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Today, on Impossible Engineering, the
largest offshore wind farm on the
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We're actually at the very cutting edge
of the industry.
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Nothing on this scale has been done
before.
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Marine engineering in a league of its
own.
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The circumference of the turbine with
the blades on is about the same as the
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London Eye. It's an absolutely awesome
project.
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And the inspired historic innovations.
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Look at this.
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that made the impossible possible.
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The North Sea.
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Separating Britain from Northern Europe.
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Its waters stretch over 289 ,000 square
miles.
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It's a famously hostile environment.
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Storms bring 20 -foot waves, whipped up
by nearly 70 -mile -per -hour winds.
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Challenging conditions for one of the
world's busiest shipping areas, whose
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traffic must also navigate shifting
sandbanks.
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It seems an impossible place to build.
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But these awe -inspiring natural forces
are irresistible to a group of intrepid
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engineers.
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Around 12 miles off the British coast,
an ambitious project is taking on these
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waters. It's a hostile environment, and
it presents a major challenge for any
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kind of engineering construction.
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But this is an unprecedented engineering
marvel.
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The London Array.
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The London Array is the world's largest
offshore wind farm.
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175 towering turbines capture the energy
of the wind and convert it into record
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-breaking levels of electricity.
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On an average year, the wind farm
produces over 2 billion units of
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That's enough to power half a million
houses.
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It's an army of giant spinning windmills
that covers more than 38 square miles.
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Right now we're about 87 meters above
sea level. You can see the rotor behind
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us, so each blade length is 58 meters.
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Standing out on these machines, it
really does make you feel what a unique
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to be.
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London Array's turbines reach almost 495
feet above sea level.
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Each blade is almost as long as a jumbo
jet's wingspan.
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embedded in 716 -ton foundations.
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They feed into 125 miles of cabling.
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Two offshore substations send all this
power to the mainland, where it provides
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enough electricity for 500 ,000 homes.
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But engineering on this scale at sea has
never been done before.
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And this unpredictable environment
presents huge construction challenges.
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There was a really ambitious plan to
build a wind farm here.
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It's quite tidal restricted.
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There's a lot of change in tidal
heights, so there's very high currents,
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of moving sand banks.
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The brutal marine environment also takes
its toll on any technology.
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And Captain Nick Coville is part of the
team making this immense wind farm a
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reality. If a piece of equipment fails,
we're working to a very, very small
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weather window.
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We can't nip to the local hardware store
and get another one.
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But above all, in the middle of one of
Europe's most extreme locations, these
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turbines must somehow generate year
-round power on an unparalleled scale.
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We need to generate electricity 24 hours
a day, seven days a week, this remote
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offshore location.
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It's an unforgiving and unpredictable
environment.
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Out here, the challenges are enormous.
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The team must do whatever they can to
keep the blades turning.
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So how is it even possible to harness
the power of the wind?
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Dr. Andrew Steele is on the windswept
coastline of Scotland searching for the
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relics of an idea that sparked an
engineering revolution.
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This 18th century salt mill is one of
Scotland's best preserved windmills.
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The principle behind a windmill is
simple.
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By taking a linear motion from the wind,
spinning those giant sails and creating
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a rotary motion, you can then use axles
and gears to take that motion to
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wherever you want to use the energy.
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This windmill would have once had large
sails.
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Its rotation was used to pump seawater
onto the land for the production of
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It was a technology that hadn't changed
for thousands of years.
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Just like today's engineers at the
London Array Offshore Wind Farm,
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engineer James Blythe was determined to
generate electricity from wind power.
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And in 1887, in his garden on the coast,
he built the world's first wind turbine
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to power the lights in his cottage.
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But it's said his neighbors weren't
impressed.
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They considered electricity the work of
the devil.
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Andrew Steele, however, has managed to
track down a place that welcomed
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innovation.
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Although Blythe's design didn't prove
popular with the locals, he did manage
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find a new home for it here at Sunnyside
Hospital, or as it was known then,
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Montrose Lunatic Asylum.
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With electricity supplies in this era
notoriously unreliable, Blythe proposed
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adding his new wind turbine invention.
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Blythe attached his generator to an
accumulator, an early form of
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battery, and his invention was an
instant hit.
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Bly's design was so successful, it
actually stood here and powered Montrose
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Lunatic Asylum for 30 years before it
was demolished.
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London Array's 175 turbines are over 10
times taller than the Montrose turbine.
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reaching 482 feet from base to blade
tip.
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While Blythe used horizontally rotating
cylinders, the array uses 190 -foot
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-long vertical blades to squeeze as much
electricity as possible out of the
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North Sea's powerful winds.
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The vital job of ensuring the turbines
remain operational falls to a team of
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specialized engineers.
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When they're called into action, they
must first make the over 12 -mile
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out to sea.
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We have 175 offshore power generation
plants, so we need to send people
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to keep all of the turbines running all
of the time.
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It's quite an extreme job. The guys have
to be tough and they have to be capable
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of meeting physical demands.
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They have extraordinary access to the
hidden inner workings of these
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structures.
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Today, senior operations technician
Ronnie Hill must carry out essential
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maintenance to the turbine known as Echo
1 -9.
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Hi, Rob, it's Echo 1 -9. I take control
fees under AWP.
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There's no restrictions.
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Before work can begin, he must access a
control panel on the lower platform to
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bring the blades to a standstill.
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So you can already hear already starting
to slow down.
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There we go.
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Each giant tower contains an elevator to
assist team members like senior
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engineer Ed Hall with at least some of
the 230 -foot ascent.
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So that's the last part of the journey
over.
