A Wind Turbine Recipe Book

A Wind Turbine Recipe Book

A Wind Turbine Recipe Book (Jan 2009 English Units edition) This is the latest edition of Mr. Piggott's 'axial flux windmill plans' as used in the courses he teaches worldwide. The Recipe Book replaces his older plans 'How to Build a Wind Turbine' (2005). The Recipe Book is a much better structured document than the older 2005 plans. Rather than evolving 'organically' it is carefully planned to include six different sizes of turbines. Each section offers general advice combined with specific d
Price:NA (as of January 18, 2020 at 2:53 pm UTC product was unavailable detailsProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on www.amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)

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A Wind Turbine Recipe Book

Your Questions About Wind Generators For Sale

Lisa asks…

Wind Generators.Does the AC generators for sale on ebay need a battery(exicter) to help them create voltage? I?

Does the AC generators for sale on ebay need a battery(exicter) to help them create voltage? I have a DC generator & it produces voltage without a battery. It will produce about 15 volts by spinning the shaft by hand. Just curious about the AC generator. Thanks.

admin answers:

It depends on the make and model
it is a design criterion
if there are permanent magnets, it will self start, the output control becomes more difficult
if it has only an electromagnet like an automobile alternator then it is much easier to control the output

Guru

Joseph asks…

What would you do if society colapsed end every one was on their own?

no cooperation between anyone, not even families

no utilities or power, unless you can provide it for yourself like your own well or generator and if you can you have to protect it from any one else who might want to steal it for them selves.

no sale or trade between people you just have what you own and what you can take or steal from others.

how long do you think you could last? Where would you go? What’s your plan?

admin answers:

Regenerate society among my family and our neighbors (we already have that planned)

We have wind / solar powering our ranch, and diesel back up… We also raise 80% of our own veggies and 95% of our meat / dairy… We have a 1 year stock of grain, coffee, sugar, etc.

I won’t mention our weapons… Or our security arrangements other than to say that a few Marine Gunny Sergeants and SEALs (friends) have been up here and approved / and improved.

We live 20 miles from town and 90 miles from the city… We have our own valley and access to another four via neighbors… Time to start a tribal / feudal system !!

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Your Questions About Wind Turbine Technician Jobs

Sharon asks…

Is it too inconvenient for a wind turbine technician to live in a residential area and not the country?

Im very interested in a career as a wind turbine technician but I have no idea where the average worker resides. I like the country but do not want to live the country life. I’m more of a city person. I like the commotion. My major concern is I want to live in a residential/suburban neighborhood but still be generally close to my job.

admin answers:

My husband has been a wind turbine technician for around a year. We live in California. The wind turbines that I know of in the Mojave desert are NOT near an urban area, and you would be living in the desert while working. There are wind farms close to San Francisco, though, and you could probably live somewhat close to the work site. But a lot of wind turbine technicians travel. For example, right now my husband is working in Illinois, and he has been there for five months. It is in a rural area, but the city is within an hour drive. 🙂 I don’t know if that helps.

Ken asks…

How do you become a Wind Turbine Technician?

What do i need to learn ? My background is in Electrical & Electronic Engineering,but i am unemployed at the moment and want to take steps in the direction to become a Wind Turbine Technician.

admin answers:

Very limited field.
Congrats on your initiative. Good research efforts.
Complete thorough realistic research to achieve life sustaining income. Maybe accounting, engineering, law, medicine, computers, …. Always get real job descriptions with course requirements from employers, unions, certification groups/associations. Don’t sign up for education till you’ve done this, EVER!!!

Pick a path where you don’t start working bankrupt with debt. Don’t become another casualty of the Trillion$ student debt. You must earn enough, $200k+ to support a family in a major City. Do not low ball your life and your family. If you can’t find work volunteer to get in the door. Try volunteering at good potential employers and go down from there to community service, but get in anywhere and start working/networking, even if its for free.Be a model worker, no yapping, internet, cell phone..start work 30 minutes early and end work 30 minutes after day’s end. Keep learning from more courses, read books, get another language, etc

There are almost 50 million people on food stamps, ~20% of males 25 to 54 yrs not working, lowest SATs in 40 years, debt to GDP over 100%, 25% of global prison inmates with only 5% of global population, etc and whats uncle sams answer to America’s problems? Corrupt political paralysis and meteroic debt plague spiking by adding a trillion dollars of debt in 2013 to criminally prop up financial markets artificially. What a mess we live in!

