[ RadSafe ] World's Biggest Wind Park -Capacity Factor vs. Nuclear

[Dukelow, James S Jr]

This seems to be an urban legend particularly popular with "nucular"
engineer types.

For some real data, try the web sites of the American Bird Conservancy,
www.abcbirds.org, and particularly their Wind Energy Policy at
www.abcbirds.org/policy/windpolicy.htm.  ABC looks at the risks of wind
energy to birds in the context of risks from building, communications
towers, power lines, climate change, cats and the risks of longline
fishing to sea birds.  Curiously, the permanent, but stationary
meteorological towers at some wind facilities kill more birds per tower
than the wind turbines (also per tower).

There is also a lot of real data available at the web site of the
Audubon Society, www.audubon.org. 

I live about 30 miles from a 1000 Mwatts nuclear and 30-50 miles from
300 Mwatts wind power.  I and most of my neighbors seem to be equally
comfortable with both and my mountainside still has plenty of raptors.

Best regards.

Jim Dukelow
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Richland, WA
Jim.dukelow at pnl.gov

These comments are mine and have not been reviewed and/or approved by my
management or by the U.S. Department of Energy.

-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl [mailto:radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl] On
Behalf Of Bob Hearn
Sent: Monday, April 10, 2006 12:46 PM
To: Stewart Farber; James Salsman; Flood, John
Cc: James Salsman; radsafe at radlab.nl
Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] World's Biggest Wind Park -Capacity Factor vs.
Nuclear

When will you ever stop milking this story from the little newspaper
article on the APT bulletin board?

Kidding aside, a repeat posting here may well be enjoyed by radsafers
subscribed in the last decade or so... ;>)

Best regards,

Bob Hearn

----- Original Message -----
From: "Stewart Farber" <farbersa at optonline.net>
To: "James Salsman" <james at bovik.org>; "Flood, John"
<FloodJR at nv.doe.gov>
Cc: "James Salsman" <james at bovik.org>; <radsafe at radlab.nl>
Sent: Friday, February 24, 2006 1:24 AM
Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] World's Biggest Wind Park -Capacity Factor vs.
Nuclear


> RE: Lies, damned lies, and statistics
>
> Hello all,
>
> A modern 1 MW wind turbine typically has a blade diameter of 62 meters
or
> greater and turns up to 23 rpm. Thus these 3 bladed 1 MW wind
generators
> have a tip velocity of about 245 feet/second, a much higher tip speed
than
> the older 1970s vintage wind turbines.  Smaller turbines  had higher
rpm
but
> much lower blade velocity along the outer blade elements vs. today's 1
MW
or
> larger turbines.  In part,  the high tip speed of modern wind turbines
is
> what led me to author a satire about the serious hazard of a "Loss of
Blade
> Accident" [LOBA] in wind power generation back in 1981. This satire
was
> based on an actual LOBA at a windmill in California when the President
of
> the company which supplied a turbine to a windfarm was inspecting the
tower,
> and fell to his death when the windmill threw a blade.
>
> The main point is that  modern large wind turbines have proven very
damaging
> to birds and especially raptors and migrating birds,  which are
totally
> fooled by the 203 foot diameter blades with their extremely high tip
element
> velocity, which is almost 25% the speed of sound.
>
> Comparing what is claimed by Mr. Salsman about what house cats may or
may
> not do in an urban setting to starlings and grackles vs.the  large
numbers
> of raptors and migrating birds killed near wind farms covering huge
areas
is
> a completly inappropriate and meaningless comparison.
>
> Stewart Farber, MS Public Health
> Air Pollution Control
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "James Salsman" <james at bovik.org>
>
> > Otto Raabe wrote:
> >
> >> Wind farms are dangerous to birds, they can kill flocks of birds.
> >
> > That was also true in the 1970s, when the fast 25 kW turbines killed
> > many raptors.  The new multi-megawatt turbines spin much more
slowly,
> > and kill fewer birds per acre of wind farm usage than house cats
over
> > the same suburban area.
> >
> > Sincerely,
> > James Salsman
>
>
>
> -- 
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>
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