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Old 06-02-2016, 01:46 PM   #6 (permalink)
darcane
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Lattice towers were used on small turbines, but tended to have problems with the vibration from the turbine causing high maintenance costs. Intermittent wind speeds cause a cyclical loading, ice buildup on the blade will cause vibration, and even the tower itself blocking the wind in one part of the blade's rotation causes vibration. Concrete or steel tubular towers are generally rigid enough, but the lattice towers typically get bolts that come loose over time. Plus it encouraged birds to nest in the tower (bird kills are frowned upon) and doesn't provide a place for the electronics in modern wind turbines.

There is a new tower from GE that is supposed to resolve these issues. It's a lattice tower, but covered in a polymer fabric to protect from the elements and keep birds out. They have a special bolt that is supposed to better resist loosening from vibration. I haven't heard much about it for a while, so I don't know if it successfully resolved the issues.
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