join today! >> http://signup.wispa.org/ >> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> >> WISPA Wireless List: [email protected] >> >> Subscribe/Unsubscribe: >> http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless >> >> Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > WISPA Wants You! Join today! > http://signup.wispa.org/ > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > WISPA Wireless List: [email protected] > > Subscribe/Unsubscribe: > http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless > > Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WISPA Wants You! Join today! http://signup.wispa.org/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WISPA Wireless List: [email protected] Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
