Snow on the beach in Galveston


Fast Freddy said:
It’s true, every summer some far northerners come down to Texas and die in the heat. I see the tourist gasping for air in the hot months.
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I took a vacation to Texas back in my 20s. Planned on staying a week sleeping in my car in the middle of the summer.

What a mistake.

The heat & humidity was unbearable. My car had no air, went to a waterpark and my feet were burning from the hot pavement.

After a few days I hopped back in my car and started heading back up north.

Totally unprepared.
 
It’s hard to compensate for coal. With coal, you can stockpile and be prepared.

And I can’t stress enough that you need to have the ability to over supply by much more than you think you will ever need. (Kind of like my fuel tank heaters, it’s very rare that they will be absolutely necessary, but priceless on those occasions where they are needed).

Texas has been struggling already in the Summer, they knew they needed more power supply. They use the winter to do maintenance, so the supply is even less because they don’t anticipate needing it. They need a plan in place to bring the offline places online rapidly in cases like this.

Lots needs to be fixed, and too many died as a result of stupidity by people who make way too much money.
 
I really don't have any working knowledge of wind power, but can't help to wonder if the icing was caused by freezing rain that coated the blades, and then it got colder after that.

We have wind farms here, but I have never heard of them needing de-iced. We also do not get freezing rain as a rule.
 
Oxbow said:
I really don't have any working knowledge of wind power, but can't help to wonder if the icing was caused by freezing rain that coated the blades, and then it got colder after that.

We have wind farms here, but I have never heard of them needing de-iced. We also do not get freezing rain as a rule.
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I've never seen them de-iced either.

I just heard on the news something about "winterizing" them.

Never heard of that either.
 
Sinister said:
Thats because they don't spin freely. There's a braking system inside which keeps them from spinning out of control and landing in the next state- as fun as that is to watch.
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That is kinda what I meant when I said "they are locked in position".

Sorry, should I have said they are holding the "brakes" in position?
I was never a big time blade hauler like you. Perhaps I used the wrong terminology.
 
Rigjockey said:
That is kinda what I meant when I said "they are locked in position".

Sorry, should I have said they are holding the "brakes" in position?
I was never a big time blade hauler like you. Perhaps I used the wrong terminology.
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🙄

I mean even when they're spinning they're being braked.
 
I did some texting of alumni.

Apparently there's different trim packages of wind turbines. And most of the turbines in Texas do not have the winter heater option.

Seriously. They declined the heater options.
 
Slowpoke KW said:
So why did ya seem shocked they don’t have that option?
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I'm surprised the doggone things need to be winterized at all.

They're basically just a gearbox and a generator.

Probably a bunch of other gizmos in them hubs. It wouldn't surprise me it they've all got computers in them running Microsoft, just because they would be too reliable without them.
 
Duck said:
I'm surprised the doggone things need to be winterized at all.

They're basically just a gearbox and a generator.

Probably a bunch of other gizmos in them hubs. It wouldn't surprise me it they've all got computers in them running Microsoft, just because they would be too reliable without them.
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They do have a braking system so they don’t try to take flight. Probably is a computer control system for all of it. Everything else made anymore has them. The computer people say if it’s gonna be reliable it has to have a computer.

I’m sure the grease needed to handle the weight and heat in the summer would handle subzero temps with out the help of a heater.
 
Slowpoke KW said:
I’m sure the grease needed to handle the weight and heat in the summer would handle subzero temps with out the help of a heater
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Cold, thickened lubricants and the safety concerns with huge chunks of ice falling from the blades endangering maintenance workers below are the only two actual scientific factors I've dug up so far.

Journalists are idiots even when they're not trying to push a political narrative.

Most people know that trucks "freeze up" if it gets too cold. But most don't know exactly why. It's the fuel gelling, water in the fuel, DEF tanks can freeze up, batteries lose their ability to kick out heavy amps for starting, etc. We know this because we've all dealt with it.

I'd like to see an article on the wind turbines that actually explains why they freeze up. What exactly needs heated, other than the lubricants.
 

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