Chapter Eight

Wind Energy

Conversion of wind power into wind energy has been utilized for many years. Some examples are:

• Wind turbines to make electricity

• Windmills for mechanical power

• Wind pumps for drinking, irrigation or drainage

• Sails to propel ships

A windmill converts the energy in the wind into electrical energy or mechanical energy to pump water or grind cereals. The most common windmills in operation today generate power from three-blade, horizontal-axis windmills with the nacelle mounted on steel towers that can be cylindrical steel plate or lattice towers. This modern windmill concept has emerged since 1977 and has become the industrial standard. The nacelles of horizontal-axis windmills usually include a gearbox, asynchronous ...

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