Design of a Wind Turbine

What Is the Purpose of a Wind Turbine?

What is the purpose of a wind turbine? For centuries past, people have tried to harness the power of the wind. The purpose of a wind turbine is to create energy using the wind power. For some, the act of building a wind turbine is all about the process and not really the focus of the end result. For others, however, the design of a wind turbine is essential to creating an energy source that will be both economical and practical. If you are embarking upon your first wind turbine project, you’ll probably want to start out on a small scale. Once you’ve gotten the idea, and you’ve achieved some small success, you can branch out to bigger wind tunnels. For more inspiration, however, check out our article on Locust Ridge Wind Farm in Pennsylvania.

Design of a Wind Turbine

If you’ve ever driven by a wind turbine, you may have noticed that the number of blades is almost always an odd number. This is directly related to stability. If a stiff wind turbine were to have an even number of blades, most likely as the upper blade bends backward from the power of the wind, the lower blade will pass into the wind shade in front of the tower causing instability. Many turbines follow the three-blade Danish design of Johannes Juul from the 1950s. Although this design has been modernized and changed, the essential pattern and reasoning remains the same and continues to be used all over the world.

Finding a Site

Before you attempt to build a wind turbine, consider your purpose. If you really want to build a turbine to power some or all of your home, you’ll need to consider your home site. Trees, buildings, and other obstructions can wreak havoc on the available wind power you’ll need. Remember, no matter how well the design of a wind turbine might be, it still needs wind to run effectively. When you are considering sites for the turbine, look for unobstructed hills or coastlines. Keep in mind any building codes that might be in effect in your neighborhood as well. You don’t want to spend a lot of time and money on the structure only to be told you’ve broken a building code and you must tear the turbine down!

Size and Generators

You’ll need a rotor diameter of anywhere between two and five meters. Your blades must be sizeable if you plan on producing any significant power. If you want to build your own, you can do so out of wood or other materials. Later on in this article, you’ll find several sources regarding materials and patterns. Because you can’t always depend upon your wind source, you’ll need to choose a good generator as well. Many people look towards car alternators as a good generator source, and while this can work, permanent magnet generators tend to provide more success for longer periods of time.

Sites and Patterns

Now that you’ve got a general idea about the design of a wind turbine, it’s time to take a look at a few patterns. The following sites will give you an idea of the materials you’ll need, the time you’ll devote to the planning and building of your project, and the expense of a wind turbine. If you truly want to conserve energy and save money, factor in the amount of money you’ll spend on materials and a generator. Check out the following sites:

• Small Wind
• Other Power
• Center for Alternative Technology
• BWEA
• All Science Fair Projects.