3/31/2011 1:44:00 AM
NEWS BRIEFS
Report: “Bolt Failures” Blamed For Wind Turbine Rotor Falling Off
“Bolt failures” resulted in a wind turbine’s rotor and three large blades to plummet from a tower in north-central North Dakota, the Associated Press reports.
Six other turbines on the 71-turbine wind farm reportedly were shut down while their bolts are replaced.
The March 14 incident prompted the wind farm, which is owned by Iberdrola Renewables Inc., to shut down while all the turbines were inspected. No one was injured.
Company officials told North Dakota’s Public Service Commission that the tower suffered a “rotor assembly failure.”
“Jerry Lein, a commission utility analyst, said Iberdrola officials told him that bolts that attached the wind turbine’s rotor and blades to a power shaft had failed,” according to AP.
“They said that, specifically, they’re replacing the bolts that hold it together,” Lein told AP.
The bolts are scheduled to be checked every six months.
The turbines were manufactured by Suzlon Wind Energy Corp., a unit of Suzlon Energy Ltd., based in India.
Located near Rugby in Pierce County, ND, the wind project is capable of generating up to 149 megawatts of electricity.
Editor’s Note: Articles in Media Spotlight are excerpts from publications or broadcasts which show the industry what the public is reading or hearing about fasteners and fastener companies. ©2011 GlobalFastenerNews.com
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