Wind Power Essay -- Wind Power Energy Sources Essays

go PowerHarnessing the natural power of the air current is by zero(prenominal) meat a new concept. Asides from sailing, scent power has been utilised for many thousands of years, generally for agricultural purposes. Basic windmills are thought to have been used in Persia (now Iran) as early as the 7th century AD. Their ability to realize use of differentwise untapped energy sources without the needs and costs of other alternatives, ensured that they remained the machines of preference in several industries throughout both agricultural and industrial revolutions. Whilst their basic concepts have remained true to the basic origins, expert advances have alterd engineers to oblige the mechanics of the mill to enable a more functional and uncommitted source of power. In the 18th C, engineers developed spring sails (a device incorporating shutters onto the sails) to enable the mill to be run at constant speed during variant wind speeds automatically. The development of the fanta il in 1745 also ensured the mills ran in the vitrine of the wind and along with airbrakes meant that the mill could run at its most businesslike at all times without the risk of doing itself damage in healthful winds. Uses developed into water pumping, wood sawing, papermaking, pressing oil seeds and a novelty of grinding uses.The use of wind turbines for generating electricity was pioneered in Denmark late in the 1890s. The concept was made a reality by Poul la Cour (1846-1908) who had in the first place trained as a meteorologist. He built the worlds first electricity generating wind turbine in 1891 and although his project was a success, decided the greatest trouble lay in storage of the electricity. As a result he used the electricity from his turbines for electrolysis in order to produce hydrogen for the bollix up lighting in his school. One basic drawback of this scheme was the fact that he had to replace the windows of several school buildings numerous times, as the h ydrogen detonate due to small amounts of oxygen in the gas () DWTMA. As technological barriers were worked through, wind turbines became increasingly complicated. One of the greatest developments was the use of aerofoils instead of travel blades. Aerofoils have the benefit of using lift to turn the blades in the similar manner as an aircrafts wing rises on an air current. This cause of blade replaced the older type, which relied upon drag, t... ...9, www.foe.co.ukEnergy without end, Michael Flood, Friends of the Earth, London 1991Green Futures, Magazine of assemblage for the Future, Issues 6 1997- issue 11 1998, LondonJohnston, Bryan, Landscape effects leave wind power up in the air, Planning 1084, 2.9.94.Milne, Roger, Renewables feel the draught, Planning no. 1095, 18.11.94.Microsoft Encarta 1996 Encyclopaedia, www.msn.comRothe, David, Renewable energy and rural development, Town and Country Planning, March 1993. Review of the impacts of wind farms and other aerial structures upon birds, J Paul Gill, Mike Townsley & Greg P Mudge, sparing National Heritage Review no.21, Perth UK, 1996 UK Power 99, McMillan- Scott PLC Publications, Cheshire December 1998Wood, Peter & Wade-Smith, Richard, Welsh finis sets the wind farm scene, Planning 939, October 91. intrude Energy Conservation- from theory to practice- proceeding of the 19th BWEA Conference (16-18 July 97), Edited by Ray Hunter, The British Wind Energy Association, Mechanical Engineering publications Ltd, London 1997Wind Energy- Power for a sustainable future, British Wind Energy Association, London 1997, www.bwea.com