When Wind Turbines Face Severe Weather: Safety Operation and Post-Event Inspection Guidelines

When Wind Turbines Face Severe Weather: Safety Operation and Post-Event Inspection Guidelines

Small household wind turbines are designed to withstand normal wind and rain. However, in the face of extreme weather conditions such as typhoons, severe thunderstorms, freezing rain, or sandstorms, proper response measures and post-event inspections are crucial. This not only protects the wind turbine itself but is also an important step in safeguarding family property and personal safety.

I. Preparation Before Severe Weather: Prevention is Better Than Cure

After receiving extreme weather warnings, proactively taking preventive measures can minimize risks.

Check fasteners: If time permits and it is safe to do so, quickly check for any signs of loosening in critical fasteners such as tower base bolts and main unit connection bolts.

Clear the surrounding environment: Remove or secure lightweight objects near the wind turbine that could be blown away by strong winds (such as plastic sheeting, tools, flower pots) to prevent them from hitting the blades or tower.

Understand equipment protection mechanisms: Familiarize yourself with whether your wind turbine has automatic protection functions. Most modern small wind turbines have "automatic yawing to avoid strong winds" (the tail rudder turns the turbine sideways to the strong wind) or "electromagnetic braking/stall protection" (limiting the rotational speed through electrical control). Knowing this will give you peace of mind.

Prepare for power outage: Before extreme thunderstorms or typhoons arrive, for safety reasons, consider electrically disconnecting the wind turbine from the system via the controller or distribution box to reduce the risk of lightning strikes (although the wind turbine should have lightning protection design).

II. During Severe Weather: Observe and Ensure Personal Safety

The most important principle: Absolutely do not risk performing any outdoor inspections or operations during severe weather!

Maintain a safe distance: During strong winds, thunderstorms, and hail, personnel must stay away from the wind turbine tower, maintaining a distance of at least 1.5 times the tower height. Strong winds can cause blade breakage or parts to fly off, and the risk of lightning strikes is also very high.

Trust the automatic system: For wind turbines with automatic protection functions, trust their design and allow them to automatically enter the protection state (such as side wind, speed limit, or shutdown). Monitoring System Status (Remote): If your system is equipped with a remote monitoring app, you can check via your mobile phone whether the wind turbine has automatically shut down or if there are any abnormal data readings, but do not go outside because of this.

III. Post-Severe Weather Inspection: Step-by-Step, Thorough Examination

After the weather has completely calmed down, please follow these steps to inspect the system:

Step One: Distant Observation (Observe from a distance first)

Before approaching the wind turbine, stand at a safe distance and carefully observe using binoculars or the zoom function of a camera:

Is there any obvious tilting or bending of the tower?

Are the blades intact? Are there any visible cracks, fractures, or severe deformation?

Is there any detachment or damage to the nacelle casing?

Step Two: Close-Range Static Inspection (Then inspect up close)

After confirming that there is no obvious serious damage, disconnect the electrical connection before conducting a close-range inspection:

Structural inspection: Carefully check all bolted connections for any signs of loosening, stretching, or increased corrosion. Check the tower welds for any new cracks.

Detailed blade inspection: This is crucial. Slowly rotate the blades manually (ensure the system is powered off), and carefully inspect every inch of the surface at close range, especially the leading edge and blade tip, looking for any subtle cracks, dents, delamination, or impact points from foreign objects. Even minor damage can expand during future operation.

Electrical component inspection: Check the cables for any pulling, wear, or breakage. Check the junction boxes, controllers, etc., for any signs of water ingress or burning. Ensure all electrical parts are completely dry before reconnecting the power.

Rotating parts inspection: Manually rotate the wind turbine and feel if the bearings are smooth, and listen for any abnormal friction or impact sounds. Check if the tail vane and other rotating parts are flexible.

Step Three: Carefully Resume Operation

After completing all inspections and addressing any problems found:

First, restore the electrical connection.

Under light wind conditions, observe whether the wind turbine starts smoothly and whether the running sound is stable and normal.

Check the operating parameters (voltage, power) through the controller to ensure they are normal. Important reminder: If any structural damage (such as tower bending, blade cracks, or main shaft bending), serious electrical damage, or any unidentifiable abnormalities are found during inspection, please stop using the wind turbine immediately and contact professional technicians for repair. Do not attempt to start it forcibly.

In summary, when facing severe weather, remember these nine words: "Prevent beforehand, avoid during, and inspect afterward." Maintaining safety awareness throughout the process will not only protect your valuable wind turbine assets but also demonstrate a high level of responsibility for the safety of your family and yourself. A thorough post-event inspection can often prevent greater losses and risks in the future.