You are On Your Own. YOYO’s the word. Never forget it. Take control of your own lives and ignore what ever fictonal solutions the politicians and corporate bobble heads throw around as their self-profiteering benevolence.

Abandon obese consumer spending debt addiction culture and resulting self enslavement. Cut your lifestyle in half or less of the destructive unrealistic American dream nightmare standard….small house or apt..one car or no car .. Always have a second job cause the one you have can/will disappear …save and invest over 50% of your income if you can …. Stay with your parents….parents move in with your kids…Rent with friends…rent rooms in your home ..Live like the wage you make today could be the last you’ll earn, always. Stay away from ponzis, addictions, unhealthy lifestyles, get rich scams, online rip offs and purple koolaid cults.

Most of all maintain constructive positive relationships and forward planning. Have fun at it without spending money. What you are wanting to do is great but do it with a strong dose of reality and caring for your future, family and community. Good luck! Cheers:).

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5kW ON-GRID Vertical Axis Wind Turbine – Complete

5kW ON-GRID Vertical Axis Wind Turbine - Complete

Reliable, affordable, independent, clean electricity with zero greenhouse gas emissions! Diagrams Brochure Cost Analysis Resellers Wind energy can be converted to electricity easily and cleanly. With today's rising gas and oil prices driving electricity costs higher and higher, it makes sense to harvest the wind but cost effective alternatives sized to generate enough power were tough to come by. Not anymore. Finally homeowners and small business owners have an affordable
Price:$40,000.00 (as of the date/time of this post. detailsProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on www.amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)

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5kW ON-GRID Vertical Axis Wind Turbine - Complete

Your Questions About Wind Turbine Generators Types

Paul asks…

How does a wind turbine generate electricity?

im making a diagram upon how wind turbines generate electricty
so please help me to like create. i know the wind turns the blades which creates electricity via the generatore. but how does it occur.
what type of energy is used. EG kinetic, thermal?

/thank you xxx

admin answers:

A wind turbine is a rotary device that extracts energy from the wind. If the mechanical energy is used directly by machinery, such as for pumping water, cutting lumber or grinding stones, the machine is called a windmill. If the mechanical energy is instead converted to electricity, the machine is called a wind generator, wind turbine, wind turbine generator (WTG), wind power unit (WPU), wind energy converter (WEC), or aerogenerator.

References :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_turbine
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airborne_wind_turbine
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maglev_wind_turbine
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_power
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windpump

Ruth asks…

What can you tell me about wind turbines that move vertically or in a helix shape?

Our town is considering purchasing several of these types of wind turbines. I am on the youth advisory board and we think it will save us time and money as well as a cleaner, more efficient source of energy. Links, videos, and any other information is greatly appreciated as well as your general imput. Thanks!
Overall, do you think this would be an investment or a waste of money. (We would receive grants, fund raise, etc…)

admin answers:

Kinda depends…. Are you getting a contractor to show-up and install it, or is the project being done by locals? That is who is responsible for design, fabrication, installation?
If this is to produce electricity, are the generators a direct to grid design or will there be inverters?

Send me individual email, I’ll discuss this with you, if you are interested…

Given “grant $” this could be a win-win, HOWEVER, has anyone checked on the MTBF figures for the sort of wind plant that you intend to install? There are things that could make this a GREAT investment and there are factors that could end up costing your town a LOT of $ for no benefit at all.
I have no idea, how much or what sort of research has already been done. …. What?

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Your Questions About Wind Generators For Boats

Linda asks…

Is there any safety issues in using a non marine grade generator on a boat?