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Quite a challenge just getting access to
the point of work.
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Yeah, now we've got to climb up.
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The heart of the turbine is known as the
nacelle.
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A 33 -foot -long stainless steel
enclosure, the nacelle, houses the
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needed to produce electricity from the
blades.
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Not many people get to see this part.
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It's very unique.
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This is the nacelle of the turbine where
all the action happens. So this is
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where the power is getting generated and
transmitted.
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We have the rotor at the front with the
blades.
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So that rotational energy is transferred
through a gearbox, and behind me we
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have the generator where the electrical
energy is produced.
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00:09:43,720 --> 00:09:48,520
The energy from the turbine's blades can
produce electricity in as little as 7
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mph winds.
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The turbine blades rotate an input shaft
at up to 13 revolutions per minute.
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A gearbox makes the output shaft spin
more than 100 times faster.
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00:10:03,269 --> 00:10:07,390
A generator then converts this increased
kinetic energy to electricity.
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00:10:11,530 --> 00:10:14,490
So the parts we're giving today is
lubricating the main bearing.
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Those are like bearings in your car.
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Every time they wear out, the more we
lubricate it, the longer it keeps going,
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the more power we can produce.
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That's what we're here to do at the end
of the day.
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There we go.
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These machines, they don't stop.
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Some are winter Christmas, Christmas
Day.
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I've still got a van with only
electricity.
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Constructing just one of these
megastructures is a huge engineering
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So how do you make 175 of them when your
building site is the North Sea?
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Not only do you have challenging seabed
conditions, you also have different
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depths. It's a challenge from start to
finish.
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These 175 turbines make up the world's
largest offshore wind farm, the London
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Array.
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For head of operations Graham Doss, it's
a perfect location for a bumper
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harvest. We're on the coast of the UK.
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We have more wind energy than pretty
much the whole of the rest of Europe.
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Spanning an area over 38 square miles.
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These nearly 495 -foot -high turbines
are kept operational 24 hours a day,
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days a week, to produce 2 .5 billion
units of electricity a year.
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Each of these massive marvels is made up
of mammoth components.
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The tower itself in two parts weigh
around about 200 tons.
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Each one of those blades is around about
25 or 30 tons each.
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And then the cell, the part that goes
onto the top of the wind turbine, these
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can be up to 300 tons.
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But constructing this army of giants in
the unforgiving North Sea is the biggest
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battle of all.
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The weather conditions can be very
variable.
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We can have mist and fog as we have
today. You can have nice flat counties.
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And you can also have storm force
conditions rolling in without warning.
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It's a significant operation to install
one of these turbines.
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Fast flowing tides.
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The nature of the seabed is extremely
variable.
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So even in one location, we could get a
distance of up to 10 meters.
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The change is very, very extreme in a
very, very small area.
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It's a challenge from start to finish.
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So how is it possible to create a stable
structure when your building site is
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underwater?
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Aeromanche in northern France is the
site of an historic marine construction
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breakthrough.
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Today, Dr. Rhys Morgan is joining a team
of divers who are tracking down an
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engineering relic.
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This coastline is the site of some of
the most incredible Second World War
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engineering. And we're on the hunt for
perhaps its most ingenious component.
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Lurking in the depths since the 1940s
lies a game -changing innovation that
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influenced countless future engineers
like the team at London Array.
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00:13:59,200 --> 00:14:05,240
During 1944, the D -Day landings gave
the Allies a toehold in Europe, but this
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was just the beginning.
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To free the Nazi -occupied continent,
they faced the problem of landing
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quantities of equipment on the Normandy
coast.
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To take on the mighty German army,
hundreds of thousands of troops and
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vehicles had to be landed on the beaches
behind me.
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British engineer Sir Bruce Gordon White
had to carry out an astonishing plan.
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Construct two fully functioning harbors
in a matter of two days.
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And it would have been impossible
without a brilliantly simple piece of
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engineering called a spud leg.
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There it is.
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Ah, look.
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There's the edge of it.
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It's definitely got an upright.
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One spudleg.
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Fantastic. We've actually found one of
the original spudlegs on the seabed.
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It's incredible to think that these now
discarded pieces of metal were once
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vital for ending a terrible war.
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The spud legs were the vital component
that made Sir Bruce Gordon White's
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00:15:15,490 --> 00:15:17,070
Mulberry Harbors possible.
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These big concrete blocks behind me were
floating pontoons on which a steel
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roadway led out from the beach to the
deeper water so that the ships could
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00:15:31,190 --> 00:15:34,810
unload their tanks and they could drive
right onto the beach.
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00:15:37,090 --> 00:15:39,010
Creating a floating pier is one thing.
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00:15:39,450 --> 00:15:43,430
but anchoring it securely in tidal
waters and making sure it's stable
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carry a tank is a whole other ballgame.
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00:15:46,170 --> 00:15:50,910
The engineers building the London Array
need a solid, stable platform to work
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00:15:50,910 --> 00:15:55,530
from. Gordon White needed something
similar in order to safely land trucks
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tanks.
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00:15:56,850 --> 00:15:59,350
This simple platform illustrates the
problem.
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00:15:59,690 --> 00:16:04,870
In normal conditions, it's fine, but if
you've got rough seas, then actually
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00:16:04,870 --> 00:16:05,970
it's very unstable.
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00:16:06,560 --> 00:16:11,340
It will swing violently from side to
side, potentially damaging the roadway.
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00:16:11,340 --> 00:16:12,380
it needs to be anchored.
