Posts Tagged ‘horizontal axis windmill’
September 3rd, 2010 | 
Author: When building windmills, people think about how to improve their efficiency. To do that, they examine the parts. The most vital components of a windmill are, certainly, windmill blades.
The very first thing to consider when talking about windmill blades is their number. The more blades a windmill has, the harder will be for it to rotate. The old ones used to have 4 very bulky blades. Many of them were use in grain grinding. Now, the most recent windmills are equipped with two or three blades.
The length is important as well. If a blade is longer, it covers a bigger surface when it rotates, therefore they can catch more wind with each rotation. This may contribute to extra torque. To protect the windmill blades we mustn’t forget about their surface. If we provide them with efficient maintenance, they will last longer and will also be more efficient.
Additionally, the shape of windmill blades influences their rotation. There are several different shapes of windmill blades: the flat, rectangular ones, the wing shaped types and the ones with both edges tapered to a slim line or both edges rounded like the ones of a plane wing. In the case of the horizontal axis windmills, the wing shape has proven to be by far the most effective one. The vertical axis windmills works very well with all the shapes of the windmill’s blades, but the greatest performance is given by the flat ones and the ones with both edges rounded.
About the material with which the windmill blades are made from, if we think about the old ones, they were usually made out of wood. Although those windmill blades are made of wood, their structure changed over time. They are much lighter now so that they can spin faster. A common material that brings a high performance due to its sharp edges and its light weight is carbon fiber. One more material that’s light, but also economical is PVC. It’s a synthetic material sometimes used for windmill blades. New substances are always being tested, in the hopes of finding a less costly, more efficient solution.
Windmill blades are continuously developing, although they appeared a very long time ago. At their early stages they were somehow inefficient, but people learned to improve them and to make the windmills a popular source of energy. A lot more shapes and materials have and will be for windmill blades and people begin using increasingly more this alternative source of energy which will not only save our money, but also our environment.
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Tags: horizontal axis windmill, horizontal windmill, vertical axis windmills, windmill blades, windmills | 
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Vertical windmills are not such a new concept. In fact, despite that we’re accustomed to seeing horizontal axis windmills, the first windmills introduced were the vertical ones. The first effective types were invented in the 9th century, but their design has changed very much over time in order to get a higher efficiency from them.
Vertical windmills have several benefits. Among them is the low sound that they make. Horizontal windmills generally are very noisy, a fact that is proven by their settlements in non-populated or low populated areas with not so many habitats around. Because of their silent function, vertical windmills are most of the times used by humans for their homes, metropolitan areas or commercial buildings.
Another advantage that vertical windmills have is that they can capture more wind than horizontal windmills. Regardless of the direction from which the wind blows, vertical windmills can catch it and convert it into energy. We can’t say the same about the horizontal axis form windmills.
A vertical windmill is easier to maintain. It’s also secured to do it, also. We owe this to the truth that the position of the generator is at the ground level. Because it is in such a helpful place and simple to repair, we save a lot more time & energy when we give it maintenance or when we fix it.
Using the vertical windmills’ design also brings benefits for the birds. Birds sometimes fly into the horizontal axis windmill. From this point of view the vertical axis form is safer and there’re least possibilities for birds to fly into its blades.
Vertical windmills could also have a highly anesthetic look, as they could be adapted to the adjoining area. They don’t have a pre-established pattern to pursue when building them. You could find them in a number of shapes.
The most common vertical windmills are the Savonius & the Darrieus. The Savonius windmill is mainly used for pumping the water or for grain grinding. If you look at it from above, you notice that its shape is the one of the letter “S”. Contrary to the Savonius, the Darrieus windmill is used for generating electricity and not for pumping water. Its blades are in model of the letter “C”, providing it the aspect of an eggbeater.
We live in a world where the electricity is not only beginning to become more and more expensive, but we’re also becoming more aware that many sources that produce it are affecting the environment. Start thinking at building your own vertical or even horizontal axis windmill so you can save money and help save the Earth in the procedure.