The difference between a marine grade 5kw generator and a common home or job site use 5 kw generator is thousands of dollars. I understand salt being an issue but I am on freshwater. As long as I am not spilling fuel are there any safety concerns?

admin answers:

You have more then exhaust fumes to worry about. If the generator has its own gas tank it will be vented into the boat (if you have it in the boat). Getting enough air to cool it would be a problem and how would you get the exhaust out. You could try it on the back of the boat but if there is any wind you have to worry about the station wagon effect, wind swirling around and pulling fumes into the boat. Not to mention it getting wet if a wake hits you from the back. I don’t think you would do to well if you got boarded by the police or the USCG as that is not an “approved device” How about putting in an inverter and a dedicated battery for 110 volts instead?

Carol asks…

Will a trolling motor generate electricity and charge a battery if it is pulled thru the water?

Specific application I’m looking at is using a high thrust trolling motor on a small sailboat for the auxiliary propulsion. Research indicates this will work great. However, the various sites advise using solar/wind/ or shore power for recharging.

Suppose the motor was left down, we raised the sail, and the prop began to freewheel. Seeing as how this is a DC motor, wouldn’t it start generating electricity? Has anyone tried this? What type of controlling circuitry would be needed if any to charge the house batteries?

admin answers:

Here is the Biggest problem with the trolling motor generator…Its not with the motor but with the capture area of the prop…Lets do the math here real quick …I promise not to take to long…If your trolling motor uses 10 amps at 12 volts thats about 120watts …756watts is about one horsepower,……. To get enough drag surface on the prop you need about 60 sq inches….120/756=.16hp or 480 sq inches per hp….more or less..so thats a pretty good size prop lets say 5″ x 12″ now to get it to spin you need a very easy rotating motor/gen set if its a permanent magnet type you have a problem getting it past the first pole is pretty hard…now lets look at rpm for a moment normally your motor cranks out that 120 watts at say 500-600 rpm to get a sail surface relationship and pitch to get your 12 vdc back… Your gonna need to have one heck of a pitch or loose your voltage for lack of rpm.. So I would say this …your idea of using the regenerative power of a dc motor to make a little wattage is quite sound ..However using a trolling motor made to puLL your boat might not be as efficient as some other means…Keep working on the idea though try using a right angle gearbox being driven by a floating paddle wheel ..or perhaps a flexible driveshaft underneath the boat with a helix coil driving an inboard alternator. Regulation for all the voltage is as easy as pie… A couple of big caps and one transistor and 30 minutes and you can build a regulator for nearly any thing up to 200watts…Ever hear of the 12v Light bulb from the old days being used as a regulator? See didnt even need a cap for that one….Anyhow have a good day from the E…

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Your Questions About Wind Turbines For Home Use

Donald asks…

Are wind turbines for the home beneficial?

I would like to learn more about the subject as I read not long ago that you can save money by installing wind turbines in your home. Are there any real benefits? Is it expensive?

admin answers:

Yes there are many benefits.
Using the wind to generate energy will permit you to be less dependent on fossil fuels, which are non renewable. So you will actually be helping our environment.

Also, there is the economic factor, you will save hundreds each month in electricity.

If you are going to buy a wind turbine for the home, be prepared, because they are costly. A solution for this would be to build the wind turbine yourself. Here I provide you with a link that has more information about that subject.

Good luck!

Ruth asks…

How Do You Build Your Own Wind Turbine?

I want to build a wind turbine for my home. Is it possible to build your own wind turbine and if so can you provide me with information on how to build my own wind turbine for home?

admin answers:

Yes it is entirely possible to build your own wind turbine at home. In fact i have actually done this myself by following the some plans i picked up at http://www.residential-wind-power.com/2009/10/reader-review-diy-residential-wind-turbine/ after reading about another guy who bought the plans and said how good they were.

I bought the plans and followed them to a tee….i was totally stoked with the final product that i built at home with my own tools.

