Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
downwind solution was once more the choice. Later after more
vibration problems an upwind rotor was finally chosen for the
Boeing-designed 2.5 MW “Mod 2” in 1982. At that time, Danish
wind turbines with upwind rotors had already entered the US
market. A more positive result of the dialogue between NASA
and Denmark was US funding for repair of Juul's 200 kW Gedser
turbine during the years 1978-1979 in order to put it in service
again and get more experience from it. Parts of this experience
were used in two 630 kW test wind turbines, built by the Danish
utilities in 1979.
3.12
The Tvind Wind Turbine: 1975-1978
In the Danish energy plan from 1976, nuclear power was planned
to cover 6% of the Danish electricity consumption in 1985 and
more than 25% in 1995. The introduction of nuclear energy
was supported by a massive political majority in the Danish
parliament. But in spite of an intensive campaign from the Danish
utilities, started already in 1973, the public opinion in Denmark
was sceptical. And this scepticism was intensified after the
selection of nine locations as suitable for the first nuclear
stations in 1974. In January of that year, a grassroots movement
against nuclear power (OOA) was established and in September
1975 another grassroots movement supporting renewable
energy (OVE) was introduced. The scene was set for an intensive
energy debate during the next 10 years [14].
Another important and spectacular contribution to this debate
was the building of a big wind turbine at the Tvind schools near
Ulfborg in western Jutland. The first steps were taken in May
1975 and the wind turbine was running for the first time nearly
three years later, in March 1978. With a 54 m rotor diameter and a
50 m concrete tower, it was at that time the world's biggest wind
turbine in operation.
The project demonstrated the possibilities of wind energy as
an alternative to both fossil fuels and nuclear power. Moreover, it
made the schools and colleges self-sufficient with cheap and clean
energy. The self-financed project, which was realised with the
help from several hundred volunteers, inspired many new
wind pioneers and the big wind turbine had both symbolic and
Search WWH ::
Custom Search