Windmills date as far back as 200 BC. The first windmill was known as “Hero of Alexandria”, located in what is now known as Iran, but was not too successful. These windmills were tweaked over many years to have a well functioning purpose. The main purposes of the windmills in ancient times were water pumping and grain grinding. Windmills have been used for thousands of years, allowing for a revolutionary way of completing certain tasks.
Today, we have what is known as wind turbines. These large structures are used as a renewable and free energy source. The way a wind turbine works is very simple. As the wind blows, it moves the blades, which then turns a generator and makes electricity. These wind turbines are only a small source of energy because they work about 65 to 90 percent of the time. When many wind turbines are placed together in one area, it is known as a wind farm. The majority of wind farms are found in Texas and California. Wind farms are hoped to be spread all across the country to become a more prominent source of energy that is not only renewable, but also free.
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One downfall to this form of renewable energy is the threat to birds and bats. The large blades that turn could potentially hit any flying species, causing death. Another small but still negative impact is the placement of wind farms. Wind turbines take up a sizeable amount of land, and when there is more than one in a single area, clearing may need to occur. Also, roads need to be made for workers to access the wind farms. Despite these small environmental impacts, the overall purpose of the wind turbine does enough good for the energy source to almost cancel out these
Secondly , windmills are really dangerous for the people living near them or working for windmills. Windmills make really loud noises which might cause health problems. There is a danger of people falling off of a windmill or a part falling down which can injure people. Also , the equipment used to build a windmill is really heavy.
Wind Power is power obtained by harnessing the energy of the wind. Uneven rays, temperature, and the rotation of the earth are what cause wind, warm and cold, which in turn provides energy. Wind turbines are the main items used to provide energy from the wind. Wind turbines have large blades that turn in a circular motion at the top of the tower. As the blades turns, it causes a shaft to turn as well inside the tower. The shaft is connected to a generator which generates electricity. These wind turbines are placed on either onshore or offshore wind farms. Onshore wind farms are placed on ridges, hills, and seashores, since those are the best areas to catch wind. On the other hand, offshore wind farms are not only very difficult to build and maintain, but on the bright side, pick up more wind than onshore wind farms since they are placed in the sea (Fridell pp. 13-18). This source of energy is good to use since it is very efficient because the wind usually occurs around the world. Wind energy also provides jobs. Wind jobs are growing 12 times faster than other industries. And, a wind turbine technician is the fastest growing profession in the United States (Samuelson 2017). Also, just one wind turbine can provide energy for several houses. For example, In the book, Earth Friendly Energy on page 34, It states, “In 2005 the total was 58,982 megawatts. On the average, one megawatt of wind power can serve 160 U.S
Wind powered machines are developed by the Babylonians. King Hammurabi of Babylon used wind powered scoops to irrigate Mesopotamia. Aside from irrigation and drainage, windmills were also used to ground grain, but maybe later on in history. This is just another advancement making work easier, yet more productive for mankind.