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00:16:13,060 --> 00:16:17,760
Now the problem is, if you have a fixed
anchor, as the tide comes up, the
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00:16:17,760 --> 00:16:19,600
platform itself starts to sink.
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00:16:21,360 --> 00:16:26,320
Surviving the seas required a special
solution, and the answer was movable
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00:16:26,320 --> 00:16:30,060
mechanical legs, which allow the pontoon
to go up and down.
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00:16:31,440 --> 00:16:34,740
These four legs help the platform remain
stable.
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They weren't driven into the ground, but
rather the ends just sat on the surface
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00:16:39,420 --> 00:16:40,420
of the seabed.
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00:16:40,680 --> 00:16:45,760
Now the weight of the platform connected
by these chains is forcing the legs
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00:16:45,760 --> 00:16:47,700
down, and that acts as an anchor.
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00:16:48,200 --> 00:16:52,420
Not only did the legs prevent the
platform moving from side to side, but
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00:16:52,420 --> 00:16:57,060
tension in the cable could also be
adjusted to rise and lower with the
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00:16:57,060 --> 00:16:57,819
the tide.
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00:16:57,820 --> 00:16:59,180
Just a brilliant idea.
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00:17:03,470 --> 00:17:09,550
Thanks to inventive engineering, over 2
million men were landed alongside 500
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00:17:09,550 --> 00:17:13,210
,000 vehicles and almost 4 .5 million
tons of goods.
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00:17:17,130 --> 00:17:21,670
The remains of this remarkable invention
may be hidden in these French waters,
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00:17:21,869 --> 00:17:24,790
but it has inspired engineers around the
world.
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00:17:36,840 --> 00:17:40,320
The spuds were an ingenious solution for
Normandy's shores.
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00:17:40,560 --> 00:17:45,060
But how could movable legs be used to
construct a wind farm in the middle of
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00:17:45,060 --> 00:17:46,060
North Sea?
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00:17:48,560 --> 00:17:51,540
The answer lies in an extraordinary
vessel.
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00:17:52,740 --> 00:17:54,360
This is MPI Discovery.
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00:17:58,380 --> 00:18:01,460
20 ,000 tons of hydraulic muscle.
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00:18:02,200 --> 00:18:05,080
At the time of London Array, she was the
fastest.
235
00:18:06,160 --> 00:18:09,860
Had the highest lift, had the fastest
turnover rate in the world.
236
00:18:12,680 --> 00:18:17,100
These ships were pretty much designed
with the London Array project in mind.
237
00:18:19,060 --> 00:18:23,660
Discovery can construct the seemingly
impossible thanks to a mind -blowing
238
00:18:23,660 --> 00:18:24,660
metamorphosis.
239
00:18:27,040 --> 00:18:31,060
From ship to offshore building platform
in a matter of hours.
240
00:18:34,480 --> 00:18:38,880
Experiencing this jack -up ship in
action is a unique experience for
241
00:18:38,880 --> 00:18:39,880
Nick Coville.
242
00:18:40,480 --> 00:18:45,260
When you're slightly pitching and
rolling as you do at sea, the legs
243
00:18:45,260 --> 00:18:48,140
seabed, everything stops and you become
a platform.
244
00:18:49,660 --> 00:18:54,060
Like a supersized version of Bruce
Gordon White's solution for the Normandy
245
00:18:54,060 --> 00:18:55,060
invasion,
246
00:18:55,880 --> 00:19:00,780
MPI Discovery uses giant legs to act
like a table sitting on the seabed.
247
00:19:05,130 --> 00:19:06,690
The rear delt has six legs.
248
00:19:07,270 --> 00:19:11,150
From the bottom of the keel to the top
of the leg is about 75 meters.
249
00:19:11,870 --> 00:19:16,430
You can see here they're probably about
four or five inches of steel.
250
00:19:17,830 --> 00:19:23,490
The British Army's spud legs were
winched, but discoveries rely on
251
00:19:23,910 --> 00:19:28,710
Each leg is jacked up by eight huge
cylinders, with every vertical movement
252
00:19:28,710 --> 00:19:30,970
secured by a massive pinning system.
253
00:19:32,490 --> 00:19:36,690
Each one of these cylinders is capable
of lifting 500 tonnes.
254
00:19:37,530 --> 00:19:43,670
You have two cylinders here that go to a
single yoke, and you have a pin that
255
00:19:43,670 --> 00:19:48,910
withdraws. The yoke comes down, the pin
goes in, and then the leg is either
256
00:19:48,910 --> 00:19:53,630
raised or lowered, depending on whether
we're recovering the leg or driving them
257
00:19:53,630 --> 00:19:54,630
into the seabed.
258
00:19:54,890 --> 00:19:59,470
The system here is capable of lifting 24
,000 tonnes of ship.
259
00:20:00,140 --> 00:20:04,240
all the components for eight turbines
completely clear of the water.
260
00:20:07,040 --> 00:20:11,340
This ship can remain stable in depths of
up to 130 feet.
261
00:20:12,540 --> 00:20:17,100
But in order to assemble the component
parts for the wind turbines, it needs
262
00:20:17,100 --> 00:20:18,280
even more muscle.
263
00:20:36,490 --> 00:20:41,770
Thanks to the inspired engineering
behind Bruce Gordon White's spud legs,
264
00:20:41,770 --> 00:20:46,030
Discovery can provide a stable base for
the complicated process of constructing
265
00:20:46,030 --> 00:20:48,090
a record -breaking wind farm at sea.
266
00:20:48,290 --> 00:20:50,710
But Discovery can't do the building
itself.
