Wind power is an excellent alternative to fossil fuel or nuclear power. There are virtually no environmental side effects associated with wind turbines. As long as there is wind to turn the massive blades, electricity is being harvested. There are 4 distinct phases involved in the erection of a wind turbine.

How Wind Turbines are Manufactured

The construction of wind turbines seems like a huge hassle, but it is really not as bad as it looks. Even though it looks like one big piece of equipment when they are out in a field, they are actually composed of multiple pieces including the base, midsection, hub and blades. Each section is made in a factory where workers specialize in the tasks associated with that specific part, making the whole process much more efficient.

Transporting Equipment to the Site

According to Pack-All International, shipping large and awkward objects is a pretty difficult process. Wind turbines are one of the most difficult shipping feats that happen!

Even though the turbine is shipped in multiple pieces, each section still qualifies as an over-sized load. Because of this, each route taken by the delivery trucks need to be meticulously planned. Power lines, signs, tight turns, and hills can pose a threat to not only the turbines, but also the safety of other people on the road. Signs may need to be removed in order to get the pieces through, so the local Department of Transportation should be notified for any risks.

Once the route has been chosen and the threats have been identified, the massive parts are loaded onto delivery trucks. Each truck needs to be large enough to hold the over-sized sections, often weighing over 10 tons. The order of shipping is generally the base and midsection first, followed by the turbine hub, and finishing with the blades, this way the turbine can be assembled in order.

On-Site Turbine Building

Assembly can also seem like a daunting task, but since each turbine is identical to the others, a very successful process has been created to make assembly more efficient. When the pieces arrive, there is usually a fleet of construction equipment to aid the assembly process. Three giant cranes are necessary for lifting the heavy sections into place.

Beginning with the base and midsection, the pole are lifted with the crane and placed onto a pre-formed concrete base, designed to specifically hold the poles. Construction workers sit in the hub as cranes set columns in place to bolt down the pieces. There is a pre-fabricated ladder within the mid-section, allowing the workers to climb as another part gets lifted.

This process is continued for the entire assembly of turbine, eventually creating a very efficient source for harvesting wind energy.