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Energy from Wind Turbines
Since wind at the earth's surface is intermittent, varies in direction and intensity, one of the earliest known devices used to obtain wind power was a "windmill".
Windmills consist of a rotating element, such as a wheel which is driven by the wind, a shaft connected to the equipment for workability and the result of turning of this shaft to create wind power. There are three types of windmills: the multi-vane, propeller and "S" rotor.
Whereas, a turbine is a machine that converts kinetic energy of fluid or air motion to mechanical energy. Most turbines are comprised of a bladed rotor or curved blades mounted on a shaft as with most "windmills", a casing mounted with ports that enclose the rotor. These ports must permit the intake and outflow of fluid or air as required.
With wind turbines, necessary high rotational speeds allow for efficient operation. However, this factor limits their use in closed or confined space areas. Some wind turbines are used in electric generators in power plants and are designed with speeds of 1,800 to 3,600 revolutions per minute (rpm).
Thus for home use, extracting energy from wind turbines is limited to residences with large acreage that permits such rotational speeds without a nuisance effect. Also, since wind direction and intensity are a large factor in the successful use of a wind turbine for such residential use, the location of the home is also a great factor in efficiency.
Wind turbine use in housing developments with small lots of less than an acre would create serious disadvantages for user and non-user alike. The very nature of wind power for use in homes is limited at present given the necessity for open space with good wind direction as well as structure placement on private properties. In prairie and plains areas where homes are located more than 7500 feet from each other, wind turbines can be used successfully.
The other criteria of importance is location of the wind turbine itself. Given the necessity for good wind velocity, a wind turbine is limited by location and proximity to areas notably "windy". Wind turbine technology is relatively under-developed for home use due to home construction variables. The proximity of a wind turbine tower to the home itself must be a consideration to avoid exterior damage to the housing structure and that of nearby structures.
Homemade wind power requires some degree of mechanical knowledge in order to achieve the proportional, required levels of rpms that would sufficiently produce enough power to decrease other alternative energy supplies.
If all of the necessary criteria is met: location of housing, sufficient acreage, location of wind turbine in proximity to all nearby structures as well as local and state environmental permits to operate, the construction of a wind turbine can be commenced using a shaft, blades and free-standing tower structure, insuring that all safety measures and precautions are in place to avoid accidental damage.
All materials for construction of a wind turbine should also be in compliance with environmental regulations.
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