267
00:20:50,970 --> 00:20:55,530
The team needs another mechanical giant
to assemble the enormous turbines that
268
00:20:55,530 --> 00:20:58,870
turn the North Sea's wind into massive
amounts of electricity.
269
00:21:00,330 --> 00:21:02,850
So here we have a 1 ,000 -ton crane.
270
00:21:03,590 --> 00:21:05,190
A unique piece of equipment.
271
00:21:05,530 --> 00:21:10,510
There was no other crane available that
was so compact that had such a lifting
272
00:21:10,510 --> 00:21:11,510
capacity.
273
00:21:11,970 --> 00:21:16,550
This mega machine can assemble the
superstructure of an entire turbine.
274
00:21:18,990 --> 00:21:24,710
First, a hydraulic hammer is used to
drive a giant 18 -foot diameter steel
275
00:21:24,710 --> 00:21:31,650
which can weigh up to 715 tons to depths
of up to 223 feet below the seabed.
276
00:21:32,010 --> 00:21:37,090
This holds in place a yellow transition
piece, which can be up to 92 feet high.
277
00:21:37,730 --> 00:21:39,850
Next, the main tower is added.
278
00:21:40,590 --> 00:21:46,750
Topped off by the nacelle and hub, three
190 -foot -long blades complete each
279
00:21:46,750 --> 00:21:48,650
530 -ton structure.
280
00:21:52,370 --> 00:21:56,470
Amazingly, eight turbines can be
transported and built on a single
281
00:21:59,180 --> 00:22:03,720
that we have such a vast deck space is
basically because of the size of the
282
00:22:03,720 --> 00:22:08,480
turbine components. The nacelles are the
size of two or three double -decker
283
00:22:08,480 --> 00:22:10,920
buses. We have eight of them at the
centre of the ship.
284
00:22:11,180 --> 00:22:15,620
The blades run across the vessel, going
actually over the side by about 30
285
00:22:15,620 --> 00:22:16,620
metres.
286
00:22:17,070 --> 00:22:21,090
My first day as captain, the London
Array team told me that I must not roll
287
00:22:21,090 --> 00:22:24,290
ship more than a certain amount,
otherwise the blades will go in the
288
00:22:24,290 --> 00:22:28,430
get damaged. And I was thinking to
myself, what have I let myself in for
289
00:22:28,430 --> 00:22:29,430
really?
290
00:22:29,710 --> 00:22:33,530
But the wind turbines themselves are
just the start of this impossible
291
00:22:33,530 --> 00:22:34,530
engineering feat.
292
00:22:37,690 --> 00:22:43,150
Each turbine forms part of a 124 -mile
network, converging at one of the two
293
00:22:43,150 --> 00:22:45,110
gigantic offshore substations.
294
00:22:48,020 --> 00:22:52,860
These perform a vital role, boosting the
voltage produced by the turbines before
295
00:22:52,860 --> 00:22:54,100
sending it to the mainland.
296
00:22:55,560 --> 00:22:58,580
So there behind me you can see one of
the two London Ray substations.
297
00:22:59,300 --> 00:23:01,720
These structures are critical to the
operation of the London Ray.
298
00:23:02,000 --> 00:23:05,300
All of the energy that's produced passes
through one of these two substations.
299
00:23:05,480 --> 00:23:09,760
They perform a critical function in
increasing the voltage from 33 ,000
300
00:23:09,760 --> 00:23:13,820
150 ,000 volts in order to minimize the
losses as the energy transitions on its
301
00:23:13,820 --> 00:23:15,600
long journey back ashore.
302
00:23:18,670 --> 00:23:23,610
Four huge cables over 30 miles long are
needed to complete this final lay.
303
00:23:25,850 --> 00:23:30,670
Each weighing nearly 5 ,000 tons,
they're floated towards the Kent
304
00:23:30,670 --> 00:23:36,910
and then sunk to the seabed as they
finally converge at Cleve Hill onshore
305
00:23:36,910 --> 00:23:37,910
substation.
306
00:23:40,650 --> 00:23:44,930
This is where the 630 megawatts of
energy produced by the London Array
307
00:23:44,930 --> 00:23:48,390
Wind Farm, out there, comes ashore on
the North Kent coast.
308
00:23:48,750 --> 00:23:55,190
The four large cables come through this
field and then joins the UK national
309
00:23:55,190 --> 00:23:56,190
grid.
310
00:24:02,210 --> 00:24:06,290
Harnessing the elements to create
colossal amounts of electricity is an
311
00:24:06,290 --> 00:24:07,290
engineering triumph.
312
00:24:07,980 --> 00:24:10,540
But there is such a thing as too much
wind.
313
00:24:15,920 --> 00:24:20,520
The turbines must be able to stand up to
a battering from the brutal storms that
314
00:24:20,520 --> 00:24:22,120
afflict this dangerous sea.
315
00:24:25,120 --> 00:24:27,540
Our turbines are 12 miles out at sea.
316
00:24:27,820 --> 00:24:33,140
We encounter all sorts of weather, from
rough sea, high wind, to extreme
317
00:24:33,140 --> 00:24:34,320
hailstones and rain.
318
00:24:35,370 --> 00:24:39,370
The turbines can operate quite safely
into wind speeds of up to 50 miles an
319
00:24:39,370 --> 00:24:43,350
hour. Beyond 50 miles an hour, the
turbine needs to be able to protect
320
00:24:44,430 --> 00:24:48,330
One of the challenges that the team who
designed the turbine had to overcome was
321
00:24:48,330 --> 00:24:52,090
finding ways of being able to allow the
turbine to protect itself in extreme
322
00:24:52,090 --> 00:24:53,090
weather conditions.
