This method of obtaining energy does not have a negative impact on the environment, and also in the process there can be no technogenic accident. The kinetic properties of wind are available anywhere in the world, so the equipment can be installed anywhere. By 2005, the total wind power capacity was 59 thousand megawatts. And for the whole year it grew by 24%. A wind generator, scientifically speaking, converts kinetic energy into mechanical energy.


In plain language, with the help of this unit, the energy of the air stream is converted into electricity, which can be used in settlements and industrial areas remote from the central power grid. It has a fairly simple mechanism of operation: the wind turns the rotor, which generates current and, in turn, is transmitted through the controller to the batteries. The inverter converts the battery voltage to a usable voltage.

Wind turbine design and specifications

Technical studies have proven that atmospheric cyclones are much more powerful than terrestrial ones, therefore it is necessary to install a generating device higher. To get the energy of high-altitude winds, a certain technology is needed.

It can be obtained using a combination of turbines and kites. Power plants located on the surface of the earth or offshore receive surface flow. Studying the technological process of production of two types of stations, experts have come to a colossal difference in efficiency. Onshore turbines will be able to produce more than 400 TW, and high-altitude ones - 1800 TW.

In general, wind turbines are divided into domestic and industrial. The latter are installed at large corporate facilities, since they have a large capacity, sometimes they are even connected into a network, which as a result constitutes a whole power plant. A feature of such methods of generating electricity is the complete absence of both raw materials for processing and waste. All that is needed for the active functioning of the power plant is powerful gusts of wind.
Winds map by region and average annual speed.

The power can reach 7.5 megawatts.

Rotary rotors should be installed in places where the wind speed is more than 4 m / s. The distance from the mast to the nearest buildings or tall trees must be at least 15 meters, and the distance from the bottom edge of the wind wheel to the nearest branches of trees and buildings must be at least 2 meters. It should be noted that everyone calculates the design and height of the mast individually, depending on local environmental conditions, the presence of obstacles and the speed of the air flow.

Installation of both horizontal and vertical wind turbines is carried out on the foundation. The mast is attached to the anchor bolts. Before installing the mast, the foundation is held for a month, this is necessary for the concrete to settle and gain strength. They are mandatory equipped with a lightning protection system, so they can reliably provide your house with electricity, even in rainy weather.

The latest technologies developed by NASA's developers are aimed at generating kite devices. This will increase the efficiency by up to 90%. Since, a generator will be located on the ground, and a device that catches atmospheric gusts in the air. Now the flight system of the airborne device is being tested, the maximum range is 610 meters, and the wingspan is approximately 3 meters. The rotational phase of the ball will consume less resources and the turbine blades will move faster. The designers suggest that such engineering can be implemented in space, for example on Mars.

Snakes - power generators

As you can see, the future outlook is quite optimistic, it remains only to wait for all this to come true. Not only does the space agency offer innovative methods, but many companies already have plans to place such structures in the desired geographic areas of the Earth. Some of them have made tremendous progress and their brainchildren are already being exploited.

What are the twin towers in Bahrain, where two giant buildings are like one power plant. The height reaches 240 meters. For a year, such a project generates 1,130 MW. There are a lot of examples, the point is that every year the number of interested companies to participate in the development of the industry is growing.

Energy distribution scheme: 1 - wind generator; 2 - charge controller; 3 - battery; 4 - inverter; 5 - distribution system; 6 - network; 7 - consumer.

Alternative wind energy in the CIS

Naturally, the wind energy of the CIS countries lags behind the advanced states. This is due to many reasons, primarily economic. Government departments are developing programs, "green tariffs" are being introduced to help develop the industry.

There is a huge potential for this, but there are many obstacles to implementation. For example, Belarus has recently begun to develop in this direction, but the main problem of the republic is the lack of its own production, you have to order equipment in partner countries. Speaking of Russia, this production is in a "frozen" state, since the basic sources are: water, coal and nuclear. As a result, it ranks 64th in the ranking of electricity production. For Kazakhstan, a favorable geographic location should contribute, however, the technical base is very outdated and requires major modernization.

Wind energy development in northern Europe

Norway is located on the Scandinavian Peninsula, most of the territory is washed by the sea, where strong northerly winds blow. The possibilities for getting electricity are endless. In 2014, a park with a design capacity of 200 megawatts was put into operation. Such a complex will provide 40 thousand residential buildings. Do not forget that Norway and Denmark are closely cooperating in the energy market. Denmark is the world leader in offshore energy.

Most of the power plants are located offshore, more than 35% of the electricity generated by such complexes. Having no nuclear power plants, Denmark easily provides itself and Europe with electricity. The competent use of alternative sources has made it possible to achieve such progress.

Complete set of wind turbines

Vertical, as a rule, consists of the following parts:

• turbine
• tail
• upstream rotor
• guyed mast
• generator
• accumulators
• inverter
• battery charge controller

Wind turbine blades

Separately, I would like to touch on the topic of blades, the efficiency of the installation directly depends on their number and the material from which they are made. Based on their number, they are one, two or three and multi-bladed. The latter are characterized by the number of blades more than five, they have high inertia and efficiency, due to which they can be used to operate water pumps. To date, a rather efficient one has already been developed, capable of catching air currents without blades. It works on the principle of a sailboat, it catches gusts of air, due to which the pistons move, which are located in the upper part, right behind the saucer.

According to the materials from which the blades are made in the installations, rigid and sail structures are distinguished. Sailboats are a cheaper option made of fiberglass or metal, but during active operation they often break.

Additional elements of the windmill

Some of the modern models have a DC power supply module for solar panels. Sometimes the design of a vertical wind turbine is complemented by unusual elements, for example, magnets. Very popular from ferrite magnets. These elements are able to speed up the rotor speed and, accordingly, increase the generator power and efficiency.

