Molins de Vent TARRAGÓ: Mechanical System to avoid ice at the windmills

Montblanc-Tarragona, 22.08.2011. Northern Germany and Sweden have been the home in last years of windmills to pump water, e.g. in moor fields to win humus with worms appreciated for gardens. The windmill allows keeping a certain water level in the moor, so that the humus regenerates.

Main advantages of the windmills in Northern Europe are that the windmill does not need surveillance, profit from generous average wind speed of 6,5 m/s at hub height and water does not need to be elevated above the tower height. Thereof, the windmill is required to pump large water amounts. The disadvantages of these regions for the windmill are low temperatures for extended period of time.

First icings are difficult to forecast. By unexpected icing, conventional installations could be damaged. Therefore and for regions with usual temperatures below zero grad Celsius, Tarragó offers a technical solution with a pressure valve located below the ground (instead at the top of the tower). So that icing cannot damage the tubs installed in the middle of the tower. The pressure valve can be installed at the beginning of the drainage system or direct after the (piston or spinner) pump in case of low-depth-wells like in Sweden.

Even in sunny Spain drop the temperatures before zero grad. Therefore, it has also to be cared of icing. First windmills with this technical solution have been proposed in Iberian Peninsula in the province of Gerona.