Imagine getting free electricity, or electrical company’s paying you instead of you paying them, today’s windmills just might make this possible. Windmills dating back as far as the 1400’s have been used to turn wind into useable energy for grinding and pumping. Today’s windmills turn turbines to make electricity. They are popping up all over the United States, but the United States is way behind other countries in the development of wind energy. Countries like Denmark, Germany and the United Kingdom are investing billions of dollars into wind energy, including off shore wind farms. Germany is holding the top spot in the production of wind-generated electricity. Denmark, being one of the smaller countries in Europe, produces twenty percent
The second major negative effect is on wildlife. Although wind turbines are effect alternative energy that used to generated electricity, the hidden threat is a devastating wildlife such as bird and bat collision with the turbine. Bird and bat fly through space at a low pressure; therefore, make birds and bats lose balance in flight. A study analysis shows that 20-40 birds are exterminated by the wind turbines each year (Rosenbloom, 2006). The construction of wind turbines resulted in the diversity and population of the birds and bats decrease, it never come back again after start to use the wind turbine. Though wind turbine is not located directly on the food. Notwithstanding the impact of wind turbines is not a major problem, if neglected
A wind turbine is a machine that converts the wind’s kinetic energy into mechanical energy. If the energy is then directed by machinery it is called a windmill, but if the energy is converted into electricity it is a wind turbine. Wind turbines are old technology but used to meet new challenges. There are two main types of wind turbines: rotating on the vertical axis or on the horizontal axis. The horizontal axis is the most common. These three bladed turbines have the main rotor shaft and electrical generator
“A wind turbine is a machine for converting the kinetic energy in wind into mechanical energy”. (1) The inventor of the first electric wind turbine was Clevelander Charles Brush, who ran his entire Euclid Avenue mansion off of one for 20 years, which later made the cover of Scientific American in 1888. (2) Although the use of alternate energy didn't rise a great deal afterward, this event did open the eyes for many environmentalists. Wind power is only one of our several “energy source[s] whose ‘fuel’ is free and will never be exhausted” (3) with the pros and cons not completely weighed out as to whether it will be truly beneficial or not. The two main issues regarding wind turbines are the environmental effects that they have and the
The turbines transform 2/3 of the energy in wind into electricity; which is more than fossil fuels transform. One downside to using wind power is that the turbines stand out and ruin the beauty of natural lands. Wind power is environment friendly and generates lots of power for people.
Since 400-500A.D, people used windmill energy in farms for grain grinding and water pumping. In 1888, the first wind turbine that generated electricity was discovered by Charles F.Brush in Ohio, USA. However, there are limitations on speed.
It has to be AT LEAST 8.7mph to turn a wind turbine. Another disadvantage about wind power is shadow flicker it is when the blades of the wind turbine cause a shadow as it turns. It would cause unwanted repetitive shadows over neighboring houses or buildings, it could be mistaken for power outages or even earthquakes. Finally, the sound of wind turbines they are not silent for the people that live near the wind farms would get unwanted noise in their houses content during the day and at night.
There is a rising commitment towards utilizing clean energy across the world. Wind turbines happen to be an efficient choice to meet some of the demand on electricity. A group of wind turbines connected to each other by electrical cables forms a wind farm. A wind farm produces 17 to 39 times the power it consumes, which is more efficient when compared to other forms of energy such as nuclear power (16 times) or coal (11 times) [1].
A wind turbine is the opposite of a fan. Instead of using electricity to make wind, wind turbines use wind to make electricity. Wind turbines convert the potential energy in the wind into kinetic energy that results in mechanical power- The turning of the blades and drive shaft. The mechanical energy can then be used for traditional tasks such as grinding grain or pumping water. Modern wind turbines use generators to convert this mechanical power into electricity that can power homes, businesses, schools and other buildings. Wind turbines are often grouped together into a single wind power plant also known as a wind farm, and generate bulk electrical power. Electricity from these turbines is fed into a utility grid and distributed to customers, just as with conventional power plants. Wind turbines come in a variety of sizes and power ratings. Utility-scale turbines
I can still remember that I’ve made a windmill by a paper in my childhood. I hold my windmill running on the lawn. Currently, wind power has become the world 's fastest growing renewable power source. The earliest use of wind to produce energy is when the Egyptians are said to have used it to propel their sailboats through the water. At 1300’s, the windmill appeared in Europe and was used in the to drain fields. After hundreds of years, people have utilized the wind to do works and used across North America pumping water by the end of 1800’s. It was called steel blades at that time, also had been introduced to improve efficiency. In 1888, windmill was used in Cleveland, Ohio to generate electricity. Now in the 21st
Wind power is a clean and renewable energy that, while at times unreliable, has very low upkeep cost and is growing at a rapid rate. While there is currently enough wind power to provide many times our current energy need, it is unfeasible in reality. Wind power utilizes the kinetic energy of air and uses it to power a generator to produce electricity. Even though dependence on wind power is impossible, it still can provide a strong, clean, quantity of power to supplement current energy production.
In order to make an impact, many windmills have to be built to match the amount of electricity generated from a single fossil fuel plant.