It is in this way that performance enhancements are obtained on a self-assembled assembly, for example, from an old car autogenerator. It is necessary to note the principle of a wind farm made of ferrite magnets - it allows you to do without a gearbox, and this minimizes noise and increases reliability several times ._

Vertically axial Rotor Darrieus. Rotor features

Rotor Darrieus is used in new designs of vertical wind turbines; it has twice the coefficient of wind flow recycling than all previously known installations of this type. It is advisable to install vertically axial ones with a Darrieus rotor for the equipment of pumping stations, where a powerful torque is needed on the axis of rotation when extracting water from wells and wells in steppe conditions.

Savonius rotor new vertical generators

Russian scientists have invented a new generation of vertical generator, which runs on the Voronin-Savonius rotor. It consists of two semi-cylinders on a vertical axis of rotation. In any direction and squalls, the “windmill” based on the Savonius rotor will fully rotate around its axis and generate energy.

Its main disadvantage is the low use of wind force, since the half-cylinder blades function only in a quarter of a turn, and it slows down the rest of its rotation circle with its movement. The long-term operation of the facility will also depend on which rotor you choose. For example, wind turbines with a helicoid can rotate evenly due to the twisting of the blades. This torque reduces the load on the bearing and increases the service life.

Wind generator with different power

The “mill” device needs to be selected depending on what power it should have at the output. Power up to 300 W is one of the simplest types of equipment. These models fit easily into the trunk of a car and can be installed by one worker in a matter of minutes. It very quickly catches the passing air flow and provides charging of mobile devices, lighting and the ability to watch TV.

5 kW is the best option for a small country house. With a power of 5-10 kW, it can fully function at low wind speeds, therefore, they have a wider geography for their installation.

Pros and benefits of using

If we consider the pluses, then first of all I would like to note that it provides conditionally free electricity, which in our time is not cheap. To provide a small house with electricity, you have to pay huge bills. It is important that modern wind turbines are well compatible with alternative sources. For example, they can function in combination with diesel generators, creating a single closed cycle.

• Efficiency directly depends on the choice of space where it will be placed
• Low energy losses during transportation, because the consumer can be at a close distance from the source
• Environmentally friendly production
• Easy operation, no need to constantly train staff
• Long-term use of components, no frequent replacement required

The optimal high-speed flow is considered to be a level of 5 - 7 m / s. There are a lot of places to achieve this indicator. Very often, a wind farm is used on the open sea at a distance of 15 km. from the coast. Each year, the level of energy production increases by 20%. If we consider further prospects, in this vein, the natural resource is endless, which cannot be said about oil, gas, coal, etc. Also, one should not discount the safety of such an industry. Man-made disasters associated with the atom cause fear for all of humanity.

Before your eyes is a terrible picture of the exploded nuclear reactor at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in 1986. And the accident at Fukushima was described as the deja vu of Chernobyl. The destructive consequences for all living things after such situations are forcing many countries to abandon the fission of the atom and look for alternative methods of producing kW.

Once you pay a certain amount, you can use free electricity for several years. An indisputable plus is also that there is an opportunity to buy used ones, and this allows you to save even more.

Cons and disadvantages

Despite all the positive qualities of the wind farm, there are also negative aspects. In most cases, the flaws are propaganda-like and contradictory. Consider the most replicated in all TV programs, newspaper articles and Internet resources:

• The first of the disadvantages is that a person has not learned to control natural phenomena, therefore, it is impossible to predict how the generator will work on a particular day.
• Another disadvantage of wind turbines is their batteries. They have a relative durability and, as a result, they must be replaced every 15 years.
• Financial investments are expensive. In fact, new technologies tend to decrease
• Dependence on the strength of the horizontal air flow. This minus is more adequate, because it is impossible to influence the strength of the vortex.
• Negative impact on the environment by noise effect. As recent studies have shown on this issue, there is no good reason to say so
• Destruction of birds that fall into the blades. According to statistical analysis, the probability of collision is equivalent to that of a power transmission line
• Distortion of signal reception. Estimated to be very unlikely, especially since many stations are located near airports
• They distort the landscape (unconfirmed)

This is just a small part of the myths - horror stories with which they try to scare people. This is a reason and no more, because in practice, the operation of a 1 MW wind farm allows you to save about 29 thousand tons of coal or 92 thousand barrels of oil in 20 years. Leading countries are developing an alternative source at a record pace, abandoning the atomic complex. Germany, USA, Canada, China, Spain are actively installing equipment in their localities.

It should also be remembered that some types of installations create a lot of noise. The higher the power of the installation, the stronger the noise will come from it. It must be installed at a distance where the noise level from the station does not exceed 40 decibels. Otherwise, you will have a constant headache. They also interfere with TV and radio broadcasting.

Vertical and solar wind turbines, design and efficiency, new generation hybrids

The vertical new generation, as mentioned above, may differ in the type of its blades. A striking example is a hyperboloid wind generator, in which the turbine has a hyperboloid shape and is significantly superior to a vane wind turbine with a vertical axis of rotation. For example, its functional zone is 7 ... 8% of the area, and the hyperboloid one has a working zone of 65 ... 70%. On the basis of such turbines in the United States, two alternative sources of wind and sun were connected. WindStream Technologies has launched on the market a roof-top hybrid power system SolarMill ("Solnechnaya Mill") with a capacity of 1.2 kW.

Bolotov wind turbine and its independence from weather conditions

Recently, a lot of attention has begun to be paid to small installations. One of the most successful is the Bolotov windmill version. It is a power plant with a vertically placed generator shaft.

A special feature of the equipment is that it does not have to be adapted to different weather conditions. The Bolotov generator is capable of receiving flow from all directions without appropriate options and the need to turn the unit in the other direction. The rotary one is capable of forcing the incoming flow, due to which it can fully function in winds of any power, including stormy ones.

Another advantage of this type is the convenient location of the generator, electrical circuit and batteries in them. They are on the ground, which makes the maintenance of the equipment very convenient.

Single-blade on the mast

An innovative development, it is considered to be a single-blade, its main advantage is its high frequency and speed of revolutions. It is in them that, instead of the optimal number of blades, a counterweight is built in, which has little effect on the resistance to air movement.

