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14
Sep 09
What is a WINDMILL?
Windmills, wind turbines, wind generators… Don’t get confused. All three words are interchangeable today
A wind generatoris a device that converts wind energy to electrical energy. Wind generators have been
used in form ofwindmillsfor irrigation pumping and for milling grain since the 7th century AD. In the United
States, the development of the “water-pumping windmill” was the major factor in allowing the farming and
ranching of vast areas otherwise devoid of readily accessible water.
Working principles
A windmill converts wind energy into mechanical energy for mechanical work. It consists of blades, a tower
a shaft, a base, and a generator. As the blades of the wind turbine rotate by the wind, it generates mechanical
energy.
The blade of a windmill is basically connected to a shaft. This shaft is connected to a generator. The
movement of the blades produces the mechanical energy, which in turn is converted into electrical energy
courtesy the electrical generator.
They work the best if you have a large area of at least one acre and the wind speed in your area is
consistently at the average of 11 miles per hour.
Windmills generate
clean energy. It does not emit harmful gases, nuclear ores, or other pollutants.
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Using this free energy compansates the costs of the wind turbines you installed, in other words they are
extremelycost-effective.
…and if you are going to be setting up a home wind generator without professional help, there are numerous
helpful guides available on the Internet that will get you results.
I reviewed a few of these and the ones below have made my final list of recommendations. Go ahead and vis
the individual sites too, to find out more about the details involving this smart step you will be taking for
yourself and for those around you.
Earth4Energy has a very professional look, almost like a physical object. The only drawback of Earth4Energ
vis a vis the Homemade Wind Generator is the lack of customer support. Some people also find it a little
complicated, but I found the instructions pretty clear with great illustrated step by step guides, followed by
video instructions.
Even though this offer doesn’t look as professional, don’t judge an ebook by its cover. Homemade Wind
Generator provides the customers with detailed information from building your wind generator to hooking it
up to your house. It also delivers good customer support. Les and Jane, the couple behind the product, live
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You can get the Homemade Wind Generator guide as well as four other bonus manuals.
GreenDIYenergy
This beginner’s guide gives you a complete understanding of how wind energy is produced and how you ca
capture it for your own use. This guide can teach you step by step how wind energy is produced, different
parts that make a wind generator, and how to buy or build your own wind turbine for $140 or less. The
pictures and diagrams make it easier to follow.
You can get it for $49,97 in Green DIY Energy Guide together with solar guidevideo
and library.
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6
Jul 10
Not many people, other than oil patrons I guess, would today deny the vitality of renewable energy. The
awareness of Global Climate Change has been higher than ever. I sometimes even think that world has gone
through a green craze. More and more people build up their own renewable energy production systems, in
terms of solar panels and small wind turbines to generate their own electricity and get off the grid. Corporat
companies are either devoting their CSR budgets to green-related causes or their communicators to green
washing efforts. What so ever, today green sells.
Cons: Its like a a jet engine that doesn’t go away and which you can’t get used to
Even though most people don’t question the concept of renewable energy, there is strong oppositions against
certain practices. As Dr.Nina Pierpont put down in her article The Wind Turbine Syndrome back in 2006,
people living in close proximity to industrial wind farms display some common symptoms, such as:
1) Sleep problems: noise or physical sensations of pulsation or pressure make it hard to go to sleep and caus
frequent awakening.
2) Headaches which are increased in frequency or severity.
3) Dizziness, unsteadiness, and nausea.
4) Exhaustion, anxiety, anger, irritability, and depression.
5) Problems with concentration and learning.
6) Tinnitus (ringing in the ears).
According to Pierpont, chronic sleep disturbance is the most common symptom; and exhaustion, mood
problems, and problems with concentration and learning are natural outcomes of poor sleep. Due to the
differences among people in susceptibility, not everyone near turbines has these symptoms but it is triggered
with the presence of risk factors such as age and preexisting migraine disorder.
World Health Organization says there is “no reliable evidence that sounds below the hearing threshold
produce physiological or psychological effects,” cites the report of an independent study by Australia’s
National Health & Medical Research Council. In other words, even though people report annoyance
stemmed from the infrasound, there has been found no direct causal link to health problems.
8/18/2010
Rather, the pro camp attribute the Windmill
complaints Home
Powerto| the negative Pow…
Windmillperception of wind energy. Accoring to a
recently conducted study, the reported annoyance is strongly associated with a negative attitude to the visual
impact of wind turbines on the landscape. Further more, it is known that the noise produced by ten wind
turbines at a distance of 350 m is 35 to 45 decibels, while the report compares, noise in a busy office is 60
dBA and car traveling at 64 km/h at a distance of 100 m is 55 dBA.
Who is right?
The arguments of both sides are compelling. If people report their disturbance, it is ought to be taken into
consideration. On the other hand, since energy industry is the scene for many conflicting interests, it wouldn
be strange to expect misinformation and manipulation from all parties of the debate.
Moreover, and more importantly, as wind power has been gaining prominence vis a vis other forms of energ
production, further rigorous research should be encouraged.
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27
Dec 09
Landscapes and seasonal changes play an important role in the speed and patterns of the wind. In Tehachapi,
California, for instance, the wind blows stronger in the period between April and October in comparison to
the wind speed of the same region in winter. Air, which is heated in Mojave Desert rises and cooler air from
the Pacific Ocean at great speeds surpasses the Tehachapi Mountain.
The wind blows faster athigher altitudesbecause of the reduced influence of drag. Therefore you can
chose a place such as a flat surface where the wind can rise from lower gaps, or you can build a longer
turbine. Doubling the altitude of a turbine, then, increases the expected wind speeds by 10% and the
expected power by 34%.
If you have lucky to have these conditions in your farm or yard, you can generate windmill power for yourse
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6
Oct 09
While the opponents question the viability of power derived from private installations, Vermont Department
8/18/2010 Windmill Power | Home Windmill Pow…
Public Lands in Vermont”in order to define baseline data on the wind energy potential on public land, back in
2003, but also demostrated the use in the Welcome Center in Alburgh which is totally powered by a wind
turbine.
Through this demostration Vermont Department of Public Service goes beyond adding value to public lands
and proves that wind power can be effectively used for single homes to live off the grid.
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21
Sep 09
• The blades: The number changes from four to 20. There are some even bigger wind mills that have more
blades.
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• The shaft: The shaft joins the blades with the tower.
• The generator: The generator is what convertes mechanical energy to electricity and stores power for
future use.
As you can see in the image below, some windmills necessitate more parts. It depends on the needs and the
use.
The kinetic energy of moving air initiates the force that turns a windmill’s blades. It spins a drive shaft that i
turn spins the turbine of a generator to make electricity. A gear box located along the drive shaft increases
speed and optimize power generation. Longer rotor blades mean a larger “rotor swept area,” the total area
covered by spinning blades, increasing the energy that can be captured and generating more electricity.
• Wind speed: You can measure the wind speed at site via an anemometer. Wind speed is the major
determinant factor on the kind of windmill that is the best for your site.
• Wind direction: For designing a windmill, it is also important to know the direction from which the wind
flows most of the time.
• Obstructions on the site: The less are the obstructions, the better the site is to generate windmill power.
• Wind turbulence: The patter of wind movement determines the windmill design.
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distance of wind activity from the ground level.
Due to these variations, windmill designs require particularities. Number and shape of blades, the height of t
tower or other features may change according to the necesities of the environment.
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