If you want to check out a good review of the build your own wind turbine plans i would check out this review: http://www.residential-wind-power.com/2009/07/wind-turbine-plans-tested-reviewed/

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American Red Cross FRX3 Hand Turbine NOAA AM/FM Weather Alert Radio with Smartphone Charger – Red (ARCFRX3WXR)

American Red Cross FRX3 Hand Turbine NOAA AM/FM Weather Alert Radio with Smartphone Charger - Red (ARCFRX3WXR)

The American Red Cross FRX3 is a solar and hand turbine powered AM, FM, weather radio with alarm clock. There is a built-in USB smart phone charger that allows a 30 second emergency phone call with one minute of cranking. To listen to personal tunes, use the AUX-input to play an external MP3 player. You’ll never be left in the dark thanks to the LED flashlight and glow-in-the-dark locater around the rim of the solar panel.
Price:$49.39 (as of the date/time of this post. detailsProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on www.amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)

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American Red Cross FRX3 Hand Turbine NOAA AM/FM Weather Alert Radio with Smartphone Charger - Red (ARCFRX3WXR)

Your Questions About Wind Turbine Generators

Jenny asks…

What are the factors that affect how much electricity a wind turbine generator produces?

What are the factors that affect how much electricity a wind turbine generator produces?

admin answers:

Ignoring the efficiencies of the generator and such….

Wind Speed
Air Density
Turbine Area
Blade Design

Carol asks…

Where can I find investors to build a small wind turbine generator in Canada?

Global Kinetic Technology Canada is a start up clean energy company. It’s first project is to build a commercial small wind turbine generator prototype in the 1.5 -3.5 kW range using the SEMA technology from GKT USA under an exclusive agreement for Canadian market.

I will need $100,000.00 US for 10% of the company.

admin answers:

Give this a shot – you never know… At the very least you would be on a very popular Canadian TV show and get national exposure…

Http://www.cbc.ca/dragonsden/

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Charlie Rose – Tony Blair, aaaFormer British Prime Minister / Ditlev Engel (June 17, 2010)

Charlie Rose - Tony Blair, aaaFormer British Prime Minister / Ditlev Engel (June 17, 2010)

Tony Blair, Former British Prime Minister and current Middle East envoy to the E.U., U.N., U.S. and Russia discusses this crucial time in the Middle East || Ditlev Engel is CEO, Vestas Wind SystemsThis product is manufactured on demand using DVD-R recordable media. Amazon.com's standard return policy will apply.
Price:$24.95 (as of the date/time of this post. detailsProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on www.amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)

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Charlie Rose - Tony Blair, aaaFormer British Prime Minister / Ditlev Engel (June 17, 2010)

Your Questions About Wind Turbines Oklahoma

John asks…

do windmills use electricity? i thought they provided electricity. we have plenty of wind in oklahoma!?

admin answers:

Wind turbines actually do consume in their normal operation. The turbines have complex control systems which control blade pitch, sensors, metering, etc, all of which consume power.

When the turbines are up and running in optimal conditions, they will produce more electricity than they consume. However, in low wind or no wind, they can be consuming more electricity than they produce.

You can think about it the same way as a normal power plant. The plant building has lights, controls, pumps, fans, etc. All of which consume electricity. When the plant is running, the building will be supplied by the plants generators, but if the plant is shutdown, the building still consumes electricity and must get that electricity from the power grid.

Donna asks…

Don’t find it ironic conservation?

Don’t you find it ironic that places with the most unique fauna, had bad conservation efforts and there animals are endagner. For instance china has unique faunayet have only 10% of land remains and that is fragmented, a lot of it species are either endagner or extinct in wild ( south china tiger, giant panda) and India 2 home to half worlds tiger yet there conservation efforts suck. There barely any land left and tiger population has declined 95% in the last 100 years same goes for the rhinos in asia. There barely a 1000 and that was a decline of 99% in as little as 200 years.The only thing they did do right is making the asatic lion population go up. Oh lord and don’t even bring up Africa. There rhino population is bad. BUT not as bad as India. At least they got the space to boast up the species populations. What do you think

admin answers:

The USA has a lot of unique species that the general population is extremely apathetic towards. In the prairie, the Lesser Prairie Chicken. Iowa has maybe 1% of its wetlands and 1% of its native prairie left intact, and it is fragmented and scattered all across the state. People tend to only care about charismatic megafauna.

