MOWER COUNTY, Minn. — Seeing a gigantic wind turbine from the road is one thing, the long blades like skinny fingers catching the wind, with the purpose of powering our modern world.
The latest installment of our ongoing drone series KARE in the Air offers a decidedly different view by flying over Xcel Energy's Wind Farm in Mower County.
Located south of I-90, the farm consists of 43 individual turbines, each of which is taller than a 20-story building. Each blade is about 172 feet long, and weighs in at 11 tons. That's BIG, and remember... there are three of those blades attached to what is called a nacelle, which houses the gearbox, generator and other components used to make electricity.
Turbines begin generating power with winds as light as 2 to 3 miles per hour, and can operate in winds as high as 55 mph. The best and most efficient wind speed for making electricity is between 20 and 35 mph.
So how exactly does the process work? Here it is in a nutshell.
- The giant blades catch the wind, turning a shaft inside the nacelle.
- The shaft spins a generator that creates electricity
- Power cables inside the turbine tower move electricity from the generator to underground power lines.
- Electricity moves on the underground lines to a nearby substation, then up into the overhead power lines for use.
Xcels's Mower County Wind Farm is one of 19 the company operates across the Midwest, Colorado, New Mexico and Texas.
And while they are designed to be an earth-friendly solution to America's thirst for power, the giant turbines are also pleasing to the eye, almost hypnotizing. Somehow, these juice-generating beasts manage to look graceful and slightly awkward at the same time as their thin arms reach toward the sky.
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