The Making of a Wind Turbine | Exceptional Engineering | Free Documentary

By converting

wind

into power, these high-tech, high-performance

turbine

s are driving the shift to green energy around the world, but building and installing these increasingly large

wind

turbine

s poses a huge challenge; You can make the crowd jump and make them more efficient As the turbines grow, so do the factories in which they are built State-of-the-art robotic technology is used to build the huge cells and powerful generators The rotor blades are especially large , they measure more than 80 meters long and weigh 20 tons and are molded in a single piece I am a shovel, it is larger than the wingspan of an a380 to carry the huge components to remote locations engineers need special ships, high and low transporters and mega cranes without them wind turbines couldn't leave the factory crews need nerves of steel when assembling wind turbines on site even a small mistake can have deadly results we don't necessarily have more problems but the more dangerous and the more dentists Wind turbine manufacturing is booming around the world, the industry is driven by a single goal, a giant.

A wind turbine is being built. A high/low conveyor delivers the first pieces of concrete. 10 specialists will build the first of a total of 24 tower elements weighing at least one ton each at the Falcon Tall wind farm near Berlin. 11 giant wind turbines can generate up to 530 megawatt hours per day in optimal weather conditions, but that is not enough for the next week and the e82 wind turbine will join them here. The turbines measure 138 meters from ground to shaft and have A rotor diameter of 83 meters in good wind conditions can produce up to 5,000 megawatt hours per year, enough to meet the annual energy needs of about 1,200 homes.

The first step is to lay the foundation, made up of 75 tons of steel and 700 cubic meters of concrete. It extends four meters underground and weighs several thousand. tons, if the ground cannot support such a weight, the foundations are additionally anchored with 40 concrete pillars that extend 15 meters into the ground. The team has already placed the first section of the tower on the foundation. Now a special crane is lifting the second ring. the base three crew members push the second ring weighing almost 120 tons into position two iron centering pins help position the second segment flush with the first the two segments must maintain tolerances of only a few millimeters fifteen minutes later the second ring is in place and the tower has grown four meters inside the tower the team also goes higher they stand on a platform that has six legs that adjusts to the diameter of the tower each time the tower grows the crane raises the platform another three meters and then you re-enter the platform the inside wall outside the rest of the crew is preparing the third ring the crane suspension system uses several orange heavy lifting slings to lift the tower sections the The number, length and strength of the slings vary depending on the nature and weight of the load the crew makes precise calculations taking into account all factors so that everything goes well the singer puts people's lives at stake the operators of the crane the view may be obstructed so they guided her by radio she has not moved on the towers the first rings are very It weighs more than 100 tons, so we use it floating ballast.

Floating ballast is the massive counterweight that stabilizes the crane and prevents it from tipping over under heavy loads. It allows the 565-tonne crane to lift more than its own weight. 600 tons. The crane boom is 126 meters long, it takes three days just to install the crane, there is a wind meter at the tip of the boom, according to safety regulations, the wind speed cannot exceed 9 meters per second during this part of the operation even a small amount of sway in the The load could be extremely dangerous today the wind speed is 3.6 m/s so that the work can continue.

The crawler crane lifts the ring and the team moves it into position. They have built dozens of wind turbines around the world and know they are on a tight schedule over the next eight days they will add another 18 cement rings reaching a height of 83 meters at this time the segments are being staffed they will not be joined until its steel section went from being breached, we used to glue the segments together now we stopped doing that years ago for cost and efficiency reasons now the rings are being placed on top of each other its enormous weight makes the tower stable later the team You will mount 24 steel cables each the thickness of an arm to the structure the cables You will securely tie the tower segments now it is time to remove the work platform.

Its legs are retracted and the crane lifts it off the tower with the crew still on board. At this stage of construction, the diameter of the upper segment is still large enough. In order to lower the control cabinets and electrical equipment inside, the next set of turbine parts is almost at the construction site. Twelve trucks are just a few hundred meters from the tower. They wear the following four rings, each of which is composed. of three segments in record time the crew has placed the slings and unloaded the trucks the first of the three concrete shells is placed on an assembly star casting the concrete in one piece and then transporting the 100-ton Colossus would be inefficient and very expensive, that's why it is assembled on site the team unloads the second frame and places it on the assembly star they use chain hoists to place it in the correct position the third concrete frame completes the ring the team begins to align all the pieces and screw them together we want them to be fancy so the screws fit into the holes, so we have to paint this one with hydraulic pumps and chain hoists, the team pulls the concrete casings into place inch by inch and then joins the segments using thirty millimeters. steel screws in less than an hour the team has assembled the fourth ring the huge crane places it in position where it will remain for approximately two decades then the wind turbine will be renewed or replaced the minimum useful life of 20 years is also the reason why The turbine is manufactured and assembled is precision work.