Windmill Onipko

Continuing to discuss unusual options for propellers, it is impossible not to mention the Onipko windmill, which is distinguished by conical blades. The main advantage of these installations is the ability to receive and convert to kW at a flow rate of 0.1 m / s. Blade, in contrast, start revolutions at a speed of 3 m / s. Onipko is quiet and completely safe for the external environment. It has not found mass distribution, but according to research results, it will be an excellent option for large production facilities that are looking for alternative sources, since it has a lot of power.

In the form of a snail shell.
The invention of the company Archimedes, which is located in the Netherlands, is considered an innovative breakthrough. She offered to the public a silent type construction that can be installed directly on the roof of a multi-storey building. According to research, the unit can work in conjunction with solar panels and reduce to zero the dependence of the building on the external power grid. The new generators are called Liam F1. The equipment looks like a small turbine with a diameter of 1.5 meters and a weight of 100 kilograms.

In its shape, the installation resembles a snail's shell. The turbine turns in the direction of capturing the air flow. Agustin Otegu, the inventor of the world famous spiral turbine Nano Skin, sees the future of humanity not in huge solar panels and turbines with a large propeller swing. He recommends mounting them on the outside of buildings. The turbines will start to spin with the wind and create energy that will be transferred directly to the building's electrical grid.

Sailing fastest "catcher" of the stream

An alternative to vane is sailing. The tailwind in the blades catches very quickly and instantly adjusts to it, as a result, it can work at all speeds from the smallest to stormy ones. This type of equipment does not create noise and radio interference at all, it is easy to operate and transport, and this is an important factor.

Unusual devices, wind energy and its projects

There are many more unusual designs under development. Among them, the following are of particular interest:

• Sheerwind looks like a musical instrument
• wind generators from the TAK company, resembling street lamps on self-sufficiency
• windmills on bridges in the form of a pedestrian crossing
• wind swings that receive air currents from all directions
• "Wind lenses" with a diameter of 112 meters
• floating wind turbines from the FLOATGEN corporation
• development of the Tyer Wind company - a wind generator that simulates the flapping of the wings of a hummingbird
• in the form of a real house in which you can live from the TAMEER company. The analogue of this development is Anara Tower in Dubai

The world's first wind-free units will soon be installed. Their German company Max Bögl Wind AG will present to the attention of mankind. They will consist of turbines with a height of 178 meters. They will also act as water reservoirs. The principle of operation of the system is quite simple, when there is wind, the equipment will work like a wind generator, and when the weather is not windy, hydro turbines will be put into operation. They generate energy from water that must flow from reservoirs down the hill. When it reappears, water will start pumping back to the tanks. This will ensure continuous operation of the power plant.
The era of the "mills" that Don Quixote fought with in Cervantes's story goes back into the distant past. Today, industrial facilities are more like unique works of art than industrial installations.

Airship from Altaeros Energies

Every day there are more and more ideas regarding the development of alternative sources and one of the newest, the airship generator is considered. Traditional blades are quite noisy, and the utilization rate of the wind flow reaches 30%. It was these shortcomings that Altaeros Energies decided to fix by developing an airship. This innovative type will operate at altitudes up to 600 meters. Conventional bladed wind turbines do not reach this height limit, but it is here that the most powerful winds that can ensure the continuous operation of generators are. The equipment is an inflatable structure that looks like something in between a mill and an airship. It has a three-blade turbine on a horizontal axis.

The peculiarity of such a floating wind farm is that it can be controlled remotely, it does not require additional maintenance costs and is very easy to operate. According to the developers, in the future, these installations will not only be sources of electricity, but will also be able to conduct the Internet to remote parts of the globe, which are far from infrastructure development. According to the data obtained, it can be argued that the mass production of this power generating unit will be a huge breakthrough in the world of technology. And the power reserve of the airship is enough for "two".

Wind generator "Flying Dutchman" and other flying installations.
This device is a hybrid of an airship and a mill. During the tests, the airship was raised to a height of 107 meters, and was there for some time. The results showed that these types of installations are capable of generating twice the power of conventional installations that are installed on high-rise towers.

Wavestalk Project

It is interesting to know that an alternative version of the Windstalk project - Wavestalk was proposed to convert the force of waves and ocean currents into electricity. The device is a bladeless sail type. In its shape, it resembles a large satellite dish, which, under the influence of the wind, tilts back and forth, thereby creating fluctuations in the hydraulic system.

In this design, the wind is harnessed to the sail, which allows large amounts of kinetic energy to be converted.

Windstalk Project

The bladeless mast has long been viewed as the most successful alternative source of electricity. In Abudabi in the city of Mansard, it was decided to build a Windstalk power station. It is a set of rubber-reinforced stems with a width of 30 cm and up to 5 cm at the top. Each such stem, according to the design, contains layers of electrodes and ceramic discs that are capable of generating an electric current. The wind shaking these stems will compress the discs, as a result of which an electric current will be generated. Such wind turbines do not create any noise and danger for the environment. The area covered by the stems in the Windstalk project covers 2.6 hectares, and in terms of power is much greater than the identical number of paddle type that can be located in the same area. To create a similar design, the developers were pushed by the reeds on the bolt, which sway evenly in the wind.

Windmill in the form of a tree

Observation of nature, as is clear from the above example, is very inspiring for modern engineers. Another confirmation of this, there is this design resembling the shape of a tree. Introduced this unusual concept, representatives of the NewWind company. The development was named Arbre à Vent, its height is three meters, and it is equipped with 72 vertical mini-turbines, which can operate even in the wind, the speed of which is 7 km / h or 2 m / s. The windmill in the form of a tree works very quietly, in addition, it looks quite realistic, without spoiling the exterior of the city or suburban area with its appearance.

The biggest wind catcher

The brainchild of Enercon is considered to be the largest in the world. The power plant's capacity is 7.58 MW. The height of the bearing tower can be changed depending on the requirements of the consumer, in the standard version the height is 135m, and the blade span is 126m. The total mass of this structure is about 6000 tons.

