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Bergey Turbines Really are "Tornado Tuff" |
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| Probably the main
reason that Bergey WindPower is the world's leading supplier of small wind
turbines is that our turbines have proven to be more rugged and reliable
than those of our competitors. For example, Bergey turbines are
often used to replace turbines from other manufacturers that have
failed. Most small wind turbines work fine until the storms
come. Then the weather sorts out the weak from the strong. Our
turbines are more rugged and reliable because we have carefully engineered
them for reliability. But then we had too ... given where we are
located.
Bergey WindPower is headquartered in Norman, Oklahoma, right in the heart of "Tornado Alley." In fact, the National Severe Storms Lab for tornado research is located two blocks from Bergey WindPower. The famous tornado chasers, featured in the movie "Twister", operate out of this facility. By coincidence part of the movie "Twister" was actually filmed just a block from Bergey WindPower. |
We get severe thunderstorms quite regularly and a lot of tornados. For example, the deadly Moore, Oklahoma tornado of May 3, 1999, which killed 36 people, passed just a few miles north of Bergey WindPower. One of our 10 kW turbines, as shown below, was almost directly in the path of this tornado. These terrible storms have actually helped us to develop more rugged and reliable products. We have a test site at the factory and we have over 150 turbines in the area. These units experience some of the worst weather conditions that Mother Nature has to offer. In the sections below we offer a few stories of these experiences. |
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September, 1992 - Norman Airport |
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In the late evening of Sept. 5, 1992 a tornado of unknown strength passed through the airport in Norman, Oklahoma, where Bergey WindPower's factory and test site are located. The picture above shows the damage to a warehouse building at the airport. Notice the wind turbine to the left, ~ 100m (~ 330 ft) behind the destroyed warehouse. This Bergey 1 kW unit (located at the BWC factory) operated unattended and safely through the storm. |
The photo above shows several of the 20+ small planes destroyed in the Sept. 1992 tornado. These planes were approximately 400 meters (1300 ft) from the Bergey 1 kW wind turbine. All the planes were tied down to the concrete apron, but the winds were strong enough to break the planes loose and roll them down the apron. |
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August, 1993 - Home of Jim & Mary Driscoll |
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In August, 1993 the home of Jim & Mary Driscoll located East of Norman, Oklahoma was heavily damaged by a tornado. The second story of their home, including the entire roof, was totally destroyed. In fact, much of the roof was found ~ 200 m (~ 650 ft) from the house. The Driscoll's 10 kW Bergey Excel-S wind turbine was ten years old at the time. It operated through the storm and was selling power to the local utility when this photo was taken the next day. The Driscoll's turbine, now 19 years old, is still operating today. | |
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May, 1999 - Home of Delbert Thornhill |
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On Monday, May 3rd, 1999 an F5 tornado (see NOAA definition below), the most severe and destructive class of tornado, tore through Moore, Oklahoma, approximately 6 miles North of BWC's factory. This tornado destroyed thousands of homes, did $1.5 billion in total damage, and killed 36 people. "I had only been down in my storm shelter for a minute when I heard this awful racket. I peeked out the door, and the building was gone." Delbert Thornhill, of Moore, describing the destruction of his garage. His Bergey Excel-S wind turbine, installed in 1985, stands 20 feet away on an 80 ft. self-supporting tower. NOAA
Definition for an F5 Tornado: ***IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT F-SCALE WINDS: Do not use F-scale winds literally. These wind speed numbers are estimates and have never been scientifically verified. Different wind speeds may cause similar-looking damage from place to place—even from building to building. Without a thorough engineering analysis of tornado damage in any event, the actual wind speeds needed to cause that damage are unknown. |
The
wind turbine suffered some damage to its tail and blades from flying
debris. The photo on the left above shows the turbine the following day.
Debris from the destroyed garage can be seen at the base of the tower. The
photo on the right shows the fused disconnect switch box at the base of
the tower. Notice the piece of wood which has pierced the steel enclosure
of the switch box. This indicates that the local wind speed was probably
in excess of 220 mph.
Behind the switch you can see one of the homes destroyed by the tornado. The blades, tail fin, and disconnect switch were replaced and the wind system was put back in service within a week. |
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Click here for more information on Tornadoes | |
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Click here for more information on the National Severe Storms Laboratory in Norman, Oklahoma | |
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