One of the drawbacks of servicing a wind turbine is climbing a 120 foot tower.
Some retailers offer tilt down towers so the turbine can be lowered to the ground for servicing, says Kristina Seray, an ag management solutions specialist with Maple Farm Equipment in Yorkton, Sask.
A few companies sell vertical axis turbines that don’t require tall towers, but Seray said height is necessary if a propeller driven generator is to function at full capacity.
“We sell 105 and 120 foot tiltable towers; 105 is the minimum you can get by with,” she said.
Read Also
PhiBer’s Dash sprayer trailer line adds a drone tender
In view of steadily increasing demand for its farm equipment lines, PhiBer Manufacturing has embarked on an ambitious expansion to its current footprint at Crystal City in south-central Manitoba.
“You have to account for turbulence and ground drag in the wind, so you need to put the generator at least 30 feet above any trees, buildings, grain bins or any other wind obstructions you have within 500 feet of the generator.
“The fold down towers have four guy wires. You simply release one guy wire. Then using the mechanical winches, you lower the gin pole with a half ton truck.”
Maple sells two models of Endurance Wind Power generators. The S-343 5Kw weighs 600 pounds and produces up to 18,000 kilowatt hours per year, enough to power a normal household. It sells for $57,000 installed and running.
The E-3120 50Kw weighs 8,800 lb. and produces up to 200,000 kilowatt hours per year.
“The 50Kw is big enough to power a dairy farm, hog operation or seed cleaning plant. It sells for $300,000 installed and running,” Seray said.
“They’re both induction based generators. They’re modelled after the large turbines you’d see on commercial wind farms.
“They both produce 60 cycle power right at the turbine, so you don’t need an inverter at the bottom. All that happens at the bottom is you match the frequencies before power goes to the grid.”
She said both turbines are designed only for grid use. They cannot operate independently.
“They need to see power to begin generating power.”
For more information, contact Kristina Seray at 306-783-9459 or visit www.maplefarm.com.