Armored batteries are manufactured using a unique technology, are considered new generation batteries and have improved properties. Long service life from 800 to 2 thousand charge-discharge cycles. Batteries depend on the ambient temperature. A decrease of 1 ° C leads to a decrease in the capacity of the device by 1%. This parameter of the battery in frost of -25 ºС will be half its values ​​at +25 ºС.

Which device to stop on and what to consider when choosing

As you can see from the above models, new electrical installations are constantly being invented in the world that can operate on natural resources. Each of them you can successfully use in your suburban area. Having become well acquainted with the principle of operation of wind turbines, you can even try to make your own home station, which will become an excellent analogue of the central electric highway and, perhaps, even make a breakthrough in the world of electronics.
The classic scheme of a power plant using a controller, batteries and an inverter in the circuit.

Equipment selection rule

• The amount of power in kW to provide your home with energy. Power must be taken with a margin. Calculate the number of accumulators for accumulation in case of calm weather.
• Average annual air speed. Climatic features of the place of residence. Installation does not justify itself in a strip where there are severe frosts, as well as it is constantly raining and snowing.
• Blades, or rather their number. Fewer blades - more efficiency. Intensity of noise during the operation of the installation. View reviews of wind turbine manufacturers, reviews about them, as well as technical specifications.

It is difficult not to notice how the stability of electricity supply to suburban facilities differs from the supply of city buildings and enterprises with electricity. Admit that you, as the owner of a private house or summer cottage, have repeatedly encountered interruptions, inconveniences and damage to equipment associated with them.

The listed negative situations, together with the consequences, will cease to complicate the life of lovers of natural spaces. Moreover, with minimal labor and financial costs. To do this, you just need to make a wind power generator, which we talk about in detail in the article.

We have described in detail the options for manufacturing a useful household system that eliminates energy dependence. According to our advice, an inexperienced home craftsman can build a wind generator with his own hands. The practical device will help you to significantly reduce your daily expenses.

Alternative energy sources are the dream of any summer resident or homeowner, whose site is located far from central networks. However, receiving bills for electricity consumed in a city apartment and looking at the increased tariffs, we realize that a wind generator created for domestic needs would not hurt us.

After reading this article, perhaps you will make your dream come true.

A wind generator is an excellent solution for providing a suburban facility with electricity. Moreover, in some cases, its installation is the only possible way out.

In order not to waste money, effort and time, let's decide: are there any external circumstances that will create obstacles for us in the process of operating a wind generator?

To provide a summer cottage or a small cottage with electricity, it is enough, the power of which does not exceed 1 kW. Such devices in Russia are equated to household products. Their installation does not require certificates, permissions or any additional approvals.

Dedicated to those who like to discuss KIEV !!!

In domestic aerodynamics, considering (sometimes) the issues of utilizing the energy of wind streams, the definition was absolutely unreasonably introduced by cunning entrepreneurs - KIEV, the coefficient of utilization of wind energy ...

This conventional unit (for the plane wind model) is intended to replace the usual efficiency. This "indicator" is drawn into the theory of weak flows by the ears (by analogy and method - the Carnot cycle)

The mathematically correct logic of thermodynamic processes is designed to describe cycles with a finite (base) potential of available energy and allows you to determine the following: if you have a 100 hp heat engine. (with an efficiency of 30%), then in reality only 30 hp are used for useful work. Otherwise: these 30% are the full (100%) - available (actually available) power for this design.

There is no better toolkit for heat engines yet.

Otherwise, everything is in practical aerodynamics. To determine the pressure difference (over the wing and under the wing), the amount of motion is used, which is defined as the speed of an object when moving in the air, or (the movement of air in which the object is located). Consequently, the assertion, long postulated by Mr. Bernoulli, about the dependence of pressure on speed is appropriate here, which means that, in the final analysis, aerodynamic К - depends on the pressure difference - which is why the object moves from an area of ​​increased pressure to an area of ​​reduced pressure. an atlas of (any) aviation airfoils, and pay attention to the flow rate around the airfoil at which the pressure drop is maximum. They (speeds) all, without exception, lie in an area located much HIGHER than the speed of the available daily wind (3m / s).

Is it possible in their right mind to apply this method in a small range of winds (flow velocities) without having the results of real blowing? It turns out that it is "possible" - having a model of a flat wind in service, "theorists" of different ranks prove that bladed wind wheels more fully utilize the energy of small winds. Will the "blade" rotate at all in weak winds? Of course not, and there is no reason to even think about it. on the use of blades on the territory of the CIS as alternative sources of energy utilizing weak flows - it is known from practice that blades do not work in the daily winds of the CIS, have never worked and will not work. The Almighty will send down a strong wind.

Sailboats operate - in the entire wind range.

The designers of (powerful) bladed high-speed wind turbines use winds quite competently. Starting from a speed of 10m / sec. - the butt (wide) part of the blade - the blade moves (like a sail) and in the presence of a strong wind, the end profiles (reaching high speeds) use the already appeared high flow velocities. Quite reasonable. Practical enough. It is at high flow velocities that it is necessary to profile and "twist" (in span) the blade. Here are just the available power - (the energy of the air flow) coming to the ALL swept area is distributed as follows: the central part of the impeller is the engine, and the peripheral part is the energy converter of the (already high) wind speeds into torque on the generator shaft.

Double conversion of available energy - allows excellent use of wind energy from 10-12 meters per second, (at the same time solving the problem of speed of generators). The task of the sailing wind wheel is to use all the available power coming to the swept area. Since useful work can only be performed by real forces (generated when a pressure DIFFERENCE is triggered, then "debriefing" must be done with tools familiar (???) for aerostatics than for aerodynamics.

Agree, a telegraph pole standing under the pressure of the wind is doing the job. Work - on the DEFLECTION of the flow coming to it. Energy for this work is supplied by the same wind. If this pillar is cut, the work will be done in an EXPRESSION form, the pillar will simply fall. If you pull the sail on two poles (and file it), MORE work will be done. If these pillars are fixed on the SHAFT of the gearbox, the work will already be carried out both by the deflection of the air flow and by the rotation of the shaft. And if you also optimize the design approximately as a sailing wind wheel (top left) is made, you will have a wind turbine for low winds.

