Youtube short clip

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QL-cRuYAxg0

This is a short clip of a Danish Wind Turbine accident. Can serve as evidence against the building of windmills, for no matter how rare these cases are, the chances exist, and thus serve as a potential harm to people who happen to be nearby. It looks pretty bad, and quote on of the commentors who watched the film:

They have been trying to stop the mill for a few days. This was not an accident that happened within seconds. Actually it was in the news in Denmark the evening before, and everybody was just waiting for the thing to collapse in the strong wind. First collapse in 30 years. Also why it got videoed…

It is up to us to debate if this is credible or not. I haven’t found information regarding the damage of windmills. Anyone?

posted by chia2 on 3/4/08

Wind Energy Basics

Basic concepts about wind energy…although I have one question. Is wind a form of solar energy? I tried referencing on the net but I couldn’t find much. Will check again soon.  

Wind Energy and Wind Power

Wind is a form of solar energy. Winds are caused by the uneven heating of the atmosphere by the sun, the irregularities of the earth’s surface, and rotation of the earth. Wind flow patterns are modified by the earth’s terrain, bodies of water, and vegetative cover. This wind flow, or motion energy, when “harvested” by modern wind turbines, can be used to generate electricity.

How Wind Power Is Generated

The terms “wind energy” or “wind power” describe the process by which the wind is used to generate mechanical power or electricity. Wind turbines convert the kinetic energy in the wind into mechanical power. This mechanical power can be used for specific tasks (such as grinding grain or pumping water) or a generator can convert this mechanical power into electricity to power homes, businesses, schools, and the like.

Wind Turbines

Wind turbines, like aircraft propeller blades, turn in the moving air and power an electric generator that supplies an electric current. Simply stated, a wind turbine is the opposite of a fan. Instead of using electricity to make wind, like a fan, wind turbines use wind to make electricity. The wind turns the blades, which spin a shaft, which connects to a generator and makes electricity.

Wind Turbine Types
Modern wind turbines fall into two basic groups; the horizontal-axis variety, like the traditional farm windmills used for pumping water, and the vertical-axis design, like the eggbeater-style Darrieus model, named after its French inventor. Most large modern wind turbines are horizontal-axis turbines.

Turbine Components
Horizontal turbine components include:

• blade or rotor, which converts the energy in the wind to rotational shaft energy;  
• a drive train, usually including a gearbox and a generator;
• a tower that supports the rotor and drive train; and
  other equipment, including controls, electrical cables, ground support equipment, and interconnection equipment.
  Wind turbine diagram – click for enlarged image.

 
Turbine Configurations
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 Turbine Size and Power Ratings
Wind turbines are available in a variety of sizes, and therefore power ratings. The largest machine has blades that span more than the length of a football field, stands 20 building stories high, and produces enough electricity to power 1,400 homes. A small home-sized wind machine has rotors between 8 and 25 feet in diameter and stands upwards of 30 feet and can supply the power needs of an all-electric home or small business. Utility-scale turbines range in size from 50 to 750 kilowatts. Single small turbines, below 50 kilowatts, are used for homes, telecommunications dishes, or water pumping.

See Wind Energy Photos page for wind farm photographs.

See Wind Energy Photos page for wind turbine photographs.

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Text and diagram from: http://windeis.anl.gov/index.cfm

I have included the links that they provided to view pictures. Enjoy!

 

Posted by: Jenny on 3 April 2008

Renewable Energy

Here is an introduction to renewable energy of several forms that I found online.

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The need for Renewable Energy

From our day to day living energy has been part of it. We used energy almost in every aspect of our lives. From food preparations and storage, entertainment, maintenance, doing our jobs and earning a living, keeping us warm or cold and so on. Simply to say almost every appliances, equipments and machines in our homes and work requires energy. And as the number of households, buildings industrial and commercial, population; the need for abundunat energy is always a question. If a city or town is growing so fast will the current energy level will meet its demand? in this case an increase in energy should sustain that demand.

Where will those additional energy should come from?. The current sources of energy we have now are the coal fired powerplants, nuclear power plants and hydro electric power plants. And with the present source of energy coal and fossil power plants, the increase in air pollution rises rapidly. As for nuclear power plants the danger of a melt down. However there are safe sources of energy. These are renewable energy, which are gifts from nature. Generally renewable energy are sources of energy which naturally occurs and are abundant in nature.

There are several types of renewable Energy

Solar Energy – This comes from the light from the sun. Depending on the type of process used the sunlight can be converted into electricity.
Wind Energy – To take advantage of this energy man created wind mills and turbines that converts wind into electricity.
Geothermal Energy – This form of energy utilizes the heat fromm earth itself
Other renewable energy sources are tidal power from seas and oceans, and biomass from garbage

With the increased demand in energy, thus the need for supply should increase but it does not mean that we should neglect consequences to nature. Because of the increased pollutants in the air the harm of global warming is taking effect. If we are looking for additional sources of energy we should look for a safe a pollutant free as possible source of energy should be utilized. Not only that we must now start eradicating those energy sources which greatly harms our ecosystem.

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Taken from: http://www.atlantic-renewable.com/

 

Posted by: Jenny on 3 April 2008