This Wind Turbine Ripped Itself Apart

This wind turbine just ripped itself apart. More wind means more spin. In a storm, the blades go so fast they fly off. A brake can slow it down. But in a big storm, a brake alone can burn out. So each blade can twist on its base. In high wind, the blades turn edge-on, the wind slips past, and the rotor coasts to a stop. That's why turbines stand still on the windiest days. This 3D animation shows how a wind turbine can tear itself apart in a storm, and how real turbines protect themselves. Stronger wind spins the rotor faster, and with nothing holding it back it can run away until the blades break. The disc brake on the turbine's fast shaft is mainly a parking brake; stopping a runaway rotor with it alone can overheat it and set it on fire. Instead, each blade sits on a big geared bearing at its root. Above the cut-out speed, around 25 m/s (55 mph), motors turn the blades edge-on to the wind, the rotor loses its push and coasts to a stop. A turbine at Hornslet, Denmark, tore itself apart in a 2008 storm after its brake failed. The turbine, the farm and the failure in the film are made up, and the failures are shown in slow motion. #Shorts #WindTurbine #Engineering