But back to the "analyzes" of sailing wind turbines (surfing the Internet). The mathematical apparatus deserves attention, but the common misfortune of armchair theorists is the distortion of the physical picture of the process. Indeed, applying to our reasoning the completely correct (2.1.1) - for a fixed plate, and making a small excursion into the annals of general aerodynamics together with the author, already in (2.1.4) we get the exact price - for ... firewood.

The fact is that the plate (sail) does not "seem to run away," i.e., it moves (with the flow) along the flow - but is quite realistically in the flow, and moreover, it deflects the flow outside the wind wheel, shifting in a plane perpendicular to the axis rotation of the wind wheel.

Otherwise, unlucky opponents are not too lazy to consider JUST a sail raised on a boat that floats under the influence of the wind in the direction it blows.
Love for N.E. Zhukovsky is clearly expressed, with his article that was never accepted in practical aerodynamics
“Windmills of the NEZH type. Article 3 ".

A sail-type wind wheel actually has a different flow pattern. It is called CONICAL. And the wind wheel as a whole is an annular endless slotted wing of which 95 years ago (the time of this writing) did not exist even in the sick imagination. This is now the joint work of the slat with the wing - it is well described for high flow velocities and is understandable. But there is no serious work on ultra-low air flows around the air. And it cannot be because physical quantities such as PRESSURE (before the sail the wind speed has dropped-pressure has increased) - are also considered in AEROSTATICS. Therefore, the nautical terminology is more suitable for me, speaking about - the tandem of STAXEL and GROT.

It was the yachtsmen who were the first to appreciate practically what the cabinetmakers encrypted - KIEV (I have nothing against the "blades" - in strong winds these machines worked and will work (regardless of the kiev) - for the benefit of man.

The pictures above show a sailing wind wheel and, - a "propeller". As you can see, the diameters of the swept areas are equal. But the working bodies differ not only in design. They differ first of all - in size, and hence in the working AREA. In the theory of screws, this is how it is sounded - the area of ​​the working bodies. And the ratio of the swept area to the total area of ​​the working bodies is called the filling factor of the screw. To put it quite simply, the "propeller" superimposed on the swept area (mentally) will cover only about 10 percent of the swept area. A sailing wind wheel in similar conditions will cover almost the entire swept area. Do you need comments?

If we consider the picture of the flow around a bladed propeller in a specific (any) AZIMUTAL position, then we can easily guess that an elementary stream of air passing BETWEEN the blades DOES NOT PERFORM even useless work. A trickle passes through a sieve ... With a sailing wind wheel, such a number (sorry) will not work - coming to the swept area, an elementary trickle of air stumbles (let the experts forgive me) at SAIL. Then everything is simple - it deviates 90 degrees (if you hold the wheel) and goes out (to the periphery), - OUTSIDE the swept area (accelerating). the queue will transfer the USEFUL energy to the generator shaft. And if you completely abandon the pseudo-scientific analysis, and turn your face to practice, then - at the test site you often see such a picture, a wind turbine wind turbine VEU 10.380 (cx) with a wind of 5 m / sec. cannot keep a whole group of students from spinning.

A bladed windmill should not be held in such a wind. Because it does not spin at all. But back to our opponents. In all sorts of opus we find that "... if the plate is stationary, then the useful power is zero. If the plate moves with the speed of the wind, then it does not experience pressure and the power is also zero ... "- This is, of course, from a great mind. According to the authors, a boat moving in the wind with a raised sail is an unreal picture due to its uselessness. Standing at anchor, but with the sail raised, seems to be a real picture, but the useful power is again equal to zero.

The naive fallacy lies in a complete misunderstanding of the operation of the sail. The fact is that the sail does work both when it moves and when it stands, resisting the wind. In the latter case, ALL the power of the incoming flow turns into the work of the sail by deflecting the air flow coming to the swept area. It takes a little - this work should be directed into a useful channel (to take off the anchor, or to remove the windmill from the brake). The blade, installed on the boat instead of a sail, will require a very strong wind for this purpose. The same is true for a bladed windmill. But the sail propels the boat (turns the generator) and in low winds. In high winds it just does MORE useful work. To be convinced of this, it is enough to strengthen a VANE wind wheel on a boat and a sailing wind wheel on another boat, the results of the "experiment" are clear ... In the "scientific papers" opponents often sound "... three times less than the wind speed. "- I leave without comment, as it is clear - the sail reacts to ANY wind and creates the necessary PRESSURE DIFFERENCE. The rest is all from the evil one.

Consider a small (top right) "movie": here is a working sample of a sailing windmill from the Baltic States, created specifically to test the capabilities of a sailing windmill. The designer did not purchase the drawings, used the PPP method (floor, finger, ceiling) and intuition, but it is still worth talking about the efficiency of this wind wheel. It is higher than that of a blade (of the same diameter), in the entire RANGE of winds, starting from 0.5 msec. These are the conclusions of a comparative analysis made by the craftsman himself. But we are interested in all the charms of a sailing wind wheel, which can be traced on this copy.

It is clear that the approach of the wind (to the swept area) is carried out from the rear side. The sails are filled with the wind in our direction, and slightly at an angle. For a specialist it is clear that the wind, slowing down in front of the wheel and completing the work, is released through the slot (the rear unsupported edge of the sail). Through these slots, you will agree, the already exhaust air leaves (propped up by the newly arriving portions of air). Mr. Bernoulli described this more scientifically, postulating the following: As the flow rate decreases, the pressure increases. As a result, we have an increased pressure from the WINDWARD side of the propeller and UNLOADING from the leeward side. It is the actuation of the energy of this pressure drop that quantitatively determines the work of the windmill. A bladed wind wheel has never dreamed of this ... Remember - between the blades the wind freely penetrates to the opposite side of the wind wheel - EQUALIZING the pressure. Is that bad.