This factory in the city of Banda, Denmark produces more than 1,000 onshore and offshore wind turbines a year. 3,000 skilled workers use high-tech robotic technology to assemble the multi-ton nacelle, as the nacelle deck is called Wind turbines built here are found in more than 90 countries around the world These large factory halls awareness cells used in SW T7 wind turbines are built. These wind turbines are up to 165 meters high and are intended for offshore use. Their rotors are 154 meters in diameter each. The wind turbine has a nominal capacity of 7 megawatts per year, more than enough to power 7,000 washing machines.

A team of 65 people is building the sea giants. The 3,000 square meter production line can produce 4 cells per week. The demand for these turbines is increasing as are the The technical demands placed on the industry are to constantly improve technology to reduce costs. The expectations of all our customers and Indian society are that we can bring wind energy to a level of what other fuels cost. First of all, you can make matcha. that makes them more efficient, but we also work on more advanced aerodynamics for the plates, lights or structures, but basically we work on everything. Building offshore wind turbines is a very complex process because they are much larger than their land-based cousins, but their huge rotors also generate more electricity and the higher wind speeds over water are converted even more efficiently into electricity.

Building offshore wind farms requires special ships, jakab platforms and heavy-duty floating cranes to withstand years of wind waves and adverse weather conditions. Marine turbines are needed. Supported by a massive base, depending on the depth of the water and the prevailing currents, up to four enormous steel pillars sink up to 30 meters deep into the ocean floor, anchoring marine turbines weighing several hundred tons. Germany built its first offshore wind farms. Since then, around 100 marine turbines have been added per year since 2004, unlike their Scandinavian and British counterparts. German offshore wind farms are not located near the coast, but more than 12 nautical miles offshore, which means at least 22.2 kilometers from land.

The most cutting-edge wind energy in the US has become quite competitive because it has been around since 2030 in some places for 40 years and we continue to improve that neutral beams and turbines have become larger, they started with the size of a dining room table , now a single blade is larger. than the wingspan of an a380, technology continues to improve and costs are increasingly lower, which is why wind energy is so in demand around the world today and is so useful. The components of a giant offshore wind turbine have just arrived at the factory. This 30 ton main frame is the heart of the turbine.

The cast iron structure will join the tower to the large nacelle and the rotor that will be able to rotate the main frame. It is equipped with a huge gearbox so that the nacelle and rotors can rotate as needed at the moment. At the next station, the crew will install 16 yogis. Each of these electric motors rotates a yaw mechanism that meshes with the gearbox in the nacelle. Matt allows the rotor to spin and the nacelle to spin into the wind. Sensors are placed at various points in the Menna cell to measure vibration. Wind direction and speed The 16 electric motors rotate the 80-tonne nacelle as efficiently as possible into the wind When the nacelle rotates the rotors must be stationary The SW T7 wind turbine can handle wind speeds between 2 and 25 m/s and convert that energy into electricity at higher wind speeds the unit shuts down for safety reasons these high-tech electronic boxes keep the nacelle properly oriented in the wind the boxes contain complex sensors and control systems electrical panels with electronic equipment that control the movement of the blades and not some measurements, so there are many sensors, we measure temperatures, we measure wind speed, wind direction, vibrations, we match the angle of inclination, how the blades are positioned, we measure the angle of yaw, so there are a lot of parameters that are sent to our monitoring center.

The company has installed around 11,000 wind turbines around the world. Data from the turbines is transmitted via fiber optic cables to the Diagnostic Center in Denmark. 85% of breakdowns can be resolved remotely. The data also provides information on the efficiency of wind turbines. This gondola is equipped. With all the necessary electronic sensors and control elements, the crew now begins to assemble the side walls. They are made of fiberglass reinforced plastic. Porgy FRP. This composite material that is lightweight and extremely strong is also used in airplanes. The oldest wind turbines were made of aluminum. But the metal is too heavy for today's huge structures, so the team attached the side walls using two hundred and twenty-two screws on each.

