HSE get wind of turbine failures !

Posted on December 16, 2014 by Mike Osborn CEng MIMechE AUH

Wind Turbine2Wind Turbine drawing_

Five wind turbines crashed to the ground during unexceptional weather conditions leading to an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive. The fifth collapse at Winsdon Farm in north Petherwyn, Cornwall triggered the inquiry in 2013, a 40m Gaia Wind GW133 11kW turbine. Three of the foundation rods had failed due to fatigue cracking and tensile overload, this then lead to tensile overload and complete fracture of the remaining rods. It was found that the lower part of the rods were not under tension and therefore lead to cyclic loading over a period of time, a common flaw to all five turbine structures. The rods were found to be of reduced quality as well. Poor site locations added to the problem with greater wind effects and therefore loading to the towers beyond expected design margins. 10 of the 80 1st generation turbines were found to have at least one rod failure. Remedial work has been carried out accompanied by regular inspections, to ensure future safety .

Recommendations included re-evaluation of design, higher quality assurance, more stringent installation procedures, and comprehensive risk assessments of the siting of turbines.

By Mike Osborn

Quotation Corner:

“Never put off until tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow” – Mark Twain

“If you’re not failing every now and again, it’s a sign you’re not doing anything very innovative”   – Woody Allen

PS  If you have enjoyed the blog please forward to those who might be interested, many thanks in advance, Mike

Posted in business, cad, civil, design, Engineering, environment, failure, green power, humour, manufacturing, mechanical, power generation, renewable energy, technology, turbine | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Are we ready for BIM?

Posted on November 26, 2014 by Mike Osborn CEng MIMechE AUH

Francis-Maude-image

This government strategy deadline for BIM is closing in quickly for the construction / building industry as 2016 approaches ever closer !

Are companies ready ?

In more detail:

The Government Construction Strategy was published by the Cabinet office on 31 May 2011. The report announced the Governments intention to require: collaborative 3D BIM (with all project and asset information, documentation and data being electronic) on its projects by 2016.

Essentially the UK Government has embarked with the construction industry on a four year programme for sector modernisation with the key objective of: reducing capital cost and the carbon burden from the construction and operation of the built environment by 20%. Central to these ambitions is the adoption of information rich Building Information Modelling (BIM) technologies, process and collaborative behaviours that will unlock new more efficient ways of working at all stages of the project life-cycle.

Osborn Design has already adopted the BIM CAD software Autodesk Revit to prepare for the increasing demand for 3D CAD models as the 2016 government deadline approaches.

If this is relevant to you – are you ready?

By Mike Osborn

 Quotation corner:

“The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret to getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks and then starting on the first one.“
Mark Twain

Do not wait until the conditions are perfect to begin. Beginning makes the conditions perfect.
Alan Cohen

PS  If you have enjoyed the blog please forward to those who might be interested, many thanks in advance, Mike

Posted in BIM, business, cad, design, Engineering, manufacturing, Revit, technology | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Is there money in sand ? 3D Sand Printing from CAD could have the answer !

Posted on October 17, 2014 by Mike Osborn CEng MIMechE AUH

3D printer Big Bang Theory_                         3D steel printer USA_

3D printing from CAD has been around a while, delivering interesting shapes and products mainly in various plastics – as a hobby and a bit of fun but now increasingly used for commercial reasons.

Parts are being printed now in steel in the US from a new machine whose design is on open source for anyone to download and build for themselves! Image above right.

3D printing of sand casting moulds and cores has also moved on and can be done quicker, cheaper and with increased precision. A well established traditional castings company in Shropshire has recently invested in the latest 3D sand printing technology with advanced high strength casting sand to produce complex castings for various clients including motorsport, with a capacity of 0.8m x 0.5m x 0.4m which can take up to 3 small car cylinder heads. They are producing precision castings that cannot be achieved by traditional casting methods due to their complexity; and prototypes are being produced quicker and cheaper than ever before. Their investment payback is comparatively short and they are enjoying a growing order book and growing commercial success !

It seems therefore there is money to be made from sand after all !

by Mike Osborn

Quotation corner:

“It isn’t the mountain ahead that wears you out; it’s the grain of sand in your shoe”
    Robert W. Service

“Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.”
    Sir Winston Churchill

ps  If you have enjoyed the blog please forward to those who might be interested, many thanks in advance, Mike

Posted in business, cad, design, Engineering, humour, manufacturing, printing, technology | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Formula One and buses what’s the connection?

Posted on September 12, 2014 by Mike Osborn CEng MIMechE AUH

F1 Car_Williams#2                            bus_

Apart from a wheel on each corner, a major break through in technology is being used in both – a flywheel. A re-invention of an old technology if you like! Williams formula one developed an electric flywheel that stores energy on braking which is then released as electricity to power a motor that drives the wheels on acceleration improving the car’s lap times around the circuit. The device has been since proven by Porshe and Audi on the track. The bus companies have also taken on the same technology but for a different reason, to reduce fuel costs by an average of 20%. The system is being developed by GKN who has purchased the technology off Williams and are looking to implement the idea not only in buses but many other vehicles globally. The inherent stop start nature of bus journeys in London and major cities is an ideal application for the energy saving device.  The sharp end of competition once again advancing technology.

by Mike Osborn

Quotation Quota:

“Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs” – Henry Ford

Posted in design, Engineering, manufacturing | Leave a comment