If there is no pressure difference (differential), then what kind of WORK can we talk about at all? Consequently - the main disadvantage of a bladed propeller (for low winds): the area delineated by the ends of the blades (swept) is used to the extreme. This statement can only be refuted by a fool. Argument: if the opposing subject is forced to jump out of a flying plane by offering a blade and sailing wind wheel to choose from (instead of a parachute), I bet the unfortunate person will INTUITIVELY choose a sailing rescue vehicle.

By the way, the serial MD-20 motorized hang-glider with a "turntable" (instead of the standard wing) has successfully completed the season at aviation chemical works, showing excellent results - with a wind of 5 msec, the takeoff run with a standard 100 liter chemical tank was 20 (!) Meters, the climb rate was 4m. Let's go back to our movie. Since the windmill was raised only 1.5 m above the ground. Turbulized surface air layer (see in which quadrant of the swept area the trailing edge flatter) - it does not matter whether the sail fills. But raised above the ground (checked!) To a height of ONE diameter - the sailing wind wheel is fully engaged. And further - it is even more interesting: the exhaust air leaving the working area (propped up from behind) falling into the conical bell - again accelerates (remember the pressure from the windward side). Note the important thing - the acceleration vector is directed TANGENTIALLY towards the wind wheel. If we recall the law of conservation of momentum, then half of the energy of the kinetic motion of air (we are talking about the second, additional acceleration) goes - again to the same sail wheel. For the slit is nothing more than a conventional jet nozzle that creates propulsive force.

Increase of the reactive component, at 10m.sec. is equal to 40 percent of all wind energy coming to the swept area. It is no longer necessary to talk about the fact that the starting moment is greater than the working moment (the blades are resting). For especially militant opponents, I will try to explain the essence of the difference between a sail and a blade on the basis of the molecular-kinetic theory, without resorting to the equipment. (specific) energy.

The nature of the origin of the "argument" is simple. Density and velocity (relative to what?) Squared are substituted into the well-known formula of kinetic energy. Then all this pleasure is divided into 2. But it is still better to cut firewood with a saw than with a plane ... I recommend that you refer to the process of WITHDRAWAL of this formula. In order for the body to move where (flying, running ...), it is necessary to give the same amount of energy to the body with which, what moves (flies and jumps) INTERACTED to obtain the required amount of movement. That is why there is NO fractional line in the formula of potential energy. And in the kinetic - there is.

In the case of a wind wheel (of any type), we work with the full energy of the flow in a way that it was not WE who set the air flow (wind) into motion. And back. Considering the wing of an aircraft (helicopter propeller), we must be guided only by KINETIC energy (divided by 2) since WE ourselves force the body (aircraft) to move in the air and not vice versa. And the entire supply of energy must be carried with you in the form of fuel. Otherwise, it simply won't fly.

The fact is that the wind energy generated as a result of gravitational interactions is for ordinary citizens 100 percent (full energy) that the blade must remove from a given (specific) area. I have to. But, physically, the dimensions of the blade are incomparable with the cross-sectional area of ​​the jet. Considering the air flow (in the light of the MCT), we find that the wind is a directed (ordered) flow of air molecules. Each molecule carries energy (no matter who gave it energy - it is important how to correctly remove it) - and we suddenly put a blade in its path.

Having rebounded, the molecule gave up part of the energy and, having rounded the obstacle, briefly changed the direction of its own motion (turbulized the flow) and, caught up by its neighbors, carried away further carrying away its impulse - and hence the energy. Reference: any change in the direction of movement of a material point by ANOTHER subject of the physical world is an ENERGY EXCHANGE process. The angle of change in the direction of movement of the molecule - determines the AMOUNT of energy transferred to the second body. Stopping a molecule completely by an obstacle means 100 percent transfer of energy to an obstacle.

By slowing down, or rather by rejecting more molecules, we get more energy. Guess which of the two windwheels under consideration will brake more molecules? Right. But the "blades" (if they are forced) to rotate-collect (reject) these same molecules. And the greater the angular speed of rotation of the blade, the more molecules they will collide with (remove energy), and at high speeds, aerodynamics will also be connected ...

The sail wheel does not need to be rotated at all for this purpose. It immediately contacts all the molecules that come to the area swept by it. And receiving energy from many molecules at the same time, it simply rotates along with the gearbox shaft.

Are all the benefits of a sail wheel presented here? Of course not. I will reveal one more "secret". The sailing wind wheel does not scatter elementary air streams in different directions, but carefully collects them into its flexible cones (working bodies), and releases them through the jet slots outside the swept area. And wherever the trickle of air hits - on the edge of the sail or in the center, it will be stopped, redirected, accelerated again (by suitable jets - pressure) and released through the jet gap, giving up all the initial energy and half (now exactly kinetic) energy received in the acceleration time in the "groove" of the cone.

This theory is already built on the VOLUME model of air. Where did this second kinetic energy for acceleration come from? Well, if the wind was not canceled - from the pressure created by the elementary streams of air arriving at the swept area.

Well, they are like that - trickles.

Vladimir from Taganrog

They appeared long enough to have time to acquire a mass of design options. One of the old, but still successfully used and developing design options is the sail rotor. The durability of the structure is due to its high sensitivity - a large area of ​​the blades allows you to efficiently receive wind energy.

At low speed streams, when the usual ones have not yet started, sailboats are already spinning and generating power. These advantages force designers to constantly improve the design, create new, more efficient designs.

Windmill pump

The prototype of the current sailing turbines was the windmill pump... He converted wind energy into rotational, and then into reciprocating motion, forcing the pump to move, supplying water from the well to the surface. The design was simple and very reliable, such windmills still exist.

It is noteworthy that the appearance of the wind wheel was practically the same as on the current models, although more than 100 years have passed since the appearance of the first industrial designs. The only difference is the tin blades in the old samples and the soft fabric blades in the modern ones.

Modern wind turbines with a sail rotor

Current designs perform a slightly different task. They generate electricity, although the principle of operation remains the same - the conversion of wind energy into rotary motion.

