Excuse the title, but we got a bit excited about this one 
They've been building wind turbines in scores all over my local landscape, obscuring not only our previously unspoiled view into the western lakedistrict fells, but also from the western fells looking outwards onto the solway firth, an area of 'outstanding natural beauty'.
Perfect place to build the largest offshore windfarm in europe, & probably closing on 100 onshore windturbines
:crazy
Onto the explore.
Met up with Dempsey for our comedy night out. We checked all our gear, harness's, lanyards, rope, assorted attachments & marsbars, camera gear, check, check & check. 'oh, wheres your torch', dempsey replied 'nil' :freak
BACK into town and hit ALL the late night petrol stations until success was found in the form of the shittest battery lamp thing I've ever seen, but still, it enabled us to get on with it, so we returned and off we set.
This latest batch of turbines number 7 or 8, I loose count, and are made by Vestas, they're the larger variaty, I'm guessing about 75m or so in height to the hub.
We tried one, then another, then another, until finally we could practically read securities newspaper, then SUCCESS! An opportunity, an open door! Brilliant. once inside we quickly kitted up, and made for the top.
looking up, the ladder is a single job, from foundations to hub, theres a landing just over halfway (what you can see @ top of pic) and then a tower crane like affair rotating hub thing on top).
arriving at the hub we are greeted with an almost complete setup!
The blades are mounted on the end of this gearbox, which reduces, or gears up (at different ratios I presume) to the generator/turbine which is to my left.
better view of gearbox, its MASSIVE! We didn't realise the blades were actually turning in the moderate breeze until we got up here, the noise was incredible, and the sensation of the whole unit being thrown around in the wind was akin to being in the bowls of some great ship, it would lurch around wildly then be calm for a few seconds, then suddenly start bucking around again! Crazy!
Big blue box on the right is the generator/turbine housing
proof! look at that baby turn! But its not connected :crazy There is a composite piece that neatly bolts between the gearbox output shaft (seen turning here) and the turbine input shaft. I presume made from composite incase of a MEGA gust or some kind of mechanical failure it will just shear, providing a safe for the rest of the system, e.g. £200 piece of composite breaks and easily replaced vs. £50k gearbox implosion + requires an expensive crane to haul it out of there.
then out on top, quick check on security man, but by god this was awesome, easily the best thing to do in cumbria!
I was pushing my new cams sensor to the max, hence the horiz lines in some pics, even on 30sec exposure (couldn't go any longer wind + cold was too much to bare for longer than that) and crazy isos' I wasn't getting proper exposures.
really like this shot.
In the distance is Workington, or Jamland as its affectionatly known in these parts, probably the only common reference to the ports rich history (importing cane sugar & other exotics, and of course exporting steel, lots and lots of beautiful cold steel, RIP British Steel Workington)..
slightly different view
slightly different view of sec, showing all the of the blade, and more turbines in the distance!
looking forward straight at the hub of the blades, note the roof inspection hatch is literally lifted STRAIGHT from a 1980's ford escort!
Its even bronze tinted aswell
:
wasn't happy with just one onboard flash, so heres two! Mine firing up dempseys firing up the shaft.
Mission complete. NEXT!
They've been building wind turbines in scores all over my local landscape, obscuring not only our previously unspoiled view into the western lakedistrict fells, but also from the western fells looking outwards onto the solway firth, an area of 'outstanding natural beauty'.
Perfect place to build the largest offshore windfarm in europe, & probably closing on 100 onshore windturbines
:crazyOnto the explore.
Met up with Dempsey for our comedy night out. We checked all our gear, harness's, lanyards, rope, assorted attachments & marsbars, camera gear, check, check & check. 'oh, wheres your torch', dempsey replied 'nil' :freak
BACK into town and hit ALL the late night petrol stations until success was found in the form of the shittest battery lamp thing I've ever seen, but still, it enabled us to get on with it, so we returned and off we set.
This latest batch of turbines number 7 or 8, I loose count, and are made by Vestas, they're the larger variaty, I'm guessing about 75m or so in height to the hub.
We tried one, then another, then another, until finally we could practically read securities newspaper, then SUCCESS! An opportunity, an open door! Brilliant. once inside we quickly kitted up, and made for the top.
looking up, the ladder is a single job, from foundations to hub, theres a landing just over halfway (what you can see @ top of pic) and then a tower crane like affair rotating hub thing on top).
arriving at the hub we are greeted with an almost complete setup!
The blades are mounted on the end of this gearbox, which reduces, or gears up (at different ratios I presume) to the generator/turbine which is to my left.
better view of gearbox, its MASSIVE! We didn't realise the blades were actually turning in the moderate breeze until we got up here, the noise was incredible, and the sensation of the whole unit being thrown around in the wind was akin to being in the bowls of some great ship, it would lurch around wildly then be calm for a few seconds, then suddenly start bucking around again! Crazy!
Big blue box on the right is the generator/turbine housing
proof! look at that baby turn! But its not connected :crazy There is a composite piece that neatly bolts between the gearbox output shaft (seen turning here) and the turbine input shaft. I presume made from composite incase of a MEGA gust or some kind of mechanical failure it will just shear, providing a safe for the rest of the system, e.g. £200 piece of composite breaks and easily replaced vs. £50k gearbox implosion + requires an expensive crane to haul it out of there.
then out on top, quick check on security man, but by god this was awesome, easily the best thing to do in cumbria!
I was pushing my new cams sensor to the max, hence the horiz lines in some pics, even on 30sec exposure (couldn't go any longer wind + cold was too much to bare for longer than that) and crazy isos' I wasn't getting proper exposures.
really like this shot.
In the distance is Workington, or Jamland as its affectionatly known in these parts, probably the only common reference to the ports rich history (importing cane sugar & other exotics, and of course exporting steel, lots and lots of beautiful cold steel, RIP British Steel Workington)..
slightly different view
slightly different view of sec, showing all the of the blade, and more turbines in the distance!
looking forward straight at the hub of the blades, note the roof inspection hatch is literally lifted STRAIGHT from a 1980's ford escort!
Its even bronze tinted aswell
:
wasn't happy with just one onboard flash, so heres two! Mine firing up dempseys firing up the shaft.
Mission complete. NEXT!