323
00:24:54,290 --> 00:24:58,850
So when the extreme weather hits and
wind speeds reach 50 miles per hour,
324
00:24:59,350 --> 00:25:03,640
exposed to the North Sea's punishing
conditions, How can these vital mega
325
00:25:03,640 --> 00:25:06,580
-machines survive the very elements
they're trying to harness?
326
00:25:13,980 --> 00:25:18,760
Deep in the Danish countryside is an
extraordinary structure that Dr. Tufay
327
00:25:18,760 --> 00:25:19,760
Gochman is scaling.
328
00:25:21,120 --> 00:25:24,600
And it might hold the key to
weatherproofing the London Array.
329
00:25:33,160 --> 00:25:34,980
It's 54 meters off the ground right now.
330
00:25:35,220 --> 00:25:39,500
And this 2 megawatt design machine has
been operating at this very spot for the
331
00:25:39,500 --> 00:25:40,800
passing 40 years.
332
00:25:41,040 --> 00:25:45,260
That is by far the longest operational
time for any wind turbines in the world.
333
00:25:45,980 --> 00:25:47,500
And it has a beautiful view.
334
00:25:51,620 --> 00:25:57,300
In 1978, the giant Tevincraft dwarfed
all wind turbines before it.
335
00:25:58,350 --> 00:26:04,010
To date, its 88 -foot -long blades have
completed over 120 million revolutions.
336
00:26:06,090 --> 00:26:09,470
It has produced more than 21 million
kilowatt hours.
337
00:26:09,710 --> 00:26:13,770
To put that into perspective, that kind
of production could power up the entire
338
00:26:13,770 --> 00:26:15,790
New York City for more than three years.
339
00:26:17,650 --> 00:26:22,410
This innovation would prove invaluable
to the designers of the London Array.
340
00:26:41,200 --> 00:26:45,960
The London Array produces enough clean
energy to power half a million houses
341
00:26:45,960 --> 00:26:46,960
every year.
342
00:26:47,020 --> 00:26:51,100
And the engineers behind this
groundbreaking wind farm owe it in part
343
00:26:51,100 --> 00:26:53,420
unlikely group of visionaries from the
past.
344
00:26:54,280 --> 00:26:57,960
In the 1970s, the world was gripped by
an oil crisis.
345
00:26:58,620 --> 00:26:59,840
Denmark was no exception.
346
00:27:01,280 --> 00:27:05,740
So a group of radical teachers set up a
collective, promoting the country's
347
00:27:05,740 --> 00:27:08,240
strong winds as a viable energy
alternative.
348
00:27:11,180 --> 00:27:15,760
On a farmland plot called Tevind, they
mobilized hundreds of volunteers,
349
00:27:16,040 --> 00:27:19,360
building the seemingly impossible with
little financial backing.
350
00:27:23,000 --> 00:27:27,220
What I really love about the TwinCraft
turbine is how many secondhand
351
00:27:27,220 --> 00:27:28,640
you can find here in the nacelle.
352
00:27:28,880 --> 00:27:32,920
For example, this main drive shaft over
here is from an oil tanker, and this
353
00:27:32,920 --> 00:27:37,500
gearbox right here is from a copper
mine, and the generator is from a paper
354
00:27:37,500 --> 00:27:38,500
factory from Sweden.
355
00:27:40,520 --> 00:27:45,440
But as at the London Array, the sheer
scale of Tevincraft posed enormous
356
00:27:45,440 --> 00:27:51,240
challenges. No manufacturer could be
found to construct the 88 -foot blades,
357
00:27:51,240 --> 00:27:55,660
the collective took matters into their
own hands, breaking the mold of blade
358
00:27:55,660 --> 00:27:59,780
design. They're not made of metal, which
was popular at the time, but they're
359
00:27:59,780 --> 00:28:02,400
made of glass fibers, which give them a
lot of flexibility.
360
00:28:03,500 --> 00:28:08,440
Designed to withstand a hurricane, the
massive blades can flex almost five feet
361
00:28:08,440 --> 00:28:09,440
in either direction.
362
00:28:10,990 --> 00:28:14,670
But this rotor has another ingenious way
of dealing with wind.
363
00:28:16,470 --> 00:28:20,850
Arguably, the most important innovation
of TwinCraft is actually being able to
364
00:28:20,850 --> 00:28:21,850
pitch the blades.
365
00:28:22,030 --> 00:28:27,690
To maximize efficiency, pitching
oriented TwinCraft's blades at various
366
00:28:27,690 --> 00:28:28,690
to the wind.
367
00:28:29,130 --> 00:28:31,770
I have this little version of TwinCraft
with me here.
368
00:28:31,970 --> 00:28:35,650
We have the blades pitched to the
ultimate efficiency position already.
369
00:28:35,970 --> 00:28:37,550
We will give it some steady wind.
370
00:28:40,360 --> 00:28:41,860
And then get a reading out of that.
371
00:28:42,240 --> 00:28:46,240
So right now, my little twin is
producing about 0 .15 volts.
372
00:28:47,340 --> 00:28:51,800
But if the angle of the blades is turned
to a less efficient position... We are
373
00:28:51,800 --> 00:28:54,300
actually adjusting them approximately
half the way.
374
00:28:56,480 --> 00:28:59,840
We can already see that it's rotating a
lot slower.
375
00:29:00,180 --> 00:29:03,580
And the reading I have is actually
around 0 .7.
376
00:29:06,000 --> 00:29:09,020
But pitching can have an even more
dramatic effect.