With the advent of new technologies and materials, the appearance of the sailing rotor has also changed. The blades are now petal shaped tube frames. Sails made of dense synthetic fabric are stretched on it, which is not afraid of moisture or temperature changes. Sometimes the frame does not have a closed shape, representing a semblance of the letter "G".

Usually the sail has a triangular shape with apex at the center of rotation. One side of the triangle adjacent to the apex is not attached to the frame. Under wind pressure, it bends somewhat, forming a blade with an optimal profile for a given wind force. The rotation begins at low wind speeds - already at 3-4 m / s the generator is able to charge the batteries.

The main advantage of sailboats is the simplicity of the design and the ability to repair or completely manufacture it yourself. Compared to blades glued from fiberglass or cut from polypropylene pipes, manufacturing and replacement is not difficult. At the same time, there are also industrial designs. They are usually produced in small teams, but the designs are quite interesting. So, there are models that combine sail and diffuser.

The blades are not located in a plane, but like the petals of a half-opened flower. The wind flow enters such a bell, is compacted and acts with maximum force on the blade base. The pressure on this area is not dangerous and the energy is transferred in the most efficient way.

Sailboats with a vertical axis of rotation are also known. They largely repeat the usual designs, mainly of the carousel type. The structure of the sail has a specific type that excludes the same effect on the working and back sides of the blades.

DIY sailboat

High advantages of sailing wind turbines prompted many amateurs to engage in the manufacture of such structures. The main difference from other types of wind turbines is only the rotor itself, the rest of the installation elements are the same for all types of wind generators.

The sail type impeller is light and lightweight. This means that the inertia at rest is low, and the load on the support structures and bearings is also low. Another feature is the ability of sailboats to steer themselves into the wind, which reduces the complexity of creating a rotor. The impeller diameter can be made large enough to increase the ability to receive flow energy more efficiently.

For making blades metal pipes are used. A common option is to make a closed circle like a hoop, with radius bars extending from the center, which are the attachments of the sails. Their number may be different, depending on the strength of the winds in the region - the stronger the flow, the more blades you need to make. This ratio is done to form a larger number of slots in the plane of the impeller, allowing the wind to pass through and reducing unnecessary load.

The impeller must be properly balanced. This is especially important for large diameters (for those capable of providing the whole house, it will take up to 10 m in diameter). In addition, it is necessary to provide for the possibility of braking the wheel and changing the sails if they fail. The installation of the windmill is carried out at a distance from the house or buildings, it must provide contact with sufficiently powerful wind currents.

A blow to RAO UES of Russia - MicroHPP and sailing wind turbines Without energy, no activity of each individual and of humanity as a whole is possible. In fact, any human activity is an economic activity, since the economy is the process of exchanging between people portions of energy or their information reflections in the form of the so-called value, because value is information about the energy spent on the production of a product or service. Over the past 30-35 years, energy consumption in the world has doubled every 10 years, this confirms that scientific, technical and economic development is, first of all, energy development.

If there will be an increase in energy, there will be an increase in GDP, the lack of energy is reflected in the so-called financial and economic crises. People try to find the cause of such crises in anything, but only a small number of economists and politicians understand the role of energy in the economic and financial cataclysms of the last 20 years. Those who do not understand the role of energy solve economic problems by destroying the "extra" population in military conflicts. The one who understands a lot about energy, solves economic problems through scientific and technological development, an important component of which is the development of the energy complex. Read completely

On the picture:Low-speed sailing wind turbine manufactured by CJSC "Yurtek", Taganrog.

Sailing windmills have two design options: with a vertical and horizontal axis of rotation of the wind turbine. While sailboats don't look very attractive compared to modern blade wind turbines, they can generate electricity in low winds. Air movement at a speed of 3-4 m / s is enough for the sailing wind generator to generate power, while the blade in such conditions stands motionless.

The sail-type wind turbine is the successor to the ancient Cretan wind wheel, various variations of which continue to be used in many countries, as exemplified by windmills. If we compare the blades of classic mills with sailing ones, then we can see that sailing blades are much easier to manufacture and operate, as well as to repair, which is important. So, the sail, in contrast to the classic blade, instantly adjusts to the direction and strength of the wind. This makes it possible for the sailing windmill to work both in low wind conditions and in storms.

In design, a sailing wind turbine has many positive qualities. These designs differ from bladed wind systems in absolute environmental friendliness, low cost, the ability to use the energy of weak winds, and vibrations, sound disturbances and other negative phenomena of traditional wind installations are not observed here.

What a sailing windmill looks like you should be clear from the photos. Without going into the jungle of aerodynamics, we can say that a sailing windmill is one of the simplest, but at the same time one of the most inefficient windmills in existence. The KIEV of a sailing windmill cannot be higher than 20%, even theoretically. This means that you will only receive 1/5 of the power of the wind flow falling on the blades of the sailing windmill. For example, if the wind blows at a speed of 5 m / s, and your windmill is 5 meters in diameter, then the power of the wind flow will be approx. 1500 watts. You can actually take off only 300 watts from a windmill (at best). And this is from a five-meter structure!

Fortunately, only low KIEV (coefficient of utilization of wind energy) are the disadvantages of a sailing windmill and are limited. Then there are only advantages.

The sailing windmill is the slowest windmill. Its speed rarely approaches 2, but usually ranges from 1 to 1.5. And all because of its monstrous aerodynamics.

On the other hand, a sailing windmill is one of the most sensitive windmills. It works from the very bottom of the wind speed range, starting literally from calm, from 1-2 meters per second. And this is an important factor in the conditions of central Russia, where the wind rarely exceeds 3-5 meters per second. Here, where the faster wind turbines mostly beat their thumbs, the sailing wind turbine will give at least something. Although, as you probably know, Russia is not famous for windmills, this is not the seaside Holland and the winds do not spoil us. But there were many water mills.

