00/200 80 Foot Tower Manual Document #0033 REV E 80 FOOT LAND TOWER KIT For WHISPER 100 AND 200 WIND TURBINES Made in the USA by: Southwest Windpower 1801 W. Route 66 Flagstaff, AZ 86001 (928) 779-9463 Whisper is a trademark of Southwest Windpower Inc.
100/200 80 Foot Tower Manual Document #0033 REV E 80 FOOT WHISPER LAND TOWER KIT CONGRATULATIONS! You have just received the simplest, most economical 80 foot tower kit available for your Whisper 100 or 200 wind turbine. This kit is designed to be very easy to assemble and erect, however it is important that you read this manual thoroughly before beginning assembly. If you have any questions on proper installation or usage, please call either Southwest Windpower or your dealer for more information.
100/200 80 Foot Tower Manual Document #0033 REV E Introduction This tower kit is designed specifically for the Southwest Windpower Whisper 100 and 200 wind turbines. To our knowledge this is the most economical and user friendly tower kit available for the Whisper wind turbines. Five level, guy wire supported construction allows the use of lightweight tubing while providing plenty of strength, even in high wind conditions.
100/200 80 Foot Tower Manual Document #0033 REV E Raising a Tower With a Gin Pole A gin pole is essentially a smaller second tower that is used to gain the mechanical advantage necessary to raise your tower off the ground. The gin pole is raised first, with all of the guy wires on the front side of the tower (Lifting Guy Wires) attached to it. Ropes (“gin guy ropes”) are tied to the side anchors to stabilize the gin pole.
100/200 80 Foot Tower Manual Document #0033 REV E Pulling continues until the tower is vertical. One at a time, the lifting wires are then removed from the gin pole top and attached to the lifting side anchor. The gin pole can be removed and used to erect other towers, stored until needed later or simply left in place.
100/200 80 Foot Tower Manual Document #0033 REV E 80 Foot Whisper Tower Kit Parts List Part Tower Base Upper Guy Wire Set 4th Guy Wire Set Pivot Bolt and Nut Pear Connecting Link Tower Base Coupler Gin Base Coupler Gin Pole Top Piece 4 link Chain Straight Connecting Link Gin Pole Coupler Quantity 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Part Quantity 3/8” Carriage Bolts 8 Tower Insert (included w/turbine) 1 3rd Guy Wire Set 1 2nd Guy Wire Set 1 Lower Guy Wire Set 1 3/8” x 2” Bolts 22 3/8” x 3 ½” Bolts 6 3/8” Lock-nuts 36
100/200 80 Foot Tower Manual Document #0033 REV E Necessary Items Not Included In This Kit: Anchors (explained further in the “Anchors” section of this manual.) Tubing or Pipe for Tower Ground Rod and Clamp Lightning Arrestor* Electrical Wire Wire Connectors (preferably copper split bolts) Pipe Insulation (to prevent wire “rattle” inside pole) * Electrical tape or heat shrink tubing Lifting Cable or Rope (2,000 lb. (950 kg.) strength x 150 ft.
100/200 80 Foot Tower Manual Document #0033 REV E between your tower and the batteries it will be necessary to use a heavier gage wire to reduce the resistance of the wire. The power consumed by the wires can be calculated using the formula: Power = Current x Current x Resistance Since the resistance of the wire is directly proportional to its length, making the run shorter will dramatically reduce the amount of power “lost” in the wires. Please refer to the section on “Tower, Base and Anchor Layout”.
100/200 80 Foot Tower Manual Document #0033 REV E ***In some areas there are subsidies and grants available for installing renewable energy systems. If you live in one of these areas and need an engineering analysis for this tower assembly to satisfy your local authorities please contact us. We have an engineering analysis available for this tower kit. Step 3: Tower, Base and Anchor Layout This tower kit must be assembled on a calm a day (no wind).
0/200 80 Foot Tower Manual Document #0033 REV E met, the guy wires will either tighten excessively or go slack as the tower is raised. If the guy wires tighten excessively the tower may buckle and collapse, causing possible injury or even death and at the very least, damage to both the tower and the turbine. Carefully read the section on raising the tower for further instructions on making the proper adjustments in these situations.
100/200 80 Foot Tower Manual Document #0033 REV E Step 5: Guy Wire Anchor Installation There are four types of anchors that are most commonly used with our towers; screw in “auger” type anchors, hammer driven “duckbill” anchors, cast concrete anchors and expansion bolts (for use only in solid rock). What anchor should be used depends on the soil type that the anchors will be placed in.
100/200 80 Foot Tower Manual Document #0033 REV E Duckbill Anchors: Duckbill anchors consist of an anchor attached to a cable with a loop on the end. They are driven into the ground using an anchor driver, which is a steel rod with either an enlarged striking surface (for a large hammer) or an attachment for a jackhammer or impact driver. The anchor driver fits into the anchor and holds it straight while it is being driven into the ground.
100/200 80 Foot Tower Manual Document #0033 REV E Holes for concrete anchors should be at least 30 in. (75 cm) in diameter and at least 48 in. (1.2 m) deep. The attachment should be placed in the hole and concrete or cement poured around it to a depth of at least 12 in. (30 cm). Once the concrete has cured (see the instructions supplied with your concrete for curing times) it should be re-covered with soil and packed or tamped down before use.
