A tough day
11th March, 2009
I can’t remember a day when I have worked so hard. We were up at 06:30 and after a breakfast of porridge and tinned fruit we started putting the first turbine up.
Things were going pretty well, the rest of team got on with getting the tower and ground anchors ready, and I fitted the blades to the hub and assembled the turbine. The ground anchors that we were using to hold the guy wires for the turbine tower drove in worrying easily, and when we put the turbine up and raised the tower for the first time, they started to pull out. What a nightmare – this turbine needed to stay up through an Antarctic winter, and as it was it probably wouldn’t survive the week.
We dropped the turbine and retired for a cup of tea and some crisis talks. The tea did the job, and we formulated a plan to dig some holes, drop boulders into the holes and drive the anchors behind the boulders. This was building Egyptian style, using metal poles and lumps of wood to push, lever and roll the four massive boulders from where they were to where they needed to be. Everyone pitched in, and after about three hours we had placed the boulders and driven the new ground anchors behind them. It worked a treat and the anchors were going nowhere.
We hoisted the turbine into position again, and this time we tensioned the guy wires tight without any movement of the anchors. Everything was set. The turbine was up and the wind was blowing strongly. Everyone held their breath and we flicked the turbines on switch, and….nothing happened.
This was my moment. As the wind turbine expert, I stepped in to do some serious trouble shooting. I went through everything stage by stage, but everything seemed fine. This had to be a fundamental manufacturing problem; the whole expedition was at risk.
I was stood looking up at the turbine when Russ walked past, looked up at the turbine and said, “Are you sure those blades are on the right way – they look backwards to me?” Cheek of it, like I’d make a mistake like that.
Shortly after that, we took the turbine down, swapped the blades round, put it back up, switched it on, and it fired up straight away.
Russell ripped my “Wind Turbine Expert” badge from my lapel and put it in the bin. I loved that badge.
I hope no one from work reads this.
Stuart
RWE Innogy
Hi Stuart Great to see that you are doing some real work for once. A great triumph putting the turbine up even if you have lost a lot of kudos. Will have to check the turbines on your commissioned sites to see whether they have the same problem! Anyway it seems like you are enjoying it and good luck with the rest of the expedition. All the best Warren
Posted by Warren Hicks on 03/12/09, 4:02 am