I agree that there are some major conservation problems around the world. In poor countries, it is largely due to poaching. However, it’s unfair to point a finger squarely at them and deride them for not caring and being destructive. We build suburbs, we drain rivers because we have to water our lawns, etc and so forth. It’s completely under the radar here. There is a river in Oklahoma (The Blue River) that is being heavily pursued by OKCity and TX for water rights. It is truly a gem, a clear, aquifer-fed stream in the middle of an area with house-sized boulders that are 1.4 BILLION years old. Every other river in this area is muddy and a complete contrast.

How can people not stop this? How can people not protect this river that has darters and other beautiful fish? They don’t even know about it. People get so caught up counting carbon and putting wind turbines where they shouldn’t be that they are blind to the issues right under their nose. Don’t get me wrong, carbon-counters and other green folk have their heart in the right place, but the true irony is that there is an environmental catastrophe every other day in their own backyards.

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Your Questions About Wind Generators

Sandy asks…

How do I build a homemade wind generator?

Wondered if anyone knew how to build a simple homemade wind generator to power our home? A homemade wind generator that is not too complicated would be good. Do you know how to build a wind generator? Please help us.Thanks

admin answers:

The first thing you need to do is figure out how big of a wind generator you need. Most wind generators that are over 1000 watts in generating power are quite a bit more difficult to build. You will need to have your wind generator 15 feet above any obstruction within 300 feet. That is a must.
Some great resources exist but probably reading an article or two about building wind generators would help a lot. Try the resource I listed for a very informative article, there is mention of a website in the article where you can find some great wind generator plans too. Hope this helps, we have built 3 wind generators so far with these plans.

Mandy asks…

What are the purpose of the magnets in a wind generator?

In a wind generator there are several trapezoid magnets around the shaft of the prop, what are the purpose of these?

admin answers:

Electricity can be generated by moving a conducting wire so that it cuts through a magnetic field.
In short electricity from magnetism and motion.
Most electricity-generating systems involve rotating coils of wire in a magnetic field.
There are many ways of causing the coils to rotate:
Wind power:- wind generators
Water power:- water hitting a water wheel (turbine) causing it to rotate – hydroelectricity
Nuclear power:- heat generated in a nuclear reaction is used to produce a jet of steam which again hit a turbine causing it to rotate.
Oil, gas and coal could be used as alternatives to produce the jet of steam.
Finally rather than the coils of wire rotating some systems cause the magnets to rotate – as long as there is relative motion between the coils and the magnetic field either will do.

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Wind Power

Wind Power is an interesting concept and design that converts energy from the wind to a more useful form of energy. The use of wind power has roots in the ancient European flour mills and the American water pumps. Wind turbines are the most commonly used tool of conversion and the wind power is most usably converted to electricity.

Dating back to as early as the first century AD, man has been using wind power to generate energy. European flour mills utilized the efforts of windmills, as did the American farming and ranching industries.

Large wind farms help to convert large amounts of wind power into usable energy to help power local areas. Some countries have found ways to utilize this excellent energy source to benefit their growing populations. Today, Denmark uses wind power to accommodate approximately one fifth of its total electricity production. Across the world, wind power generation is increasing exponentially and is beginning to be seen as a great renewable energy resource.

Wind power is environmentally friendly, world-wide, and highly renewable. As far as renewable resources, greenhouse gases, and environmental hazards are concerned, wind power is an excellent alternative to fossil fuel derived electricity. However, wind power does begin to come under fire when the topic is the location of the large and sometimes unsightly wind turbines. Situated in the best wind sites, these modern looking structures tend to devalue the scenery and natural landscape.

Today, there are thousands of modern wind turbines in production all over the world, and as of 2004, wind power was the fasting growing energy resource. With the global community focusing on more environmentally friendly energy options, the use of wind power is becoming more and more prevalent. Although the United States is not the highest converter or user of wind energy, it is adding more of this renewable energy to its power grid than any other nation in the world.

Apart from the international community and large scale use of wind power, more individuals are beginning to see and seek the benefits of small wind generation systems to power their homes and small businesses. On such small scales, wind power is highly cost efficient and clean.

