OLC is going to collect wind
speed data for a year in order to evaluate the potential for generating
electricity here with a wind turbine.
Joe Brignolo, with the Foundation for the
American Indian, was contracted to install a 50 meter tall (165 foot) tower
with anemometers at 3 elevations, 10 m, 30 m, and 50 m. Second Wind is the company that actually
performed the erection. They specialize
in anemometer tower construction. Here
the tower was delivered to OLC in a wooden crate.
The tower sections prior to
assembly. This tower is built from 6”
diameter galvanized steel tubing.
The base is a simple galvanized plate
structure that is bolted together.
The
base is positioned by driving the angled ends into the ground. The weight of the tower further secures the
base in place.
Next,
the first tower section is bolted to the base.
Rob
Hach and his helper Brandon start assembling the
tower sections on the ground.
And
it gets longer. Assembly is simple with
subsequent pipe sections flared for about 10” to fit over the section below and
stop at the end of the flare.
Guy
wires are attached to the pole by a ring collar that snugs
down against the flared section of the pole.
Brandon
and Rob screw the 6 foot long anchor into the ground that will hold the guy
wires and will support the tower. Two of
these anchor screws are position on each of four sides of the tower to hold the
six guy wires per side.
At
the top of the tower 2 anemometers are positioned 180 degrees opposite one
another and a weather vane is in the middle.
Anemometers and weather vanes are also attached at the 30 meter and 10
meter heights.
The
gin pole is built and attached to the base.
It will be used to lift the tower up vertically.
Another
Second Wind employee, Joe, and Brandon install the anchor that will support the
electric winch that will be used to pull the tower up.
The
gin pole is lifted by hand . . .
to a
height at which the winch can begin to pull it up the rest of the way.
When
the front guy wires are connected to the main tower and the side wires are
attached at the side anchors, the tower raising is ready to begin.
As
the tower slowly goes up side wires are adjusted to keep the tension balanced
and the tower straight.
Here
the gin pole is nearly down to the winch level and the tower is almost
erect. At this point the rear guy wires
have to be attached to the anchors and tensioned to prevent the tower from
falling forward as it goes vertical.
Once
the tower is up the front wires are removed from the gin pole and attached to
the front anchors and the rear wires are tensioned.
This
was a successful erection and we will soon be collecting wind speed, wind
direction, and temperature data at this site.
I teach a class in Renewable Energy Technology and will use the wind
data we are generating to enhance the course material pertaining to wind
energy. Other instructors will also use
the wind data generated here in their classes to help illustrate principles of
physics, climatology, and environmental science. My renewable energy class will also visit the
anemometer tower and learn about the way that data are collected and analyzed
and then used to properly select a wind turbine for future installation at this
site.
Joe
Brignolo caught this beautiful shot of the completed
tower at sunset on the day of the installation.