100/200 80 Foot Tower Manual Document #0033 REV E inserted to the bottom of the hole before pouring will help prevent a bubble from forming). This will help to insure that the cement goes to the bottom of the hole and help prevent bubbles that may compromise the strength of the attachment. If expansion bolts are to be used, follow the instructions supplied with the bolts. There are several different types of expansion bolts that are installed using different methods.
100/200 80 Foot Tower Manual Document #0033 REV E the coupler toward one end of the coupler at the factory. This end of the coupler must be oriented toward the base of the tower. 8) Install the 4th guy wire set and coupler (the tall coupler marked 804”) onto the upper end of the third 15 foot pipe section, but do not tighten the bolts yet. The guy wires are attached to the coupler toward one end of the coupler at the factory. This end of the coupler must be oriented toward the base of the tower.
100/200 80 Foot Tower Manual Document #0033 REV E 16) Connect the turbine electrical wires to the turbine using split bolts or solder. Insulate well with electrical tape or heat shrink tubing. 17) Lift the turbine into position and install the tower insert on the turbine into the end of the tower tube. It will help to have someone pull the slack out of the turbine electrical wires as the turbine is being moved into position.
100/200 80 Foot Tower Manual Document #0033 REV E Note: The thimbles may need to be spread open to install them on your anchors. This can be done with a pair of pliers and the end of one of the tower tubes. Be sure to press the open end of the thimbles back together (with pliers) before attaching the guy wires. The rear wires length can be estimated by pulling them to a side anchor and placing a piece of tape on the wire at the distance of the side anchor.
100/200 80 Foot Tower Manual Document #0033 REV E 1) Insert pivot bolt (5/8” x 5”) through the pivot holes in the gin base coupler. 2) Install the gin base coupler onto the bottom of the 20 foot long gin pole section so that the pivot bolt touches the end of the pole. Torque the two pinch bolts to 45-50 ft-lb. (60-68 Nm) and withdraw pivot bolt. 3) Lay the gin pole on top of the tower pipe and locate the coupler into the tower base with the clamping side of the coupler facing up.
100/200 80 Foot Tower Manual 9) Document #0033 REV E Attach the five “lifting wires” to the pear shaped link at the gin pole top. Make sure they are not crossed or tangled and will lift off the ground cleanly when the gin pole is raised. Step 9: Raising The Gin Pole The preferred method when raising a tower this size involves attaching a rope to the pulling side guy anchor and looping it through the connecting link at the gin pole top forming a crude pulley.
100/200 80 Foot Tower Manual Document #0033 REV E 1) Prepare a winch or vehicle by attaching one end of a lifting cable or rope to it securely and loop the rope from the vehicle through the lifting link at the gin pole top (lifting rope should test to at least 2,000 lb or 950 kg for safety). 2) Attach the other end of the lifting rope or cable to the eye of the anchor you are pulling toward.
100/200 80 Foot Tower Manual Document #0033 REV E Step 10: Raising the Tower Before attempting to raise the tower make sure that all side and rear guy wires are attached and that all cable clamps are tight. Also be sure that the two bolts on the guy wire hanger are tight. Any bystanders must stand clear of the tower base by a distance of at least 100 feet (30m) for safety.
100/200 80 Foot Tower Manual Document #0033 REV E 1) Move vehicle forward to take the slack out of the lifting rope. Slowly proceed until the tower lifts off of the sawhorse. Pull the tower up about 15 degrees at a time, stopping each time to see if any of the side guy wires are getting too tight. If they are too tight the tower will begin to bow.
100/200 80 Foot Tower Manual Document #0033 REV E 3) One at a time working from the upper guy wire down, remove the lifting wires from the pear shaped connector and attach them to the anchor. 4) The gin pole can now be removed if desired. 4) At this point the tower should be checked for guy wires that are slightly too tight or too loose. Guy wires that are too tight will cause the tower to bow. If they are too loose the tower will usually sway back and forth a bit.
100/200 80 Foot Tower Manual Document #0033 REV E Step 11: Final Adjustment of Guy Wires First look to see if any of the guy wires are too tight and are causing the tower to bow. A tower with slightly loose wires is safer than a tower with wires that are too tight. If there are, determine which wire(s) are too tight (the wires act in pairs) and release the tension on one of the wires. To relieve tension on a wire, loosen the two cable clamps until the cable can be slid through them.
100/200 80 Foot Tower Manual Document #0033 REV E 4) One at a time, working from the lowest wire upwards, remove the lifting guy wires from the guy wire anchor and attach them to the pear shaped connecting link at the top of the gin pole. 5) Position a sawhorse where the tower is expected to come to the ground to protect the turbine blades from damage. 6) Tip the tower by hand until the lifting wires and main lifting cable or rope are taut and supporting the tower.
100/200 80 Foot Tower Manual Document #0033 REV E This Page Intentionally Left Blank SOUTHWEST WINDPOWER 5/20/2005 26
Proprietary rights are included in the information disclosed herein. This information is submitted in confidence and neither the document nor the information disclosed herein shall be reproduced or transferred to other documents for manufacturing or for any other purpose except as specifically authorized in writing by Southwest Windpower. REV. NC A REVISIONS DATE DESCRIPTION sep 0 dec 3 initial release sheet resized APPROVED DAJ JGL 00 9. 8.378 212.80 0.375 9.53 4.516 114.71 4.189 106.
