Giant golf balls

**Jimaz** · July-01-10, 08:00 PM

Originally Posted by ordinary

I think the truck had an oversize load sign on the back.

So it might not have had such a sign. Regardless, if it were an assembly it might mean it was too difficult to assemble in the field because of, what?, a need for very precise assembly? Assembly requiring some tuning possible only in the factory?

I love a good puzzle.

**Jimaz** · July-01-10, 08:10 PM

Now watch someone come up with some really mundane explanation like "That's just the stuff we're using for the 'junk shot' into that runaway oil well in the middle of Lake St. Clair."

LOL!

**Sstashmoo** · July-01-10, 10:00 PM

Jimaz, on the oversize issue: Shipping racks are never made wider than a truck bed unless the item being shipped is too wide in X and Y dimension, the width being the lessor of the two, so now that means it is a large assembly, or grid of these. Even more puzzling. Some sort of cushion?? Maybe an load bearing earthquake device/isolator? In Japan they build structures on such an apparatus.

**MikeM** · July-02-10, 09:52 AM

If they are dimpled to reduce air resistance, I'd think they would be used on a moving platform. The color could be a protective coating, otherwise the dark gray makes me think they will be used by the military, either on a ship or aircraft. Maybe protective covers for a sensor, camera, satellite or radar antenna? If they are heading east, I assume they would be going to someone in Canada.

**ordinary** · July-02-10, 01:15 PM

I'm thinking of calling the trucking company and asking. But I don't remember the name of it.

**Whitehouse** · July-02-10, 03:24 PM

Originally Posted by Johnlodge

Yes, they do travel one to a truck. And are an oversized load when they do. Each blade is enormous, I passed a convoy of them on I-94 out of state last week. Managed to snap this picture of one of them.

Quite common over here on this side of the atlantic.My brother works for Vestas, one of the biggest Turbine makers in the world. He's servicing those monsters. He just showed me a picture of one of those gondolas on the ground. He was dwarved by it! This was exactly the kind of gondola he was standing in front.

The current worldrecord is a giant in the German city of Kiel. This monster has a diameter of 126 meters! The rotor blades themselves are 61,5 meters.

Here are pictures of it's erection.

The 5M[[egawatt) gondola.

Putting things in perspective, check out that person standing next to it!!
The longest transport I ever saw was 52 meters. It was a telecom mast for the GSM network.

**Zacha341** · July-02-10, 03:28 PM

Hmm, about 3 weeks ago on I-696 and Southfield I saw an extra, extra long truck on an exit with giant loge white wind turbine blades as cargo. It was a site to see and everyone was gawking to look!

Originally Posted by DanFromDetroit

Just a guess - Wind turbine housings?

**Zacha341** · July-02-10, 03:30 PM

Yes, I saw a truck with a few of them on 696...... but no balls.

Originally Posted by leland_palmer

Probably. I saw 1 blade traveling north on 696 and another one going east on 696 last week.

**Johnlodge** · July-02-10, 03:40 PM

While we're on the tangent, here's another picture I took. Windfarm in Minnesota off I-90, they stretched out as far as the eye could see on both sides of the road. This picture doesn't do it justice, but it was quite the spectacle for me, being that the only one I had ever seen in person is the single one up by Traverse City.

**Zacha341** · July-02-10, 03:44 PM

Wow! What a sub-topic! And we are told there's no down side to these things. That squeal they emit when it rains was horrid! No amount of oiling fixes that sound... They are loud overall and I already knew they do not produce alot. Interesting how they are built with very little thought or notice to the home owners and farms already there... thanks for providing the link. I found this link within the site that details the negative impact to the environment, housing market and living in the communities they are put up in:

http://www.wind-watch.org/video-meyersdale.php

Originally Posted by Searay215

I saw a blade headed north on I94....there is a wind farm being built in the thumb. I hate those things. I used to think it was a good clean way to get energy until I went to this site and saw what it does to animals and humans.
http://www.wind-watch.org/video-fenner-wethersfield.php

**fryar** · July-02-10, 03:46 PM

Not always. Sometimes the farmers make money off them as well.

**Zacha341** · July-02-10, 03:51 PM

Indeed they are huge! Thus the noise and impact where they are put. A never ending drone and squel at a loud decibel level. Property value drop as well as the strobbing effect at night... etc. Argh...

Originally Posted by Whitehouse

Quite common over here on this side of the atlantic.My brother works for Vestas, one of the biggest Turbine makers in the world. He's servicing those monsters. He just showed me a picture of one of those gondolas on the ground. He was dwarved by it! This was exactly the kind of gondola he was standing in front.

The current worldrecord is a giant in the German city of Kiel. This monster has a diameter of 126 meters! The rotor blades themselves are 61,5 meters.

Here are pictures of it's erection.

The 5M[[egawatt) gondola.

Putting things in perspective, check out that person standing next to it!!
The longest transport I ever saw was 52 meters. It was a telecom mast for the GSM network.

