Go to Otherpower.com Home Page Go to Forcefield Shopping Cart Go to Wondermagnet.com Home Page
Front Page - [Homebrewed Electricity-- (wind) (solar) (hydro) (steam) (controls) (storage) (mechanical)] - Classifieds - Site News
Everything - Newbies - [Remote Living-- (housing) (heat) (light) (water)] - Reviews - Diaries - Our Products
Need help! City Zoning meeting tomorrow


By machinist, Section Newbies
Posted on Mon Aug 10, 2009 at 02:29:37 PM MST
.

Six months ago I called the city to find out if there was an ordinance on wind turbines in the city. They said no, but I can't put one up until they make one. They have drawn up an ordinance that will be voted on tomorrow evening. I'm supposed to be able to address the committee. The Mayor said the one thing they are worried about is the noise. I have a 10' axial flux with the Windmax blades. Is there a chart somewhere that shows how much noise this thing will make if it is 30' in the air?
I'm was going to take pictures of the pitbull chained to a tire in my nieghbour's back yard and tell them "Not as much as this damn thing.", but now think that some scientific data may be better.
Any help or ideas would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Kerry Bullard
Dublin Texas
Need help! City Zoning meeting tomorrow | 9 comments (9 topical)

Re: Need help! City Zoning meeting tomorrow (3.00 / 0) (#1)
by DanG on Mon Aug 10, 2009 at 09:15:12 AM MST

There are videos that may be valid examples of nuisance levels of noise generated, google and youtube are your friends.

To do a legally acceptable noise study would take real money to normalize industry practices and compensate for site variables.

The chained barking dog might be funny if then immediately you begin your real presentation (and say it was just for fun, but come visit on Sundays when the neighbors go out of town for the day and leave the dog behind).

A quick outline of turbine blade length versus tip speed and noise generation might be helpful, educate those in attendance why some small diameter retail "miracle-X" turbines can sound like a chainsaw without a muffler from small plastic tips vibrating or nearing supersonic speeds because they rely on RPM... ...whereas the huge cubic inch displacement of rare-earth magnets use brute force not RPM to get output.

How about a quickie demo stand for your unit so you can show-and-tell about a 200~RPM cut-in and how furling and shorting the output guards against over-speeding? A tire-less wheel rim and tube - a loose turbine blade so they can see and feel it as a display on lightweight construction and a non-aggressive airfoil pattern (they will be thinking high speed window-fan not airplane wing)

Anyhow - I could go on and on... time is short GET BACK TO WORK!



Re: Need help! City Zoning meeting tomorrow (3.00 / 0) (#2)
by DanG on Mon Aug 10, 2009 at 09:24:34 AM MST

Also think in terms of a probation period - make permit applications permanent only based on real nuisance noise generation, something like 90db at property line after 10pm will warrant a citation here for other noise types like parties, music and machinery. Then make darn sure your 10' does not free-wheel and explode into splinters in the first storm that comes through (even if the Mayors prize winning Beagle was blown into it from the tornado)...

[ Parent ]


Re: Need help! City Zoning meeting tomorrow (3.00 / 0) (#3)
by machinist on Mon Aug 10, 2009 at 10:20:44 AM MST

Its been on a 12' pole mounted to a trailer in my back yard since they told me I couldn't "permanently" mount it to my property. Its gone through some pretty good storms. I did find one quote in here that I'm going to use,"Because they are more fun to watch than solar panels."
have fun
Kerry

[ Parent ]


Re: Need help! City Zoning meeting tomorrow (3.00 / 0) (#8)
by jclaudii on Tue Aug 11, 2009 at 09:36:11 PM MST

Since it's on a trailer can you bring it to your town hall? perhaps set it up and let it run while the meeting is going on?

[ Parent ]


Re: Need help! City Zoning meeting tomorrow (3.00 / 0) (#4)
by spinningmagnets on Mon Aug 10, 2009 at 12:40:20 PM MST

Be careful about counter-examples (neighbors dog barking) because the reply might be that: "You can complain about a dog barking and if we get enough complaints there is an ordinance to force the owner to keep the dog inside or put him in the pound"

Anti-paperwork bureaucrats may just use your example as the precedent to say "we've recieved complaints about the turbine noise, so now you must remove it, just like the problem dogs".

Bring a record of power outages in that county for the past 5 years (newspaper records?), every little bit helps.



Re: Need help! City Zoning meeting tomorrow (3.00 / 0) (#5)
by ghurd on Mon Aug 10, 2009 at 01:07:05 PM MST

And on that note,
the thing is already flying.
Did they have any complaints related to the noise it makes?
G-
Ghurd.info
[ Parent ]


Re: Need help! City Zoning meeting tomorrow (3.00 / 0) (#6)
by frepdx on Mon Aug 10, 2009 at 04:09:40 PM MST

Have you asked the blade manufacturer? I'd think it would be in their interest to have a document package tailored for just these cases.



Re: Need help! City Zoning meeting tomorrow (3.00 / 0) (#7)
by DanB on Tue Aug 11, 2009 at 10:53:22 AM MST

the noise the blades actually make will depend on how they're loaded, how the machine furls etc, often times it is the alternator that makes the most noise.  And ~ while I think the price is quite good for 'windmax' blades, I doubt they have such data ~ if they do I wouldn't trust it to be anything more than a number pulled out of the air.  They claim a cP of 49% on those blades... that seems so unrealisitic I would not believe any other numbers they have to offer (other than the length, and the price).

[ Parent ]


Re: Need help! City Zoning meeting tomorrow (3.00 / 0) (#9)
by viron on Sun Aug 16, 2009 at 09:55:56 AM MST

Federal Law is in your favor regarding renewable energy.  In order for a local government to deny your wind turbine, solar system or other renewable energy they have to show a real nuiscance, or danger.

If they say the tower it self is a danger, and you are not in the immediate vicinity of a airport, get an amatuer radio license and put up your tower.  Federal law trumps local government regarding amatuer radio towers.  Attach your wind mill to your radio tower as a means of power you radio in case of an emergency when there is no power.  Of course it would be good to join you local amatuer radio emergency response group.

Viron



Need help! City Zoning meeting tomorrow | 9 comments (9 topical)
Display: Sort:
Menu
· create account
· How to use the board
· FAQs
· search the board
· Google search the board

Login
Make a new account
Username:
Password:

Total Views
  88 Scoop users have viewed this posting.

Related Links
· Also by machinist

Powered by Scoop
You must be a registered user to post here. It's easy and free, and the link is on the upper right side of your page.
All trademarks and copyrights on this page are owned by their respective companies. Postings are owned by the poster, but may be deleted or moved at the ADMIN's sole discretion. The Rest © 2009 Forcefield.
You can Email the board ADMIN here. PLEASE include the username you signed up with!