377
00:29:09,710 --> 00:29:13,190
I'm changing their angle so that they
will face the wind almost entirely,
378
00:29:13,670 --> 00:29:17,530
eliminating the lift that is created by
the turbine light.
379
00:29:18,430 --> 00:29:23,470
And when I take my hands up, no more
rotation.
380
00:29:26,850 --> 00:29:31,750
The Twincraft Collective had engineered
a truly adaptable turbine that could
381
00:29:31,750 --> 00:29:35,510
safely survive a storm and maximize
energy in a steady breeze.
382
00:29:37,320 --> 00:29:41,240
From these humble beginnings, it
wouldn't be long before the commercial
383
00:29:41,240 --> 00:29:42,240
took notice.
384
00:29:44,120 --> 00:29:49,380
In the 1980s, around 700 Danish -built
turbines were ordered for a site in
385
00:29:49,380 --> 00:29:53,560
California that would eventually become
the world -famous Tehachapi Pass Wind
386
00:29:53,560 --> 00:29:57,880
Farm and spell the start of the
Californian Wind Rush.
387
00:30:12,590 --> 00:30:17,970
At 190 feet long, the blades of London
Array's turbines are twice the size of
388
00:30:17,970 --> 00:30:22,750
Twincraft. But incredibly, they're able
to maneuver in the same way.
389
00:30:24,910 --> 00:30:28,550
Engineer Ed Hall has special access to
take a closer look.
390
00:30:29,590 --> 00:30:32,170
The blades on these wind turbines can
pitch.
391
00:30:33,170 --> 00:30:37,970
The advantage of pitching the blades is
to allow variable speed production.
392
00:30:38,370 --> 00:30:41,570
A greater amount of energy can be
captured at lower wind speeds.
393
00:30:42,700 --> 00:30:46,940
And in terms of also providing a safety
function for stopping as well, it's
394
00:30:46,940 --> 00:30:50,440
important that the pitch system can
pitch the blades out quickly if the
395
00:30:50,440 --> 00:30:51,440
needs to stop.
396
00:30:52,620 --> 00:30:56,760
These intelligent blades are even able
to angle to the optimum position
397
00:30:56,760 --> 00:31:02,640
automatically, thanks to a clever
onboard computer which operates the
398
00:31:02,640 --> 00:31:03,640
hydraulics.
399
00:31:05,520 --> 00:31:09,560
One of the special things we can do is
change the pitch angle right now,
400
00:31:09,560 --> 00:31:10,740
on different areas of the blade.
401
00:31:13,580 --> 00:31:16,160
So as you can see, the pitch angle moves
relatively quickly.
402
00:31:16,580 --> 00:31:18,420
All the blades can move independently,
403
00:31:19,500 --> 00:31:23,300
continually changing the angle to
optimize itself for the wind conditions.
404
00:31:25,020 --> 00:31:29,840
The blades themselves are molded from a
single piece of fiberglass, making them
405
00:31:29,840 --> 00:31:31,340
lightweight but super strong.
406
00:31:32,440 --> 00:31:36,980
The circular base of each one is bolted
onto one of three connection points on
407
00:31:36,980 --> 00:31:37,980
the nose of the turbine.
408
00:31:39,340 --> 00:31:43,040
A 10 -foot -high fiberglass dome known
as the hub.
409
00:31:44,590 --> 00:31:46,770
So right now we're in the hub of the
turbine.
410
00:31:47,010 --> 00:31:50,730
So this is right at the front of the
machine between the blades and 90 meters
411
00:31:50,730 --> 00:31:51,730
above sea level.
412
00:31:51,830 --> 00:31:56,170
Here we can see the three blades bolted
on here, here and here.
413
00:31:57,210 --> 00:32:01,590
The benefit of having a single piece
design is so there's no jointed
414
00:32:01,590 --> 00:32:05,310
connections, which have historically in
the industry been the weakest point of
415
00:32:05,310 --> 00:32:06,310
blades in their design.
416
00:32:06,550 --> 00:32:11,090
So to have it molded in a single piece
is really key in the technology
417
00:32:11,090 --> 00:32:12,090
development.
418
00:32:13,880 --> 00:32:15,640
Inside the blade is actually hollow.
419
00:32:15,880 --> 00:32:19,360
You can get inside and move along it and
walk inside it. It's that large.
420
00:32:20,480 --> 00:32:25,700
This is the evolution of a number of
years to 30 years' development of wind
421
00:32:25,700 --> 00:32:26,700
turbine blade design.
422
00:32:28,900 --> 00:32:34,060
London Array is so efficient, its annual
contribution to the reduction of CO2
423
00:32:34,060 --> 00:32:39,300
emissions is the equivalent to taking
around 290 ,000 cars off the road.
424
00:32:45,550 --> 00:32:50,590
But with the pressure on to produce even
more power, how can engineers here take
425
00:32:50,590 --> 00:32:51,590
it to the max?
426
00:32:52,430 --> 00:32:56,330
Wind is a free fuel, so it's still about
getting the most out of it that you
427
00:32:56,330 --> 00:32:57,129
possibly can.
428
00:32:57,130 --> 00:32:59,850
It's impossible engineering in the
extreme.
429
00:33:00,370 --> 00:33:02,630
So can they rise to the challenge?
430
00:33:23,110 --> 00:33:29,690
In 2013, the vast London array rose out
of the North Sea, delivering
431
00:33:29,690 --> 00:33:33,630
more energy in a single month than any
offshore farm before it.
432
00:33:34,630 --> 00:33:38,690
Nothing on this scale had been done
before, so it was a real step change in
433
00:33:38,690 --> 00:33:42,310
terms of the real size and capacity and
the challenges faced.
