The newly installed EWT 500 kW wind turbine at Baulker Farm is performing to expectation and makes the site almost self sufficient in electricity. Renewables First has project managed the design and installation of the scheme from the instant the client obtained planning permission.
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Once the Baulker Farm wind turbine was installed, the commissioning and handover day provided an opportunity to ascend the turbine tower to the hub, in order to check everything is as it should be – as well as provide an opportunity to take some pictures!
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When assembling the hub and wind turbine blades, the challenge at Baulker Farm was one of space limitations due to the proximity of farm buildings and the large chicken sheds. With the rotor blade diameter of the EWT 500 kW turbine being 54 metres, a large surface area was required.
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The turbine generator is first lifted from its horizontal position on the delivery vehicle into a vertical position, ready for it to be fixed to the nacelle at the top of the turbine tower.
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With the lower tower section in place, the next phase of the wind turbine installation involves the upper tower section being installed. As with the lower section, both the main and tail cranes were used for the initial lifting until the section was vertical, at which point the main crane took over.
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With the turbine foundations completed, the site was ready for the DW54 EWT 500 kW turbine to be installed. The first to arrive was the lifting crane. This was a 1000 tonne mobile crane, required to lift the huge 30 tonne tower sections and generator up and over the chicken shed!
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The site at baulker farm is also interesting in that there were challenges with the wind turbine earthing. This is because the ground is comprised mostly of sand which has a very low conductivity.
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Having completed the initial foundations for the Powerwind turbine, Powerwind then ceased trading. This meant that the completed Powerwind foundation then had to be adapted to accommodate a different turbine – in this instance, Renewables First specified a DW54 EWT 500 kW turbine.
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Having already obtained planning permission to install a 500 kW wind turbine, Baulker Farm approached Renewables First having becoming aware of their expertise and experience with project managing wind and hydro systems.
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