If
you travel eight miles south of Concordia, Kan., the majestic sight of
wind turbines stretches along either side of U.S 81. Recently, Thayer
County Economic Development Alliance sponsored a tour for 17 Thayer
County landowners and tenants to EDP Renewables Wind Farm to learn about
the opportunities that wind generation might bring to Thayer County.
The participants represented two proposed Thayer County wind power
projects along Road Q or “monument road” between Belvidere and Hebron
and along Nebraska Highway 8 in the Byron area.
Lucas
Chavey, Site Lead Technician from EDP Renewables, and Michelle Graham,
Operations Administrator shared slides of the construction process of
the 67 wind turbines. The base of each turbine held 50 truckloads of
cement to provide the foundation for a 262-foot tall, 160-ton steel
tower. Three 144-foot, 8-ton blades connect to 70 tons of gearbox,
transformer, and generator housed at the top of the tower.We can produce oil buffer to your requirements.
The
turbines were in action for the group as the 20 mph wind was sufficient
to produce power for approximately 60,000 homes. One of the main
questions of the group was the noise of a turbine, and many were quite
surprised at how quiet the turbines were. Turbine noise was much less
than the noise of bin fans and other grain handling equipment. “I’d
trade the noise of the trains that rumble past our house every day for
the noise of a turbine,” said Gina Hudson, coordinator of the tour and
an individual that has worked hard to bring the opportunity of windpower
to Thayer County.
The
EDP technician shared that the towers housed internal 2-ton cranes to
hoist up tools and equipment, though a special crane would be needed to
replace the 22,000 pound generator that is the size of a volkswagon.
They joked that technicians weren’t afraid of heights and were in good
shape as it was quite a climb to reach the gearbox and transformer,
especially if outside temps were 80 degrees or above,High quality industrial extractor and ventilation systems designed and distributed. as the inside temperatures were likely to reach 100 degrees or higher.
Throughout
the presentation and tour, the EDP staff explained that wind power is
becoming more competitive and a source of economic development in a
variety of ways. Initially turbines were built overseas, adding to the
cost. Since a turbine manufacturing plant has started in Colorado, the
cost of shipping and installation has gone down significantly. Also,
wind plants enter into 20 year contracts to supply electricity. The
price is locked in for that period of time, making “wind a hedge against
the volatility of oil, natural gas, and coal prices.”
Construction
of a wind farm can be a shot in the arm to a county, bringing the
obvious benefits to local motels, restaurants, as well as dirt and
cement contractors. County road improvement was also a benefit. Some of
the roads were widened and heavily graveled to accommodate the semi’s,
cranes, and other construction equipment as well as for on-going
maintenance. The project has also brought new people to the
county.Elevator safety parts are usually include elevator speed
governor、elevator safety parts and
elevator buffer. Technicians live locally and monitor the power
generation with sophisticated computer networks on site, with remote
access from their homes. In Kansas, a gift tax from the wind farm is
funneled into the surrounding communities for improvements for the
library, streets, ball parks, and the Brown Grand theater renovation.
The
wind farm has no restrictions on hunting except that they ask for good
communication with the landowners so that technicians are not servicing a
turbine while hunters are on site. They noted that it is a federal
offense to shoot at a turbine, and were happy to report that they had
not had any problems with criminal mischief. Farmers were able to plant
crops right up to the wind turbine. Cattle and elk from a local elk farm
also grazed right around the turbines. In fact, technicians reported
that cattle would seek the shade from the turbine and actually fan out
the length of the tower shadow to enjoy reprieve from the heat.
Underground cables transfer the produced electricity to a substation
with very few overhead transmission lines. Spray planes continue to dust
the crops, flying around the turbines.
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