Wind Power Generation in New York

With this article you are going to know all about projects of wind power in New York. With the scope of the project, the writer has got a preliminary experience having worked with the Maple Ridge Wind Farm in a Lewis county near Lowville, New York. Approx. 195 wind turbines are there having about 400 feet height from ground to sky if measured up to the end of the top blade. These 195 wind turbines are capable enough of generating power required for 825 homes.

The whole system is installed like this. The height of the tubular tower is 262 foot and the rotor is 269 foot in diameter with three blades controlled by a computer which enables to catch up the slightest movement of breeze. This will help the turbine to shutdown and the wheel moves freely during heavy winds. This protects the rotors from getting damaged. But if you observe closely or at a distance, it is difficult to believe that these blades could produce this much energy. Each turbine produces 1.65 megawatt and the normal usage of a house requires about 2 kilowatt in one day. The heavy power lines of this Maple Ridge Wind Farm are used to distribute power throughout the New York power grid.

The structure of the turbine is like this. There is an enclosure called a nacelle at the top of the tower which becomes a housing protection to the rotor hub, the gear box and the generator. To the distribution transformer at the base, the power is run down through the center of the tower. It is from here the power is distributed to the grids through the central site power distribution house. A latter is kept inside the tower up to the nacelle which enables the workers to go up to the nacelle and attend the work in various components there. The blades consist of fiber-glass of higher technology, resins, and balsa wood. The worker can crawl easily into any part of the blade for any repairing, if required.

The safety measures are very high. It is necessary that all parts have to be maintained properly and a worker has to attend every part. Till now, to the author's knowledge, no worker has met with any accident or fallen down from the tribunes. Energy is most necessary in New York especially when considering the prices of the foreign oil and gas. Wind turbines are much required in addition to the existing natural water power generating plants in New York. This will help reduce the load on coal and oil generating systems.