Schierer Space

As has been mentioned previously, we’ve been having a truly stunning run of nice weather here in the Syracuse area. Earlier this week we had a series of ultra-clear days, so I took a trip up to Fenner to get some shots of the wind farm there. You can read more about the Fenner wind farm at the windpower project website. Their site is somewhat limited, so you might actually glean more info from the pictures I took of their tourist signs*. The center of the farm is about 10 miles north-east of where we live, and is one of several wind projects in the area.

I’ve often been torn on the issue of wind power. People complain that they detract from the natural beauty of an area, which I can understand, but at the same time I find them to be beautiful in a sleek modern way. The turbines are a landmark that can be seen from any hilltop or vantage point in the area by day or at night (by the red collision lights perched on the hub). Of course, I generally get to view them from afar, not like the people who live in their shadow.

The “Fenner Alps” as they are known locally, are part of a larger geologic uplift that is a hint to the not-so-distant Adirondacks. Most of the turbines are at elevations of 1600′ or more, which is fairly high for local terrain. Keep in mind that Lake Ontario (some 50 miles to the northwest) is at a mere 243′ above sea level and Syracuse (~25 miles north west) is at about 400′.

The windmills themselves are certainly magnificently huge. To stand beneath one of these monsters is to battle vertigo to the extreme (especially when staring straight up through a long lens). One also experiences a sort of primal fear based in the reptilian part of the brain that can’t possibly believe that something that huge, swinging a blade that big towards you that fast can possibly be safe. Based on some rapid fire pictures I took, I estimate the rotational period to be no more than 4.5 seconds. According to the signs, the rotor diameter (hub + blades) is 231 feet. This works out to a tip speed of about 110 mph. No wonder I wanted to duck! Note to a certain GE turbine engineer: If you read this, feel free to add whatever other astonishing wind turbine facts come to mind. I’m sure the tensile load on the blade roots is pretty impressive when spinning since the rotor weighs a mere 36.5 tons.

In any case, I wandered among the turbines and took some pictures as the sun set into a perfectly clear rainbow sunset to try to catch some feeling of the technological elegance and mechanical impact of these generators.

This entry was posted on Sunday, April 20th, 2008 at 7:22 pm and is filed under Computer / Tech, Photography. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.