Author Topic: Commercial Wind in Lake Erie (Read 7999 times)

taylorp035 · « **on:** February 23, 2010, 02:22:59 PM »

I live close to Erie, PA, which is on Lake Erie. Just today they announced that there is serious interest in putting turbines in the lake. Other projects around here include interest in Ripley NY, on the I-90 ridge in NY, and in Ashtabula OH.

A few weeks ago, I asked a head developer from Gamesa if he had heard about the Ripley NY project, and he said no and also that there is no interest for Gamesa installing in the lake.

We will have to wait and see!

fabricator · « **Reply #1 on:** February 23, 2010, 03:09:44 PM »

Good luck to em, some big outfit wants to put turbines in lake Michigan near Ludingtion

Michigan, the nimbys have already hired the biggest law firm and public relations firm in the state, the shoreline there is lined with estates owned by big money from Michigan and Chicago.

Norm · « **Reply #2 on:** February 24, 2010, 05:46:42 AM »

Since you live near Erie,PA ....so do I very

NE corner of Conneaut, Ohio. Less than a mile

from PA line.

We just had 2 windmills installed in Conneaut

and about to be operational real soon, as you probably know.

Nice to know someone around about as close

as Ghurd ....or closer?

....stop by on your way thru Conneaut

Beaufort · « **Reply #3 on:** February 24, 2010, 06:25:27 AM »

I saw one of those in Conneaut going past on the highway during the holidays. The one thing that makes a regular 800-mile trip fun is looking forward to the visible machines from the road. I was pleasantly surprised to see it...it seemed to crop up between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

ghurd · « **Reply #4 on:** February 24, 2010, 07:45:59 AM »

There is what appears to be a very old home brew unit with 2 blades left (of 3),

maybe ~14' dia,

maybe a bit south of I-80 on the East side of I-79,

maybe near I-79 on the south side of 80 (probably East of I-79).

The woods has grown up around it. Trees a lot higher than the tower.

Anyway, it is interesting, but I can never find it when a camera is handy.

G-

Norm · « **Reply #5 on:** February 24, 2010, 08:13:28 AM »

That's the one at Middle school out by the plaza

I90 & RT.7 the other one is down at the end of

Broadstreet at the harbor....awesome to look at

real close....I think they are 600KW .....neat !

Norm · « **Reply #6 on:** February 24, 2010, 01:59:16 PM »

I went down to the harbor in Conneaut and the

new windmill seems to be operating....or at least

it's turning at 1 rpm....slow but I imagine even

that slow it could be making enough or more than

I need if I owned it....this is what we need more

of rather than Bloom boxes....that and practicing

a lot more conservation!

Sr WiNdTeCh · « **Reply #7 on:** February 24, 2010, 02:23:00 PM »

I work on GE 1.5MW wind turbines here in Iowa...... Anything your interested in?

taylorp035 · « **Reply #8 on:** February 24, 2010, 02:42:10 PM »

I was fortunate enough to see the gears for the 1.5 MW up close (actually with an electron microscope). I saw them at GE Transportation in Erie, in their materials testing lab. Roughly 8 inches thick and the case Harding is about 1/4 deep. They assemble the gear boxes in Erie.

taylorp035 · « **Reply #9 on:** February 24, 2010, 02:45:18 PM »

I live only 30 miles from Conneaut. I live in McKean Pa, just south of the Millcreek Mall.

And I have not seen those windmills. Can you see them from I-90? I have only driven past their about 3 times, and the last time was about 3-4 years ago.

taylorp035 · « **Reply #10 on:** February 24, 2010, 02:53:31 PM »

I know there is a 40kw unit (grid tied to a house) on I-79, just south of the Crawford/Erie county line. It is on the west side and it is really nice (roughly what I would need for my house). The Erie paper had a nice article on it in their home section.

Norm · « **Reply #11 on:** February 24, 2010, 03:16:38 PM »

Ah Yes McKean... we used to go thru there often

on our way from Erie to Edinboro we still go to

Edinboro about once a week occasionally to

Millcreek Mall....

Yes you can see the one at Conneaut Middle school....as you drive West on I90 past 6N

and there is an Ohio rest stop on your right

and you should see it about then to your right

and as you continue to the RT. 7 ramp.

The other one you would have to keep on going

onto RT.7 north into Conneaut and straight down

to Lake RD. East over to Broad St. and down to

the harbor down at the bottom of the hill....

about 500 ft. from the lake.

Have fun !

fabricator · « **Reply #12 on:** February 24, 2010, 03:22:48 PM »

Sr Windtech, do you ever have scratch and dent sales?

Sr WiNdTeCh · « **Reply #13 on:** February 24, 2010, 04:07:35 PM »

scratch and dent sales??? What gearbox are you talking about... GE's use many different gearbox manufacturers... GE, Rexroth, Winergy, Movantas....

taylorp035 · « **Reply #14 on:** February 24, 2010, 07:30:35 PM »

Do you take 99 to the mall or Oliver Road? or I79?

Do you ever go to John's for pizza

Norm · « **Reply #15 on:** February 24, 2010, 08:54:37 PM »

We usually come up RT20 to I79 over to the Mall

in the old days of 'Beany Baby' hunting we used

to go thru McKean over to a place toward Edinboro

to where Old State Rd.