The finishing gondola weighs as much as four school buses, but before being sent to customers it undergoes a thorough check. Quality is crucial. is in order because even a minor error can cause the turbine to shut down. We need to make sure the turbine is running. The engines are in the ocean. So it is necessary. It is quite expensive to have it around for a long time. Now ready to head to Germany we return to the Falcon Tal wind farm over the last six days the wind turbine tower has grown to 22 rings totaling 80 meters and today the crew will assemble the last two segments three crew members will board a work platform that is considerably smaller than the one used to mount the lower rings, the tower is now conscious at the top and then at the bottom, the opening at the top is just under eight feet wide , after almost 10 minutes they reach the 80 meter mark.

The crew remains in radio contact with the crane operator while they move the cabin into place and then give the order to lower the platform and anchor it to the tower. It's routine work, but they remain alert at this height above the ground. A single mistake can spell disaster. don't make mistakes more often but when they do it is more dangerous more death 100 meters from theground anything that falls can cause much more damage than when you are on the ground the crews undergo medical checks to confirm that they are fit to work at these heights, the alto pilano during training, the crews also receive instruction on how to carry out safely carry out a rescue operation in the event of an accident or fall every six months.

They also receive a medical examination to ensure that they are capable of working at high altitudes. The crew fixes the safety cable and removes the cables from the crane. 20 minutes after leaving the ground they are at 80 meters high and ready to work they will be in the small platform for three or four hours there is no bath or heating In winter and no shade in summer, simply cleaning the top ring stop is hard work. It's easier for ground staff. They are preparing the next concrete element for installation. The bottom of the ring needs to be cleaned and centered. the pins are released into position the crawler crane lifts the concrete ring to the top, this one weighs 42 tons, it is light compared to those below, but it also has a disadvantage: the lighter the load, the more likely The operator has to be extremely skilled and depends on precise instructions from the platform equipment.

The team begins to carefully maneuver the segment into place. 20 minutes later, the concrete ring is in place at the top of the tower. The equipment is now 83 meters above the ground. They begin. By opening the contact channels, two dozen shafts extend along the outer wall from the top to the basement. They use a pendulum to make sure each axis is

free

. If it is blocked at any point, the steel cable will not lower while the equipment mounts four threaded bolts. The next segment is waiting on the ground. It's solid iron, not concrete, like some kind of cork on top.

They will be attached to the 24 steel cables that will extend to the ground by tightening the segments. Once the screws are in place, it's time for lunch, but First they have to go down the stairs, they attach their harness to the fall of the stairs. arrest system then disconnect the second lifeline from the work platform 80 meters and almost three hundred steps descending the ladder requires strength and endurance the tower widens towards the bottom so the descent is also at an angle from which the The crew members' body weight carries them away from the ladder. Six minutes later, the three are safely on the ground while the crew on the platform takes a break.

The others unwrap a huge reel containing the coiled steel cables. Each reel contains cables. 485 meters, each made of nine individual strands of steel that will eventually extend from the top to the bottom of the tower at this time, the team fixed the cables to the foundation and then climbed them through the axes. Another special component is on the way. This is the motorized uncoiling device that will uncoil the cables onto the reels so that they can be extended through the channels. The cables are so heavy that they cannot be uncoiled by hand. The crew climbs onto a platform basket that is raised.

To the top of the tower climbing the ladder would be too tiring and time-consuming, but The Road Up still requires nerves of steel. The fall protection cables are disconnected and the crew returns to the platform. The five-tonne cable reel now attached to the motorized uncoiling device is raised to the top of the tower. Two crew members begin to untangle the first steel cable. one level below, the third crew member feeds it into the channel, then the rest is untangled and extended down through the tower wall to the basement, then the mounting bracket on top of the cable is removed. fixed with six screws at the end of the Day 24 The steel cables extend from the top of the tower to the basement.