Another advantage of the sailing windmill is the amazing simplicity of its design. The shaft of the windmill, on bearings, of course, on the shaft is the hub. Attached to the hub are “masts,” usually 8 to 24 masts. And from the masts there are oblique sails made of strong thin fabric, usually synthetic. The other part of the sail is fastened with sheets, which play both the role of regulators of the angle of rotation of the sails and the role of anti-storm protection. Those. the most primitive sailing equipment, simpler than on the simplest yacht.

It is this simplicity of design that does not allow sending a sailing windmill to the archive of technological achievements of mankind. For a portable, transportable, traveling, emergency version, a sailing windmill is a decent enough design. In the assembled version, it is a package no more than a tent. Sails folded, masts folded. Even a 2-meter sailing windmill in a wind of 5 meters / sec will give the correct 25-40 watts of energy, which is more than enough to charge batteries and communication and navigation equipment, and even for a simple lighting system with powerful LEDs it will be enough.

By definition, the low power of a sailing windmill suggests the use of a stepper motor of the same power (30-40 watts) as a generator. He also does not require high revs, 200-300 per minute is enough. Which matches perfectly with the speed of the windmill. After all, with a speed of 1.5, it will give out these 200 revolutions even with a wind of 4-5 meters per second. Using a ready-made stepper motor, you thereby save yourself from a rather serious hassle of making an electric generator. Since the presence of a gearbox or multiplier is initially implied, it is easy to match the speed of the sailing windmill and the generator.

If we make a variant with rigid (plastic sails), then it will be possible to slightly increase the speed, albeit at the expense of a slight decrease in mobility. The disassembled windmill will take up more space.

Therefore, if your ambitions for harnessing the wind into your cart are limited by a capacity of a couple of tens of watts for charging small and medium-sized batteries (up to 100 Ah), organizing simple lighting using an inverter up to 220 volts and energy-saving lamps, then a sailing windmill is very, very worthy option. It will be, albeit not the most efficient in terms of using wind energy, but a very budgetary and quickly payback option. A 2-3 meter windmill will provide you with up to 1 kW of energy per day.

As a camping one, a sailing windmill will be cheaper than the cheapest gasoline electric generator and will pay for itself initially.

Stationary sailing windmills are built initially large precisely because of their low KIEV. Not less than 5-6 meters in diameter, otherwise it makes no sense. Such a wind turbine will already consistently produce up to 2-3 kW of energy per day. And with its prudent use, they can be turned into 3-5 kW of lighting energy (for example, to illuminate a greenhouse or greenhouse). And when using a heat pump - 5-6 kW of thermal energy, which will heat a small garden house of 20-30 sq. meters and seriously save fuel.

Sailing wind turbines - powerful power plants designed for heating homes and outbuildings. The photo shows a typical sailing wind turbine for a rural resident of the Far North. The wind turbine is made by handicraft according to our technical documentation and our online design support.

Many, very many entrepreneurs are increasingly turning to design bureaus for help in supplying energy to their enterprises. Below is just one such entrepreneur:

Wind-powered plant launched in Magnitogorsk

A sailing generator extracts electricity from the air

While the Energy Ministry is racking its brains on how to stop the rise in electricity tariffs, Ravil Akhmetzyanov, an entrepreneur from Magnitogorsk, has independently solved the energy problem. He developed an autonomous source of electrical energy for his enterprise.

The mast with a wind wheel at the top is visible from afar. Not everyone will be able to recognize a powerful wind generator in this structure. Due to the green triangular bolognese sails, it looks more like a giant weather vane.

Akhmetzyanov's enterprise produces metal tags for MMK. The workshop works around the clock and eats electricity for 20-30 thousand rubles. monthly. "Why waste money when you can make the wind work for you?" - reasoned Akhmetzyanov sensibly and got down to business ..
Read completely
Many craftsmen purchase blueprints or consult on the Forum and reproduce Vladimir's sailboats from Taganrog - quite competently:

The nominal power of this wind generator is 4 kW / h, it works to charge batteries 24 (28) volts. The basis of the wind generator is two automobile generators, here two generators from MAZ 4001-3771-53 were used. Wind wheel with a diameter of 5 meters, 6 spokes from a pipe with a diameter of 48 mm, sails are made of banner fabric.

The torque is transmitted from the propeller through a multiplier with a gear ratio of 1:45. On the output shaft there is a double pulley for the belt transmission of torque to the generators, for two flat belts of the 6P standard with a diameter of 135 mm. The generators themselves are fixed below the multiplier shaft one by one with a shift. It is also possible to tension the belts as in a car. The entire windhead is covered from the top from precipitation (rain and snow) with a casing.

All elements of the windhead are assembled on a pipe with a diameter of 210 * 9mm and a length of 1.2m. The mast for this wind generator was made collapsible so that it could be quickly disassembled and packaged for transportation. Galvanized steel wire ropes with a diameter of 6mm. The height of the mast is 9.5 m, the guy wires are installed at two points along the mast height, at 5 m and at 7 m. The pipes for the mast were galvanized with a diameter of 160mm with a wall thickness of 4mm. From generators without slip rings, there is a four-core wire of the PVA 4 * 4mm brand. No twisting of the wires is observed. After six months of operation, there were no problems with twisting. Read completely

Sailing wind turbines - new generation

Sailboats of Vladimir from Taganrog of the last generation.
The photo shows a two-kilowatt gun that supplies electricity to a summer cottage and a garage.

DIYers - skillful hands and bright heads!

Sailing wind generator - "Vodokachka" for lifting water

Homemade wind turbine of a sail type, made to pump water. Below in the photo is a general view of the structure of the wind generator. Sail blades are made of canvas fabric. The design is very simple, the hub is made on the brake disc. To fix the spokes of the wind wheel, eight tubes with an inner diameter of 30 mm are welded. Tubes are cut from a water pipe. The inner diameter of 30mm just went under the wooden cuttings that are sold in stores for hoes and rakes, those that are thinner. The thread pulling the sail is made so that in a hurricane wind it breaks and the sails become flags, so to speak, to protect the windmill from strong winds.