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Pitch failure downed Vestas Ireland turbine 

Credit:  11 October 2013 by Patrick Smith | Windpower Monthly | www.windpowermonthly.com ~~

Vestas has finally revealed that the collapse of one of its turbines in Ireland, seven months after the incident occurred.

The V52-850KW turbine was blown down on March at the Loughderryduff wind farm in Donegal, after high winds bent a blade to such a degree that it struck the tower. Vestas said it was caused by a failure in its pitch system.

Locals have been angered by the time it has taken for Vestas to release the information and that the full details will not be released.

The manufacturer has compiled an in-depth report into the incident, but has refused to release it citing the “technical and confidential nature of its content”.

A spokesperson for Vestas said: “A thorough investigation reveals the incident is likely to have been caused by an error in the pitch system. As a result, it appears at least one blade failed to pitch out of the wind, leading to an over-speed situation in which a blade struck the tower.

“These events caused structural damage and the collapse of the turbine. The turbine has been cleared from the site and is being replaced.

The collapsed turbine

The collapsed turbine

The company added that it is implementing technical modifications to help ensure such errors do not recur.

Locals have raised concerns over safety after the debris from the collapse reportedly scattered over a large area. County Councillor Seamus Ó Domhnaill has called for a halt on further wind developments in Donegal until the full report is released.

The eight-turbine wind farm was closed for five days following the incident, but after an inspection by operator North West Wind the site was reopened.

Source:  11 October 2013 by Patrick Smith | Windpower Monthly | www.windpowermonthly.com

This article is the work of the source indicated. Any opinions expressed in it are not necessarily those of National Wind Watch.

The copyright of this article resides with the author or publisher indicated. As part of its noncommercial educational effort to present the environmental, social, scientific, and economic issues of large-scale wind power development to a global audience seeking such information, National Wind Watch endeavors to observe “fair use” as provided for in section 107 of U.S. Copyright Law and similar “fair dealing” provisions of the copyright laws of other nations. Send requests to excerpt, general inquiries, and comments via e-mail.

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