434
00:33:45,090 --> 00:33:51,190
Spread over 38 square miles, the 175
turbines are arranged in a giant grid.
435
00:33:51,710 --> 00:33:55,010
to capture the North Sea's prevailing
southwesterly winds.
436
00:33:58,670 --> 00:34:03,470
Each turbine is computer controlled,
with all data sent back to the control
437
00:34:03,470 --> 00:34:04,470
on the mainland.
438
00:34:08,250 --> 00:34:11,210
This is the London Array Operations
Control Room.
439
00:34:11,690 --> 00:34:15,350
This is the nerve center for controlling
all operations that happen on a daily
440
00:34:15,350 --> 00:34:20,670
basis. We're looking at the performance
for the previous month. The table of
441
00:34:20,670 --> 00:34:23,810
information there in the centre of the
screen is given an indication that we
442
00:34:23,810 --> 00:34:27,250
would have hoped to produce about 192
,000 megawatt hours.
443
00:34:27,469 --> 00:34:33,110
We actually produced 208 ,000, so we
produced more than budget, which is,
444
00:34:33,230 --> 00:34:36,850
a very nice feeling, and is generally,
as a result of the wind, blowing rather
445
00:34:36,850 --> 00:34:37,850
more than expected.
446
00:34:38,480 --> 00:34:42,940
The future is going to be much larger
wind farms, much further offshore with
447
00:34:42,940 --> 00:34:43,940
much larger turbines.
448
00:34:44,199 --> 00:34:47,840
So the future is looking very rosy
indeed for offshore wind.
449
00:34:51,760 --> 00:34:56,040
But to stay at the cutting edge of this
new technology, the challenge for this
450
00:34:56,040 --> 00:34:59,180
ambitious team is to maximize the
array's potential.
451
00:35:01,660 --> 00:35:05,580
It's all about coming up with new ways
to really optimize the efficiency.
452
00:35:06,250 --> 00:35:10,390
So when the wind is blowing, we're able
to capture all the energy that we
453
00:35:10,390 --> 00:35:11,390
possibly can.
454
00:35:11,510 --> 00:35:14,830
But how is it possible to boost the
power of the array?
455
00:35:15,150 --> 00:35:20,490
To unlock the secret, its engineers, in
their quest for kilovolts, must turn to
456
00:35:20,490 --> 00:35:21,710
an unlikely source.
457
00:35:29,810 --> 00:35:34,710
Britain's Silverstone is home to a high
-octane sport where performance is
458
00:35:34,710 --> 00:35:35,710
everything.
459
00:35:40,970 --> 00:35:42,210
But engineer Dr.
460
00:35:42,470 --> 00:35:46,830
Aisling O 'Kane is finding out that
despite the huge horsepower on display
461
00:35:46,830 --> 00:35:47,830
the classic meat.
462
00:35:48,330 --> 00:35:51,790
It's amazing to be close to this speed
and this power.
463
00:35:53,050 --> 00:35:56,890
A secret to splashing lap times is
surprisingly small.
464
00:36:00,050 --> 00:36:03,010
And was invented over 40 years ago.
465
00:36:05,190 --> 00:36:09,430
Created by American racing legend and
engineer Dan Gurney.
466
00:36:10,780 --> 00:36:16,440
In 1971, his all -American team car was
struggling with performance, lacking the
467
00:36:16,440 --> 00:36:21,620
edge to be an Indy 500 contender, until
Gurney bolted on an addition to its
468
00:36:21,620 --> 00:36:22,620
wing.
469
00:36:26,380 --> 00:36:28,300
Here it is, the Gurney flap.
470
00:36:28,700 --> 00:36:32,260
Small piece of engineering, massive
difference to downforce.
471
00:36:33,300 --> 00:36:38,620
And Gurney had happened upon, in his
garage, a significant feat.
472
00:36:39,040 --> 00:36:41,800
that even the aerospace engineers hadn't
come across.
473
00:36:42,120 --> 00:36:46,840
It might not look impressive, but this
tiny detailing has a big effect on
474
00:36:46,840 --> 00:36:51,260
turbulent air, known as vortices, formed
at the airfoil's trailing edge.
475
00:36:51,720 --> 00:36:56,020
On a normal airfoil, there are two
vortices that come out and meet in the
476
00:36:56,020 --> 00:37:00,480
middle. But the addition of the gurney
flap, that changes these vortices in a
477
00:37:00,480 --> 00:37:01,520
very significant way.
478
00:37:02,960 --> 00:37:06,820
The flap's additional height changes the
point at which the streams of air
479
00:37:06,820 --> 00:37:11,300
separated by the wing reconnect,
increasing the vertical deflection of
480
00:37:11,500 --> 00:37:13,020
creating greater downforce.
481
00:37:15,120 --> 00:37:19,780
But how much can that minute metal
addition change the aerodynamics of a
482
00:37:19,780 --> 00:37:21,900
turbine as tall as the Great Pyramid?
483
00:37:22,240 --> 00:37:28,260
When applied to 175 turbines that run
all day, every day, the tiny engineering
484
00:37:28,260 --> 00:37:31,240
behind the gurney flap makes a big
difference.
485
00:37:47,660 --> 00:37:52,360
It's no surprise that for the engineers
behind the London Array, the largest
486
00:37:52,360 --> 00:37:56,580
offshore wind farm in the world,
aerodynamics are an important
487
00:37:56,880 --> 00:38:01,820
To maximize the output of these gigantic
wind turbines, they must turn to an
488
00:38:01,820 --> 00:38:04,800
invention from the past, the gurney
flap.
