Your Questions About Wind Power Facts

adminsta answers:

Hi AB, there are probably tons of odd facts about wind power. The first known windmills date to about the 12th century AD. Originally they were used to grind grain and pump water. In those days, the person who operated the mill, known as the, “Miller,” was the most prominent businessman in town. Normally a farmer would take whatever he grew that year to the miller, and barter to have it all ground to flour in exchange for the miller taking a percentage of the ground product to sell himself. A good miller who kept his machinery up to date and operated a reputable business would be known far and wide, and at the time was one of the richest people in town. Wind power to pump water was used sporadically until the Netherlands was settled, and the rich soil just below the surface of the flood waters each year was drained to grow crops. Over the years, the dutch have dramatically improved the science and design of wind turbines, and much of the research that was done then is still used today. They developed what is still the most efficient wind turbine design, a single bladed horizontal axis turbine. It had one long blade extending in one direction from the hub, and a bowling ball shaped counter weight on the other side. The reason this was so efficient is that when a blade sweeps through the wind, it doesn’t stop the wind, there by using up all its energy, it changes its direction and slows it down, so a small wave occurs with the wind coming up behind it. The next blade has to cut through this wave, much like a motor boat cutting through the wake of another boat, which slows it down a bit. This type turbine is really only useful in very low but steady winds, like the Dutch have much of the year.

With modern blade design, the problem of wake disturbance has been reduced, but not eliminated. Most turbines today are either 2 blade, a slightly less efficient design, but making better use of materials, and almost as efficient, or 3 blade, which are designed for stronger more turbulent wind, and gusty coniditions. Turbines with more than 3 blades are rare. Normally they are small, and designed for high winds and brutal conditions, like on an ocean going ship, or an arctic weather station.

Wind power today is expanding at a dramatic rate. Each 2.5 years, the globe has about twice as much wind energy available. This is happening mainly because of economics, not so much for environmental reasons. To be honest, I wish it were for environmental reasons, but most people, and surely corporations, like to talk about issues, but we make decisions based on our check books. We live in a home that has been powered by the wind and sun for about 10 years now. It’s interesting, we like knowing that when we turn on the TV, we aren’t adding fuel to the coal fire at our local power plant. With both utility and renewable power, our home has not been without electricity for even a minute in all those years, hard to put a price tag on that. Now the power companies and even some neighbors are getting involved, but mainly because it might save them money. There are lots of people in the world who grow their own tomatoes even though it is cheaper and easier to buy them at the store. They have to know about worms, bugs, soil ph, sunlight and watering and spend time weeding the garden. People who grow their own electrons have a similar curse, we have to know how it all works and where each one goes in our homes.

There are some great sources for facts and data on wind power that I think you might find interesting. I will list them below. I hope you find this all interesting. Who knows, maybe one day you’ll have a turbine in your back yard like we do. Take care AnuuBee, Rudydoo

adminsta answers:

Try this. Http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_power
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adminsta answers:

Do you mean if someone knows “all” the facts, the answer is no

to properly answer it would help to know your age and abilities…
Wind has some energy just like the sun or the water flowing in rivers…

The first step is to capture this energy
usually it is in mechanical form,a rotating shaft
from there what do we do?
Say convert to electricity
if we connect a light to that electric output and say the original energy was the wind
the light would be bright when there is some wind and dim when there is less wind, maybe burn-out if there were a storm

now if you want the light to operate when it is dark and there in no wind at that moment, you are in trouble

also if you want the light to be always the same brightness then this is where it gets very complicated..

I hope you understand better

Anita