Wind Power

A pair of huge wind turbine generators illuminated in the sunset light

 

These are a little smaller, older models

Aerial view

New Generation

Stopped along the Columbia River Gorge to take some pictures, an oversize load happened by. This is one of three blades that make up a wind turbine [Wikipedia] generator.


A little further down the road, there it was, the same blade, pulled off the road in some sort of a staging area. This one blade is about 45 meters (almost 150 feet) long from end to end. This is comparable to the wingspan of a Boeing 767 [Boeing]. It looks like the only way to have positioned this transport as seen here is to have backed it into place. Anyone who's ever backed a trailer has some appreciation of what that implies.

Perhaps a better impression of the size of this thing is shown on the truck driver's own web site. In his picture, what appears to be a tower segment is behind the blade and extends a bit beyond it, making it difficult to see where the blade ends, but a close look shows it clearly.


Also in the staging area were segments of the tower on which the turbine stands. Here are two side by side in their shipping rigs. Three of these make up a single tower.


Another view showing the the tower segment and its shipping mount.


Interior of a tower segment showing the ladder used to climb up the interior to service the equipment. At the top of the tower on an appropriately huge rotation mount, sits the nacelle (not shown) that houses the huge generator to which the three blades are bolted.


Fully assembled, these things tower over the hilltops all around the gorge.

Alternative Energy

Just outside Palm Springs, California is a vast wind farm. The turbines are huge, the size of the rotors comparable to the wing span of small commercial jet aircraft. The ambient temperature was over 120F when these pictures were taken.








Even in the blistering heat, the desert is far from lifeless. This desert jackrabbit manages to survive among the scrub and the wind turbine towers.