489
00:38:05,360 --> 00:38:10,460
Dr. Aisling O 'Kane demonstrates how
this tiny innovation packs a big punch.
490
00:38:10,860 --> 00:38:12,980
We're going to use this model airfoil.
491
00:38:14,090 --> 00:38:17,310
Put it on the scales and see how
downforce is created.
492
00:38:18,350 --> 00:38:20,270
So you can see there it's zero grams.
493
00:38:20,730 --> 00:38:24,350
We're going to take our trusty
instrument to create the air force.
494
00:38:25,930 --> 00:38:31,270
The air coming through is creating low
pressure underneath, high pressure
495
00:38:31,410 --> 00:38:33,730
and therefore creating downforce.
496
00:38:34,470 --> 00:38:39,430
The readings here are hovering between
15 grams.
497
00:38:40,510 --> 00:38:44,380
But when a gurney flap is added, The
difference is remarkable.
498
00:38:46,340 --> 00:38:47,220
Gurney's
499
00:38:47,220 --> 00:39:05,100
newly
500
00:39:05,100 --> 00:39:10,080
improved Eagle claimed seven pole
positions and won an impressive four
501
00:39:10,080 --> 00:39:11,080
races.
502
00:39:12,590 --> 00:39:17,170
At places like this, where there's such
competition in race car driving, the
503
00:39:17,170 --> 00:39:22,250
pushing vehicles to the limits and
pushing the physics involved in it, the
504
00:39:22,250 --> 00:39:25,210
impact that it had to engineering was
absolutely amazing.
505
00:39:37,130 --> 00:39:41,590
But how can London Arrays engineers
adapt this minuscule concept?
506
00:39:41,800 --> 00:39:44,800
to enhance the largest offshore wind
farm on the planet.
507
00:39:47,560 --> 00:39:53,500
Each of the 175 turbines are supersized,
but Ed Hall and his team are making
508
00:39:53,500 --> 00:39:56,460
small adjustments to evolve its blade
technology.
509
00:39:57,520 --> 00:40:00,640
Increasing aerodynamic efficiency on
these blades, we use the number of
510
00:40:00,640 --> 00:40:01,720
aerodynamic enhancements.
511
00:40:02,420 --> 00:40:06,160
It's about reducing drag and getting as
much energy out of the wind as possible.
512
00:40:08,680 --> 00:40:10,280
Inspired by the gurney flap.
513
00:40:10,520 --> 00:40:14,880
A serrated strip is fitted along the
edge near the center of the blade,
514
00:40:14,880 --> 00:40:17,820
produce more lift, which makes them spin
faster.
515
00:40:18,520 --> 00:40:22,860
Serrated tails are also fitted to the
fastest -moving part of the blade to
516
00:40:22,860 --> 00:40:24,840
reduce drag caused by turbulence.
517
00:40:29,420 --> 00:40:33,960
Add a percent or two onto the energy
that we can capture from the wind.
518
00:40:34,430 --> 00:40:38,430
Doesn't sound like a lot, but when you
add it up over 175 turbines here,
519
00:40:38,870 --> 00:40:41,450
operating 24 -7, then it does add up.
520
00:40:43,570 --> 00:40:48,570
In this offshore world of mammoth
engineering, it's the smallest details
521
00:40:48,570 --> 00:40:50,010
can make the biggest difference.
522
00:40:51,950 --> 00:40:55,870
Using different elements of engineering
to really maximize the amount of energy
523
00:40:55,870 --> 00:40:57,890
that's captured from the wind is really
exciting.
524
00:40:58,750 --> 00:41:02,570
Wind is a free fuel, so it's still about
getting the most out of it that we
525
00:41:02,570 --> 00:41:03,570
possibly can.
526
00:41:04,560 --> 00:41:09,140
These final modifications to the blades
are the finishing touches to one of the
527
00:41:09,140 --> 00:41:12,100
world's most advanced maritime feats of
engineering.
528
00:41:22,120 --> 00:41:27,180
Through design and innovation, London
Array is changing the face of energy
529
00:41:27,180 --> 00:41:28,180
production.
530
00:41:29,100 --> 00:41:32,780
Being part of the largest offshore wind
farm in the world, it's a privilege,
531
00:41:33,140 --> 00:41:34,140
it's unbelievable.
532
00:41:34,400 --> 00:41:35,480
It's a great incentive achievement.
533
00:41:36,300 --> 00:41:40,380
This groundbreaking wind farm is paving
the way for the future.
534
00:41:41,700 --> 00:41:46,880
Every time I come offshore and look at
these amazing structures, I'm always
535
00:41:46,880 --> 00:41:49,520
impressed in the same way as I was the
first time I saw them.
536
00:41:49,900 --> 00:41:54,640
I see a scale and beauty of something
that's generating so much power from an
537
00:41:54,640 --> 00:41:56,000
infinitely renewable resource.
538
00:41:57,920 --> 00:42:03,320
By drawing from pioneers of the past and
pushing the boundaries of innovation,
539
00:42:03,740 --> 00:42:08,820
The engineers behind London Array are
succeeding in making the impossible
540
00:42:08,820 --> 00:42:09,820
possible.
541
00:42:11,220 --> 00:42:13,100
It is phenomenal.
542
00:42:13,600 --> 00:42:17,420
And thinking back as the maths and
science kid at the back of the class, I
543
00:42:17,420 --> 00:42:20,020
have given my right arm for this
opportunity, I have to say.
544
00:42:20,070 --> 00:42:24,620
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