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tower building
Countryboy:
Hi Johnny,
You're correct. Most good welds don't break. The metal breaks right beside the weld. That is because weld and the metal you are welding have slightly different compositions, and different strength and flexibility. Stresses find the weakest point.
If you really are dead set on having a free standing tower, I'd recommend a BIG BEEFY tower. No tip-up tower. See if you can get your hands on the design plans for the commercial towers for the monster wind turbines. Build a lighthouse, and stick the windmill on top.
If you're trying to get above the trees, there are two options. Make your tower taller, or make the trees shorter. A chainsaw is probably going to be easier to handle in the long run than a monster tower. Being on the top of a hill, you should get decent winds without a tall tower if you knock a few trees down.
If you insist upon building the tower you designed just so you can say you did it, please buy a backup generator and keep plently of fuel on hand. It's now a matter of if it will fail, it is just a matter of when. (See threads about Dan's 17 footer evidence of that.) Your wife will greatly appreciate you having a backup generator for when you have the power failure.
amiklic1:
I thought that Hugh Piggot uses at lest 2" (60.3mm) pipe for the top of the tower. And, if you calculate the fact that if we double the diameter (with the same wall thickness), we get 16 times the strength of a pipe, it's wise to do so. It means that if we enlarge the pipe for 30%, we get more than five times the strength.
Also, be careful with constructing the tower. In my area, I saw many such constructions failed. It's not always a bad weld, it's difference in material structure, temperature expanding etc. And, mostly those micro-vibrations that are hard noticeable, but very destructive.
The option with one pipe fixed in the earth, in concrete, is good (supposed the base is OK), but I wouldn't go with just the bolts when connecting the main tower pipe and the fixed one. A kind of a bushing thru the both pipes is recommended, for stronger connection. And tight connection, to eliminate vibrations.
Vibrations are like wood worms. They go all around ant searching a place where they can make a damage.
I prefer lattice freestanding tower, because I can find the material for free. Right now i'm building two sections 20' each. It's straight-width tower, with lot of bolts and profiles, oversized bit. (That's the main reason I'm happy).
Anyway, good luck with your project. And remember: Any anchor-diameter is better than none. It's better to put the guy wires on the 3m diameter from the tower base, than to go without them.
johnnyo:
yes your right about the 2" pipe. and yes I will use a pipe through the base pipe for a spacer, also I intended to fill the bace pipe with concrete to help stiffen it. The main tower pipe will be bolted with a through bolt of 1" size and when stood up bolted at the bottom to the base pipe. I'll leave enough room for the wires to come out. do you think that all 4 supports for the base pole should be bolted? vibration purposes? I'm sure I wont have any problem with the tower bending, I have a tendency to over build at times,also over weld.,you see I welded Caterpillar's for 17 years. If you ever worked there you'd know what i'm talking about. gotta get back to work,thanks for the commonts,and fofgive my spelling johnnyo
vassile52:
Hi Johnny,
I'm a welder and I would like to build a same tower.
May I have more details,maybe pictures about yours tower,please?
I'm living in Calgary,Alberta,Canada.
frackers:
--- Quote from: johnnyo on March 09, 2006, 10:17:32 AM ---I just dont want to contend with the guy wires. comments like 5'x5' of concrete and forsight about the 1 1/2" stub for setting the windgenerator on top of, that it might be weak, thease commets are wanted and appreciated. I'm building a Hugh Piggot design 10' machine which will be my first, but I dont think this machine will give me enough power.
--- End quote ---
I have run a 10' (3m) Piggott turbine for 8 years and have bent 2 2" (50mm) irrigation pipe stubs.
The first was due to blade strike when the whole generator (all 50kg if it!) lifted 300mm off the stub in a big gust.
The second was due to a lack of guys allowing the pole to whip back and forth, eventually bending the 3" pipe below the stub as well as the stub itself.
As you can see the bend was the same distance below the guys as the turbine head is above them.
I've just about given up in wind now that solar PV is a reasonable price - a couple of 250w panels produces more that the turbine (which managed nearly 2MWhrs in 8 years) and I don't have to worry about flying bits of blade
hitting the llamas!!
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