Later, the team will use a special procedure to tighten the cables that will ensure the final structure is stable. The facility in Banda Denmark not only builds missiles for offshore wind energy. turbines every week 18 high-tech cells for onshore wind turbines are also manufactured here. Three wind turbines measure up to 142 meters in height and have a rotor diameter of approximately 100 meters with a maximum speed of 19 revolutions per minute and a nominal capacity of 3.2. megawatts the equipment works at a set rate every 4 hours and 20 minutes the assembly line moves forward one station we have a complete line here and for each station we have four hours and 20 minutes to do the assembly process that we need to do at this station if the tact is not working then we will have to investigate what the problem is, it could be a quality issue due to missing parts, when that happens we need to contact our support functions to help us and make a decision on what to do.

Then lose our way too It will mean we lose our money, it means we need to work overtime to catch up and probably reschedule some of the deliveries we have. This compact gondola has been in series production since 2010, one of its sales. The point is that it is assembled here in the factory and not at the construction site. Currently there are two ways to generate electricity from wind. In the first option, the rotation of the rotors is transmitted through a series of gears to a small generator and in the other, the rotor. directly powers a large generator wind turbines that use gears have a longer nacelle that holds the gears a direct drive wind turbine has a comparatively shorter nacelle branda factory specializes in direct drive wind turbines its generators operate very Similar to an oversized bottle dynamo on a bicycle, a huge copper coil sits inside the generator.

When the wind spins, the rotor magnets spin around the copper coil generating electricity. We introduced the technology in 2007 in the first test machines, but only in the last five years have we reached truly high volume in this technology. The macapa ring is constructed from six massive parts. Copper is a metal with very high electrical conductivity. spiral copper increases inductance copper is also a soft metal that is easy to work with the equipment now the so-called stator is being installed a special casing the generator casing is then inserted into this machine inside the machine for the arms of the robot magnets installed in the drum that surrounds the copper coil we receive the magnets we call them cold so that they are not magnetized the robot takes a cold magnet magnetizes it and places it in the finished generator, the magnetic force in this cell here is very high, so no human can infer that once they are in the generator they are no longer dangerous, the cold magnets are coated with a special alloy that helps protect them from wear and tear.

High-tech robots install a total of 648 magnets into the generator, then the generators are placed on a flatbed truck that transports the three million watt generator to the next factory hall, this is where the generator will be installed in the gondola. First, the team places a large transport frame on the roof, a crane, a custom-made spike device makes it possible to move the generators safely here in this 3000 square meter factory hall into a cell for a SWT three wind turbine. It is assembled every four hours when the direct drive generator is coupled and bolted together the entire nacelle weighs 73 tons this factory belongs to one of the largest wind turbine manufacturers in the world to build one of these turbines costs almost three million euros here three are built different types of cells a heavy truck takes it to the port of the Danish city of SP.

From there the units are shipped all over the world. The freighter also transports the huge cells to Germany at the Falcon Tal wind farm near Berlin. Preparations for the arrival of the gondola are underway, but before the gondola can be transported. Raised to the top of the fleet two wind turbines, the crew has to install the last two sections of steel. Two cranes are needed to lift the steel sections, allowing the crew to lift the pipe while ensuring that the delicate ends of the section do not hit the ground. Fog and the onset of dusk make the job difficult.

Winds could also mean a problem with wind speeds of more than eight meters per second this stage of the work would have to be postponed the nakhon would decide if the crane attempted to lift 58 tonnes with a wind speed of 10 or 12 m/s the steel section would begin to oscillate the crane could even tip over and we would be risking the lives of workers if there is no way of knowing where the crane would land if it fell into it despite the less than optimal conditions the steel section is lifted without problems the crane lifts the section to the top of the 83 meter tower the tower is another 25 meters higher the war continues without interruption the next section of steel rises its 28 meters long and weighs 42 tons after its placement the wind turbine tower is finished the tower of 136 meters is made up of 24 separate elements the crew is now preparing the high-tech gondola for the last stage of the process this type of gondola weighs 19 tons the crew has to work quickly it is getting dark and there is fog err the operation begins in optimal conditions it takes a month for a new wind turbine to be ready to go into operation the team is working in difficult conditions today but time is still money they have already done it They spent ten days building the tower and in the last few hours they have installed the two last sections of steel.