Although wind power has a lot of potential, the logistics of its use are debatable. Wind farms tend to develop at sites in remote locations, which significantly increase the cost of production due to transport costs, and no one can fully be sure of the direct or indirect environmental damage of the proliferation of wind power. Despite the theoretical consequences, wind power conversion is on the rise and will be for years to come.

Wind turbines, Energy, Limoux, Languedoc, France – EU09 PKA2550 – Per Karlsson – Toddler Light-Blue-T-Shirt (4T)

Wind turbines, Energy, Limoux, Languedoc, France - EU09 PKA2550 - Per Karlsson - Toddler Light-Blue-T-Shirt (4T)

Wind turbines, Energy, Limoux, Languedoc, France - EU09 PKA2550 - Per Karlsson T-Shirt is a great way to show off your true style. Adult and youth sizes are a 50/50 blend of cotton and polyester, toddler sizes are 100% cotton. All sizes are available in white, grey, light blue and pale pink and feature a custom printed image.
Price:$25.24 (as of the date/time of this post. detailsProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on www.amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)

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Wind turbines, Energy, Limoux, Languedoc, France - EU09 PKA2550 - Per Karlsson - Toddler Light-Blue-T-Shirt (4T)

Your Questions About Wind Turbine Syndrome

Donna asks…

Should environmentally sensitive people have fewer children, or more?

Environmentally sensitive people understand the pressure of burgeoning human population on scarce resources. Water shortages are already a reality that affect billions of people, and the need for more farmland and wood conspire to destroy habitats that are not merely exciting and unique, but that might hold answers to questions we are only beginning to ask.

It seems that environmentally sensitive people should take the lead and have smaller families–or no families at all. If ‘we’ do not start the process, who will?

But then again, such a strategy will reduce the most direct impact environmentally sensitive people can have on the next generation–their own children. Perhaps the most effective strategy for populating the world with more environmentally sensitive people would be for ‘us’ to have more children. Otherwise, the world might be overrun by ‘them.’

What’s a sensitive person to do?
Not a problem for America in the 1960s, Ardi, but the global problem was recognized 150 years earlier by Thomas Malthus.

JackP, Malthus also recognized your ‘solution:’ don’t worry, nature will solve the problem. My concern is that ‘natural solutions’ tend to be extraordinarily violent. Can’t we humans, who understand the problem and can anticipate the natural remedy, do better?

admin answers:

In the US, environmentalism came to the fore with the hippie generation. It was also the hippie generation who promoted Zero Population Grown, and we achieved it with tremendous success, if you can call “success”.
1. There are fewer people to buy American products and services, so our economy is not growing like that of China and India. Even with the “one child” law in China it is growing too fast to keep up and soon it may have to say “No children”.
2. With fewer young people than people who are growing old, the young cannot afford to pay for the entitlements given to them by their own grandparents generation, namely Social Security and Medicare.

A growing population was not a problem for America when the hippies (I was in that generation, but I was more conservative) promoted ZPG. They say right now the entire population of the world could fit into the borders of the US, or into even less space. But those same environmentalists are at odds with each other over how to solve problems. On the west coast where there is oil, they are saying no new oil rigs; in New England where there is wind, they don’t want wind turbines out in the ocean. Obama wants electric cars, but that will only drive up the demand for electricity and we are not building any new power plants. If we built pebble-bed nuclear reactors we wouldn’t have the China-syndrome problems and no spent fuel rods to dispose of, but those safe reactors are against American laws. Http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/12.09/china.html

Helen asks…

Are Wind Turbines a Greater Health Hazard than Nuclear Power Plants?

Thousands of people living near wind farms are suffering from symptoms collectively know as “Wind Turbine Syndrome“.

http://earth2tech.com/2009/08/03/windturbinesyndrome-living-near-wind-farms-may-be-hazardous-to-your-health/

Also wind farms adversely effect property values, reducing many home owners equity by half.

Compare this to nuclear power where no health complaints have been filed, and property values are not effected.

