May 14, 2016
Minnesota

UMD farm wind turbine spinning out of control

By John Myers | Duluth News Tribune | www.duluthnewstribune.com

The blades of a wind generator at the University of Minnesota Duluth’s field research station just north of Duluth were spinning out of control this afternoon, prompting some concerns by law enforcement officials.

The wind turbine’s brake apparently broke and strong winds were pushing the blade too fast with no way to stop it, said Lt. Tim LeGarde of the UMD Police Department.

“They aren’t able to stop it so it’s spinning really rapidly,’’ he said.

LeGarde said UMD facilities management staff are talking with designers of the wind turbine to find a fix. St. Lous County deputies consdiered blocking traffic in the area but determined that it was not an issue for motorists.

The turbine was recently installed.

[rest of article available at source]

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2016/05/14/umd-farm-wind-turbine-spinning-out-of-control/