**Johnlodge** · July-02-10, 03:52 PM

Wow, somebody certainly has an agenda. I wouldn't think noise would be a complaint unless you lived anywhere near one, or a proposed site of one.

Wind farm I saw had nothing near it.

**yupislyr** · July-02-10, 04:07 PM

Originally Posted by Johnlodge

While we're on the tangent, here's another picture I took. Windfarm in Minnesota off I-90, they stretched out as far as the eye could see on both sides of the road. This picture doesn't do it justice, but it was quite the spectacle for me, being that the only one I had ever seen in person is the single one up by Traverse City.

The way they're popping up over here in Ontario, it may well be like that over here in the not too distant future.

There's some going up around Essex, just outside Windsor.

There's some outside of Harrow, south of Windsor.

And then there's a whole stretch of them along Lake Erie west of Wheatley. Many of them are visible from the 401.

**yupislyr** · July-02-10, 04:13 PM

Originally Posted by Zacha341

Wow! What a sub-topic! And we are told there's no down side to these things. That squeal they emit when it rains was horrid! No amount of oiling fixes that sound... They are loud overall and I already knew they do not produce alot. Interesting how they are built with very little thought or notice to the home owners and farms already there... thanks for providing the link. I found this link within the site that speaks in detail about the negative impact to the environment and living in the communities they are set up:

http://www.wind-watch.org/video-meyersdale.php

I have been right up next to windmills in Alberta, some up past Toronto and the ones going up around Windsor and none produced appreciable noise. My idling van was still louder.

**Zacha341** · July-02-10, 04:21 PM

From what I am gathering the sound projects over a wide range and distance, and it is combined sound from walls of units turning, thumping and squealing combined along the hill sides and higher land grades to make a drone and pounding as sited by those living near them...

There are somewhat rural areas where there may be a farm or one or two home are effected [[sarcasm on purpose)... But they are just a couple of folks, so what is the big deal...?

Problem is that the proposed idea if to expand them, therefore they are being erected closer with more turbines near more denser areas so maybe their combined voices may be heard -- or not.

Sure it's not my immediate problem living in the D. But I'd hate to have to sale my home at a fire sale price due to a nuisance I was not warned about.

The sites speak to homes being conveniently purchased by the energy companies once the owners give up and leave....... the level of noise was not something I could imagine living with.

Originally Posted by Johnlodge

Wow, somebody certainly has an agenda. I wouldn't think noise would be a complaint unless you lived anywhere near one, or a proposed site of one.

Wind farm I saw had nothing near it.

**Zacha341** · July-02-10, 04:26 PM

Yeah, maybe it varies. Perhaps some companies make louder ones than others. The sites have audio where you can hear them. Interesting.....

Originally Posted by yupislyr

I have been right up next to windmills in Alberta, some up past Toronto and the ones going up around Windsor and none produced appreciable noise. My idling van was still louder.

**Whitehouse** · July-02-10, 04:28 PM

Take a look around along the A27 in the Netherlands.

I actually did some ground serveying for some of these giants. These examples have a modest mast hight of about 90 meters. Icidentally, this land which you see was reclaimed from the sea only in 1968. A lot of things happened here. As of 2007, 200.000 people are living here.

**Johnlodge** · July-02-10, 05:14 PM

I stood right next to the one near Traverse City, with no noise around at all, and didn't hear anything. Certainly nothing louder than a car going down the road it was on. Didn't hear anything in Minnesota either, other than the loud Interstate Highway which I'm sure is much more of a sound nuisance. That's just my personal experience. Maybe windwatch.com isn't being totally straight all the time. Wonder who pays for that?

**Downriviera** · July-02-10, 06:46 PM

Wish I had some of those blades for my ceiling fans, its gonna be a hot one this weekend and I hate running the air conditioning.

**Zacha341** · July-02-10, 06:51 PM

Yeah, how about that...? That sites has a have a clip were you can hear the things turning/ squealing the rain and churning. Perhaps there are other reports from other sites? Perhaps it is the manufacturing [[one brand more quiet vs. the older noisy models) or number of them running at once.....

Originally Posted by Johnlodge

I stood right next to the one near Traverse City, with no noise around at all, and didn't hear anything. Certainly nothing louder than a car going down the road it was on. Didn't hear anything in Minnesota either, other than the loud Interstate Highway which I'm sure is much more of a sound nuisance. That's just my personal experience. Maybe windwatch.com isn't being totally straight all the time. Wonder who pays for that?

**Jimaz** · July-02-10, 06:52 PM

Originally Posted by Johnlodge

I stood right next to the one near Traverse City, with no noise around at all, and didn't hear anything. Certainly nothing louder than a car going down the road it was on.

I believe I was able to hear a quiet whooshing sound there every time a blade passed. It certainly wasn't a thump or squeal. I would think noises like that would indicate some maintenance was needed.