...and Yes we have used 99 from Edinboro to the

Mall

No I don't think we've ever been to John's for

pizza...don't know where it is...

Hmmm.....the road on the East side of the Mall

Olive Gardens on the East side going to I90 almost

to I90 the K-Mart just before you get there?

You can E-Mail me if you wish....

Perry1 · « **Reply #16 on:** February 25, 2010, 04:43:07 AM »

Here's a couple pics (old news for wind tech......or his new name solar tech)

This is a 1.5 MW GETS (GE Transportation Systems) gearbox. As wind tech says we use a lot of different gearboxes all pretty much built to the same spec. Cant wait til the tech shifts towards direct drive turbines. Gearboxes are on their way out.

I took the pic's when I was in Erie working on some engineering issues for the turbines.

I also threw in a pic from of a planet gear and thrust bearings from the same gearbox after hardness testing. Nothing in the pic to indicate scale but it is big.

Perry

Perry1 · « **Reply #17 on:** February 25, 2010, 04:44:59 AM »

Actually I think the 2x4's give an indication of scale.

Perry

fabricator · « **Reply #18 on:** February 25, 2010, 09:18:58 AM »

Thew tool carts would be about waist high.

fabricator · « **Reply #19 on:** February 25, 2010, 09:20:13 AM »

I'd make that shaft to be around 14-16 inches.

cardamon · « **Reply #20 on:** February 25, 2010, 03:22:59 PM »

Oh no, it will be so ugly! Our highways and power lines strung everywhere on the other hand, now those are things of beauty: the guard rails, oil stains, the miles of asphalt, the trash that accumulates on the side, I might have to go for a drive right now!!!! Oh and the beauty of the catenary, the shape formed be a hanging wire, the look of spaghetti in the sky makes my hungry.

Sr WiNdTeCh · « **Reply #21 on:** February 25, 2010, 04:29:07 PM »

hahaha "SoLaR tEcH" only because my city is a joke and wont let me put up my turbine... I'm looking to maybe move to Casper Wyoming... we have an ESS site out there... they say it's great out there.... it was -15 yesterday... -10 today... it's warmer in Wyoming... It sucks climbing when it's that cold.

taylorp035 · « **Reply #22 on:** February 25, 2010, 07:46:07 PM »

It doesn't really matter, I was just wondering what you knew about the area.

As for the John's Pizza, it is Edinboro. You go south once you hit 99 off of 6N. It will be on the right side in about 200-300 feet.

taylorp035 · « **Reply #23 on:** February 25, 2010, 07:50:21 PM »

How many stages are in those gear boxes?

I personally saw the big gear, which at the time was getting cut up by a HUGE band saw.

Perry1 · « **Reply #24 on:** February 26, 2010, 03:47:48 AM »

Either 3 or 4 depending on the manufacturer.

CmeBREW · « **Reply #25 on:** February 26, 2010, 04:56:23 PM »

Very interesting. For the guys who work on these, I always wondered about what the gear ratio is on those giant turbines.

Is it around 10:1 ??

Looks like the prop goes 60 rpm max.

In December I was watching a Cleveland Browns game on TV (Home) and could see one of those giant turbines in the background right behind the stadium, and it looked to be turning pretty fast at around 60rpm.

Sr WiNdTeCh · « **Reply #26 on:** February 26, 2010, 05:26:06 PM »

depends on size of turbine between 72:1 to 78:1 rpm... gen speed of 1540 for 1.5MW of power... so rotor around 21-23 rpm or so... just a quick figure...

ghurd · « **Reply #27 on:** February 26, 2010, 06:40:13 PM »

The one you saw was not very "big", on their bigness scale.

Some things keep getting bigger as you get closer. Not sure this would qualify, or I got used to it.

I was a bid disappointed in real life about the 'bigness'.

It's at the Great Lakes Science Center, IIRC.

If anyone is in the area, there is a bunch of stuff in the same parking area...

Browns, Indians, Gund (The Q?),

The Cod submarine, The Steamship William G Mather, Public Square, Great Lakes Science Center,

AND

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

For the more adventurous, Cleveland House of Blues and Winking Lizard Tavern are maybe a mile away.

Not that I ever been there, like Tuesday for Carbon Leaf.

G-

Perry1 · « **Reply #28 on:** February 26, 2010, 06:55:30 PM »

Here's some pic's of whats inside if your interested. You can see the planetary stage and 3 stages of spur gears.

Perry

taylorp035 · « **Reply #29 on:** February 27, 2010, 12:13:52 PM »

While I was at G.E., I saw where they at one point tested the generators for the wind turbine, which was a lot of fun. At one point, they tested something like a 5mw generator, and their frame holding the unit down bent and pulled it's tie - downs through the concrete floor. I guess a few million ft/lbs of torque will do that. I think they said about 2, but don't quote me on that.

Sr WiNdTeCh · « **Reply #30 on:** February 27, 2010, 05:16:26 PM »

Is that an old pic?.... It has a Piece of junk Stemmanns slipring on it.....

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Author Topic: Commercial Wind in Lake Erie (Read 7999 times)