Icing is an important issue when operating wind turbines in high altitude or arctic areas as it can cause significant production losses and represent a safety risk. In 2004, a 600 kW Enercon E-40 wind turbine with integrated blade heating was installed on Gütsch mountain, Switzerland, at 2’300 m asl. Coincidentally, a fully equipped test station of the Swiss meteorological network SwissMetNet is situated about 200 m from the wind turbine. The immediate proximity of the two facilities operating under icing conditions led to the launch of the national research project “Alpine Test Site Gütsch” which is embedded in the European “COST Action 727: measuring and forecasting atmospheric icing on structures”. Read more
An important interview of acoustic engineer Steven Cooper on Fairdinkum Radio.
Acoustic Engineer Steven Cooper joins Leon to discuss his Acoustics Testing program report into the Cape Bridgewater Wind Farm, prepared for Energy Pacific Vic Pty Ltd.
Together we discuss the results and why it is a unique one of a kind study. This study is the first in the world in which a wind turbine operator had fully co-operated and turned wind turbines off completely during the testing. It opens the way for a full-scale medical trial that may resolve the contentious debate about the health impact of wind… Read more