(800) 265-8898Wind Towers
Wind generator operation is dependent on the quantity and quality of the wind hitting the blades. Turbulent wind will reduce the power output as the turbine swings back and forth hunting for the wind. The unequal stresses caused by turbulence and the variation in wind speed between the upper and lower blades of a wind turbine installed too close to the ground will reduce power output and wind turbine life.Wind speed increases rapidly with tower height. Doubling tower height increases the available wind power by about 40%. It is often more economical to install a higher tower rather than purchasing a larger generator. A wind generator should be installed a minimum of 33 feet (10 meters) above any obstruction within 330 feet (100 meters).
Tower Construction
Guyed towers are economical and are able to withstand very high winds if properly installed. They require a fairly large area of cleared land around the tower to facilitate the installation of the guy lines. To supply the desired amount of support and keep the stresses on the tower to a minimum, the guy lines should extend as far as possible around the tower to a maximum radius of 80% of the tower height. Guyed towers may be either lattice towers or tubular towers. The tubular towers are frequently designed for tilt up installation. They have the advantage of easy installation and turbine maintenance.
Self-supporting towers are the least visibly intrusive wind turbine towers. They can be installed in rough terrain with a minimum of cleared area. Very small wind turbines may be installed on a short self-supporting tubular tower, but larger turbines require a lattice tower.