Does this prove that wind farms pose a greater health hazard to people than nuclear power?

Would this be a good reason to develop more nuclear power and less wind power?

admin answers:

Sorry, Doctor, but I’m going have to be sceptical on this one . . .

The article you link to refers to The Independent, the newspaper for the ethically right-on “modern parents” type of middle-class worrier who loves nothing more than an environmental scare with their cornflakes in the morning.

It was The Independent who, the day after the Asian Tsunami struck published an article linking it with global warming. People on BOTH SIDES of the debate should not trust this paper.

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Wind Power Residential

With the rise of awareness and use of wind power, residential areas are beginning to see more wind turbines. The rising cost of energy and the increased environmental awareness around the world is paving the way for the use of wind power residentially. Today, nations are developing aggressive energy policies that better utilize wind energy, and local economies are seeing the benefits of small scale employment of wind power.

Many companies and factories sell wind power residential kits that are easy to use and understand. Although these kits can cost well into the thousands of dollars, builders can significantly save if they buy the wind power residential kits directly from the factory and assemble them themselves.

By using wind power, residential owners can expect to reduce their utility bills between fifty and ninety percent. In cases where the wind turbines are situated in ideal locations, homeowners can even turn a profit on the energy generation. The concept is easy. When the energy generated is more than the energy used, local utility companies automatically purchase the excess energy. Over a long period time, wind power residential use may be significantly less than the wind power generated causing quite a significant profit for the owner.

Basically, a wind power residential kit is installed (either by the company or the owner), and a wind turbine is situated on top of a tall structure (most likely a tower). The tower collects energy from the wind and converts it into a useable energy source that is compatible with the home system. In typical cases, residences are powered by a combination of wind energy and purchased electricity from a local utility company. As long as the wind speeds are conducive to electricity generation, the residence remains powered by the wind power residential kit. When the wind speeds decline and electricity is not produced, the residence is powered by purchased energy. For residences in particularly windy areas, energy production may be significantly higher than the energy produced in less windy regions.

Homeowners interested in purchasing wind power residential kits should consult their local authorities for local regulations and information about wind power generation in the particular area. Builders should also consult the US Department of Energy for efficiency estimates and information about the size of wind turbines that would be necessary for the area.

In the end, many homeowners have found the economical benefits of wind energy production to be profitable. With the rising cost of energy and transportation, the idea of this investment can be both profitable and practical for homeowners with enough time, patience, and knowledge to make it happen.

Your Questions About Wind Turbine Generators Manufacturers

Jenny asks…

what level of efficiency does 2 MW wind turbines run at?

I need to know what level of efficiency a 2 MW wind turbine runs at? So does it only run at 50% efficiency, making it only produce 1 MW an hour?

Thanks everyone!

admin answers:

For the efficiency calculation the formula

Power in wind = (density of air ) x (turbine blade diameter)2 x( velocity of wind)3 x (a constant)

Power in wind = d x D2 x v3 x c

Notice that the power in the wind depends on the density of the air, the diameter of the turbine blades squared (D times D), and the velocity of the wind to the third power (V times V times V). There is also a constant in there which I’ll discuss in the very next paragraph.

What about that constant, C? It’s there because what we are really interested in is the Area swept by the blades of diameter, D. The area is calculated by multiplying the number Pi (approximately 3.14159) times the diameter squared divided by 4. So part of the constant, C, is just the constant number Pi divided by 4 pulled out to show us that the important variable in the area formula is D. The other part of the constant, C, can be whatever unit conversion numbers are needed to make sure the numbers come out right. For now, we won’t go further into that. The point is that the variables that determine the wind power blowing into a wind turbine are air density, blade diameter (resulting in a certain swept area), and wind velocity.

You have probably noted that power (not energy) is dependent on the velocity times itself 3 times (V x V x V). Whoa! In other words, if the wind speed doubles, the power available from the wind increases by a factor of eight. The diameter is significant too. Doubling that increases the power by 4 times. Faster is better, and bigger is better (if you can afford it and can build it strong enough).