Now they have fixed the gondola to the tower at 136 meters high. They will only have one day to install the huge rotor in another factory in the Danish city. rotor blades for wind turbines are made from olive oil 1,300 workers here produce around 2,000 blades a year A number of different factors influence their construction, including their lifespan, their noise emissions and, especially, their performance, and we plan everything what we are doing both onshore and offshore blades and they are integral blades, which means it is actually a one piece plate that we are manufacturing in lengths between 53 meters and 81 meters and we make in a round of 32 40 blades per week here in this factory, each blade starts in a A huge mold, much like this one, which also applies to the largest blades built here in Denmark, at 81 meters, it is one of the longest rotor blades in the world.

This fiberglass mat is the raw material, which is what the Packers call this used station equipment. Packing the giant mold is easy to handle and very easy to form into our molds so I don't have any problems placing them or straightening them. The fiberglass strips have a special woven structure that makes it an

exceptional

ly strong sheet. The mat should be placed without wrinkles or air pockets, which would have a negative impact on the structural properties of the material if you throw it away. It is very rigid and with just a little wrinkling you can pull it without much force.

Packers put 500 strips of fiberglass mat into the mold, they should be overlapped in a specific pattern and placed at given distances from each other, then the finished sheet can withstand all kinds of loads and weather conditions. The inside of each leaf also contains a connection. beam as tall as a man, providing additional stability for installing the beam an overhead crane moves a huge steel frame over the mold the frame holds the wood core for safety reasons packers have to wait until the frame is stationary and then they can remove the beam and fix it in place the rotors of wind turbines are getting larger, longer blades can generate more electricity, reducing the number of wind turbines needed to meet demand, this blade will even longer than the wingspan of an Airbus a380, the crew then installs a lightning rod and then a foam core is placed in the mold and topped with another 500 strips of fiberglass mat to form the top of the blade.

The foam is then removed leaving a hollow, lighter sheet, allowing the sheet to be formed as one. Part after the Packers have covered the core of the phone with a layer of wood, they can begin laying down the fiberglass panels that will form the top of the sheet. Now that all the parts of the blade are in place, the crane moves a huge steel casing into position. and closes the mold the inside of the shell is equipped with a piping system all the air inside the shovel will be sucked through the pipes and then the structure will be filled with a two-component resin that a special pump and a unit mixture they inject 8300 kilos of resin and the hardener into the mold, the resin and thehardener flow through these tubes into this mixer which mixes the two components in a specific ratio, this is how EPOC is made (see resin) and continues here, whatever you have lemon, where are you?

Silently, the mixed resin flows through these tubes. Welcome back. Hume sucks the epoxy resin into the mold. The shape is also heated at the same time. Its temperature slowly increases about 0.2 degrees per minute until it reaches 92 degrees Celsius, which takes about seven and a half hours. The sheet is then allowed to harden for another two hours at 85 degrees, the rest of the air is removed through these hoses, the resulting vacuum causes the rest of the epoxy resin to move to each corner of the mold that way it does not They can form air pockets. inside the blade, which helps ensure maximum stability. 9 containers of epoxy resin flow into the blade once the entire mold is filled, the synthetic resin and hardener mixture is heated, bonded to the fiberglass mats, and then the blade is allowed to harden.

The final result is one of the largest rotor blades in the world. The blades used in the e82 wind turbine at Falcon Tile have a length of about 38 meters. They are transported to the construction site in three special trailer trucks. Two cranes are used to unload the blades from the rotor in this way the eight-tonne blades can be lifted from both sides, which prevents accidents and damage. The shovels are placed on the ground first. Modern wind turbine blades have a sawtooth-shaped edge along part of the blade,

making

the blades quieter and more aerodynamic, increasing efficiency. The design was inspired. by nature the trailing edge of an owl's wing, which allows it to dart quickly and silently on its prey, then the three blades are attached to the rotor hub when the unit is running, this is what will transfer the energy from the blades to the generator.

There is a hook attached to the center of gravity of the blades which makes it possible for a single crane to lift the blade keeping it parallel to the ground. The blades are attached to the rotor hub at an angle of 120 degrees. The hub has been carefully positioned when the blades are attached. , the crane will be able to lift it and turn it to the vertical position in a single movement so that it can be raised to the top. It takes the crew about five hours to attach the blades to the hub and then the 56-tonne rotor star is ready to go, but first we return to the factory in Aalborg.

