TUV Rheinland oversees wind turbine test move
Written by William C. Vantuono, Editor-in-ChiefTUV Rheinland Rail Sciences says it recently completed an over-the-road test for Transportation Technology Services (TTS) to monitor 40-meter wind-turbine blades shipped from Texas to Iowa.
The company says TTS has developed a means to ensure the huge blades are held in place and properly supported over two railcars to prevent damage in transit.
Atlanta-based TUV RSI was contracted to gather data for verification on the effectiveness of the new load securement system. TUV RSI personnel set up more than 40 data channels, including GPS data, to monitor the stresses and motion of the high-value lading and supporting structures. The test team included two riders on the trailing locomotive to monitor instrumentation.
A chase car followed the train through Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. Upon completion of the test, the data was processed at TUV RSI in Atlanta and delivered to TTS.
“When we found out at the last minute that we needed to gather data on this rail move, we called TUV RSI immediately. Their dedication and determination allowed for a difficult test to be conducted with a very short lead time,” said Chris King, Director of Logistics for TTS.
TUV RSI has worked with TTS on past projects that included an assessment of vibration isolation pad designs for the shipment of wind-turbine nacelles on span-bolster flat cars.
