An Otter Tail Company

Langdon Wind Energy Center photos

Turbines and blades

Click on any photo to see an enlargement

Click to see enlargement This hub, which weighs 37,479 pounds, is still wrapped and awaiting inspection after delivery.
Click to see enlargement A pickup parked here shows the scale of the 121-foot blades.
Click to see an enlargement Wind blades, which weigh 13,889 pounds each, are carefully installed on a hub using a crane.
Click to see enlargement It takes about an hour to install all three blades on the hub.
Click to see enlargement The hub with blades attached has a combined weight of 79,146 pounds. The crane must lift it up to the nacelle so workers can install it.

You can watch a 30-second time-lapse movie of the hub being lifted and attached.
Click to see enlargement Attaching the hub and blades to the nacelle is a tricky process and can't be done if the wind speed is stronger than 18 mph. Three and a half "wind days" forced breaks from lifting anything with the cranes.

A worker lays on top of the nacelle guiding the crane operator using a walkie-talkie.
Click to see enlargement A magnificent prairie sunset viewed from the top of a wind tower at a height of 265 feet. The photographer is looking between two blades.