A new shovel has just been manufactured. The Packers placed 500 strips of fiberglass matting in a huge steel mold. The strips were laid in a special overlapping pattern to ensure that each finished work would be strong enough to withstand strong winds; Then, a massive overhead crane placed a connecting beam inside the blade to help stabilize it; A temporary foam core filled the inside of the blade, which was finished off with a wooden panel and finally another 500 strips of fiberglass. The top of the steel mold was then placed over the structure. Air was pumped out of the structure.

To generate a vacuum, the mold was filled with a mixture of resin and a hardener. The mold containing the fiberglass was heated with a mixture of epoxy resin for 10 hours and allowed to harden. The final result was a sheet 81 meters long. Made of glass fiber reinforced plastic or GF RP. The material is robust and lightweight, but it also has some disadvantages, even small air pockets or indentations can weaken the blade. That's why the team now ensures that the material is perfectly solid and smooth. Any defects are removed with a grinder and the resulting holes are filled with fresh GFR P until the blade is solid and the rotor blades are then passed to the paint line.

They first receive a layer of primer, which is then covered with a special protective layer. Polyurethane varnish creates a durable surface that can withstand immense mechanical stress. This mechanical stress increases proportionally to the length of the leaf so that it becomes larger and then you have to think about the loss of nature, how it is carried in production, how it is manufactured, but also how it is carried from the plants to the sides, whether on boats or trucks, and how do you actually bring it to the site and install it? You also need large crane installation ships, so there are many parameters that you need to think about and think of new ways to be able to meet and meet these new challenges next.

The blades undergo various fatigue tests that can last up to 12 weeks. Engineers subject blades to extreme bending and twisting moments for long periods. In the simulations, the blades must withstand the same force to which they will be exposed throughout their useful life, not all of them. The blade is tested this way but a random sample of blades receive rigorous testing just like prototypes and new designs are tested for some loads equivalent to 25 year lifespan, it can also be 20 years but mostly 25 years, we can also extend the tests. programs for we test a place until another useful life, so it can be put for a long time, but this complete program for a shovel can last up to a year the shovel is attached to a special test tower in the middle of the shovel a weight of several tons causes the blade to oscillate depending on the size of the blade up to 400 sensors measure various parameters 25 times a second all day almost 70 years I think I have only seen two blades fail and a fatigue test is so real that the blades low because we monitor all data so closely that we will find errors before they become serious damage.

Aalborg's huge blades are among the largest in the world at 81 meters in length and a surface area of ​​20,000 square meters. Blades of this size produce offshore wind turbines with a nominal capacity of seven to eight megawatts at the Falcon tailwind farm. The rotor star has been assembled. The next step will be complicated. The crane will lift the rotor off the ground and then put it upright. in the air just a few meters from the holding tower for safety reasons, the maximum wind speed during this maneuver is 6 meters per second. DD's mom always, you can see its size now, the diameter is 83 meters, the crew has to stay close because we have to tilt the star we raise the star and then the star tilts up and we go so it can rise and then They will hold me pop The crane slowly lifts the rotor star Approximately 56 ton rotor the size of half a football field It will now move to a vertical position The rotors hang from a special hook called a banana Its curved shape allows the entire rotor star to hang Perfectly balanced, only a small amount of force is needed to tilt it while the crane lifts the star.

Two crew members pull it towards the tower. The enormous rotor star moves slowly from a horizontal to a vertical position. wind turbine slowly rises to the top 2 long cables are connected to the blades that the crew uses to keep the keel level An hour later, the enormous star of the rotors reaches the nacelle at 138 meters high. The crew fixes it to the generator with screws. After four weeks of work, the new EAD Two wind turbine will finally be in position. In the next few days the wind turbine will start up. online when the wind reaches a speed of two meters per second the turbine will start automatically and generate green energy we have an immense and growing need for electricity due to the increase in world population the expansion of the grid and electric vehicles cheap renewable energy from of wind energy Ideally, the first wind turbine was built almost 130 years ago, since then people have been harnessing the power of the wind as a source of cheap, powerful and unlimited energy.

Today, wind turbines are high-tech industrial facilities, their huge cells containing giant copper coils. The most modern robots install huge magnets in them. Today, wind turbines are manufactured on the assembly line. The rotor blades are manufactured with the help of huge steel molds and special resistant materials. Thousands of production steps are needed to commission a new wind turbine. It is finally up and running, nature and technology working hand in hand to generate energy from the wind