Of course, the wind doesn’t blow all the time in most places and when it blows too hard the turbine blades can break or spin so fast they break off (not good when each blade can weigh several tons). In that case, the blades are usually “feathered” to reduce stresses on them and to slow them down. This means we can’t take advantage of really high wind speeds.

Turbine Efficiency

If the turbine could convert all the wind’s power to mechanical power we would say it was 100% efficient. But as you probably know, the real world is never so generous. To even achieve 50% is unlikely, and would be a very efficient machine. A 50% efficient turbine would convert half of the power in the wind to mechanical power.

Hope this will solve your problem

Regards

For other references

Efficiency Varies with Wind Speed
A given wind turbine has a “design point” that generally defines its peak efficiency at the wind speed for which the system is designed. At wind speeds above and below the design speed the efficiency is the same or less – maybe much less. If a turbine’s best efficiency is 40% at a wind velocity of 9 meters per second (about 20 mph), it will be 40% only at that wind speed. At all other wind speeds it will be something worse. That wind turbine will generally operate at lower than its best efficiency, because wind speeds are never constant or average.

The electric power actually produced will be still lower because the generator efficiencies are also less than 100% (generally in the mid- or low-90’s at best), and there are further losses in the conversion electronics and lines. But this is true of all power technologies. When all these losses are figured in, you might, if you are lucky, be getting 35% or so of the wind’s energy actually delivered as useful electrical energy to the end user in the very best conditions. The average might only be in the twenties.

In the formula above, then, we have to add one more number that I don’t show. That number is an efficiency number that would have to supplied by the manufacturer of the wind turbine, or experimentally determined by you if you make it yourself. It will not be one number, but a variable that is a function of wind speed.

Susan asks…

If a permanent magnet motor is used as a generator will it produce ac or dc?

I have a permanent magnet motor that is rated 100v at 2500 rpms. I Would like to know is if I use it as a generator, will it produce altenating current or direct current if I use it in a wind turbine to charge a 12v battery.

admin answers:

It depends. You didn’t say what kind of motor it was. Is it an AC motor? DC?
What configuration is it?

If its armature has a commutator, then it can be configured as a pulsed DC generator and you will need to do the filtering of that waveform. But you may have to make changes depending on the configuration. You need to be more specific. Surely there is model number and manufacturer plate.

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Wind Turbine - Set Of 6 Key Chains

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Wind Turbine - Set Of 6 Key Chains

Your Questions About Wind Turbines Oklahoma

Robert asks…

Turbines or ridge line vents when you have a smaller home?

I’ve asked a lot of questions about this and I do apologize, but I had a roofing company guy say that in my state, Oklahoma, where it’s so hot having turbines (whirlibirds) is better than ridge vents because our wind makes the turbines really work and get the heat out, and also the fact that my ridge line isn’t that long (?).

I hope that makes sense?

My house is only 1200 sq feet and I have soffit vents and all the other companies just put ridge line vents (2) in my estimate, but this one guy said he liked turbines better.

Just wanted to get opinions.

admin answers:

In your part of the country ridge vents should be adequate. Do be sure the insulation is pulled back so that your soffit vents are uncovered. Turbines are one more hole in your roof and moving parts that can wear out. If you’re getting shingles be sure they are the architectural type and not the old three tab design. They will stick to the roof much better when the Oklahoma winds are howling.

Daniel asks…

At what point will farmers convert grass lands to….?

I was driving threw Oklahoma and Texas (on I-40) last week and thought… “Hmm, this is a pretty barren place… nothing but cattle and grass and the occasional wind mill… why not farm the sun”. And seriously? Why not throw up a couple acres of solar panels with a power meter that lets you sell it back to the power companies? Do you think this may be a future cash crop? 😛

I’m only halfway serious 😛 But seriously, what are your ideas for our future energy needs?

admin answers:

You are actually on to something. Those long, sweeping plains are also good potential locations for wind turbines. In fact, I once heard someone say that the Dakotas are basically “the Saudi Arabia of wind power”.

To answer your question, these things (solar, wind, etc) will happen when it becomes economically feasible to do so. With oil going up and up and up, that day may not be so far down the road.

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