SPA HILL ALLOTMENT SOCIETY
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The Wind Turbine Project
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4. Putting it up.
The mast with the generator unit but still without the turbine blades is now raised. This gives a check that the two halves of the mast are correctly joined and that the turbine head is rotating freely. It also allows the feed cable and brake rope to straighten out inside the mast.
The lifting is done with a hand winch pulling a wire rope which runs over the gin pole before being attached to the mast itself. It may look small but it can pull six and a half tons and it needs strength to work it.
The mast is lowered again and the electrical connections are made and tested.
The control boxes are installed in the meter cupboard at the other end of the underground cable. They have to be tested as well. Once the turbine starts generating this is the point at which it will be connected to the National Grid.
It takes three people over an hour to fit the turbine blades and the plastic housing covers. The blades are very light and thin but very strong plastic.
The covers have to be sealed in place with sticky weatherproof mastic.
Finally it is back to the winch and the complete turbine assembly starts to rise.
