In search of alternative sources of energy, mankind has stepped far forward. For example, the power of the sun is increasingly being used, and wind farms are being created. Probably, it is precisely the wind that can be considered as the optimal way to obtain electric energy - efficient, and at the same time quite economical.
Wind, wind, you are mighty
A wind farm is a group of special generators that are combined into a system and use wind power to create energy. The peculiarity of such generators is their safety for the environment. Today, most wind farms are built in Germany, Denmark, while in such countries not only lower energy costs, they still export installations and technologies to other countries. Wind power stations operate according to the following principle: under the influence of wind, the blades of the structure rotate, and thanks to the gearbox, an electric generator is driven. The energy that results is transported by cable.
As a rule, the masts in the installations are of sufficient height, and therefore use the force of nature to the maximum. When drawing up a project of a similar design, the terrain is first carefully examined, the wind strength and its direction are studied using a number of instruments. Already on the basis of the data it is decided whether the installed wind farm will pay off.
The main thing is the right choice
Today, customers are offered a variety of wind farms for the home. They should be selected depending on what are the needs of the customer. For example, if you need to ensure the operation of equipment in agriculture, then small capacities are needed. But to solve more serious problems, for example, electrifying buildings and structures or installing a heating system in a house, more powerful wind generators are needed. Only specialists must be engaged in preparing the terrain and directly in installation work.
Before you buy a wind generator, you need to consider a number of nuances, including load at peak moments, average energy consumption, and wind speed. It is also worth remembering that the higher the mast, the stronger and more powerful the wind will turn the turbine blades. True, the installation of such structures is expensive. The optimal location is 10 meters above a building or tree within a radius of about 100 meters.
pros
Wind power plants are quite popular today, due to a number of reasons.
- Firstly, it is more beneficial when compared with other energy sources.
- Secondly, wind power reserves are inexhaustible.
- Thirdly, such mills have a simple device, so their installation is quite quick. The main thing is to conduct research on the object on which they will be located.
- Fourth, the production of electricity in this way is much cheaper, and it saves the wealth of the subsoil.
- Fifth, windmills provide electricity stably and reliably.
- Sixth, such devices are absolutely safe for the environment, which is also very important.
Minuses
On the other hand, like any other energy source, wind farms (photos show how simple their designs are) also have disadvantages.
- Firstly, the wind is not constant, that is, it blows in different ways - either strong or weak. Accordingly, it is not always possible to install them.
- Secondly, wind structures work quite noisily, which means that they need to be located away from residential facilities.
- Thirdly, such mills can become an obstacle for radio and television devices. True, in the same Europe they came to terms with this shortcoming, and today more than 26,000 wind power stations are already operating here.
- Another minus - such installations can harm flying birds, so they need to be built where there are no places for their migration and nesting.
What to buy?
Modern wind farms for the home are presented in a wide range. They differ in performance and are designed for different strength and wind speed. For example, an installation with a capacity of 400-6400 W is enough to provide energy to small farms, shops, restaurants, which are located far from the main sources of energy. If you need to provide electricity to several houses or a small village, then you need stations of greater power, an average of 18000-26 500 watts. It is advisable to install the same installations near large industries and commercial facilities. For the simplest wind farms for a home, the price starts at 700,000 rubles; more expensive installations cost about three million rubles.
Alternative Views
As we already said, a windmill is a fairly noisy installation, but now generators are offered that do not work so powerfully. For example, a silent wind generator is an ideal solution for small and medium-sized objects, farms, shops, if they are located in remote areas. Today, vertical units are very popular due to their efficiency and ease of installation. The advantages of such a system are as follows:
- silent work without vibrations;
- resistance to strong wind;
- protection of the case with an aluminum coating from lightning;
- the wind direction does not matter.
Silent home wind farms are easy to maintain, install, because there are no small parts. It is important that the birds will not be harmed either, since the design of the installations is such that the landscape will not be disturbed. Another interesting option is a sailing generator. Of course, it does not have an attractive design, but it can generate energy even in light winds. Such wind farms are good in that, thanks to the sail, they quickly adapt to the movement of the forces of nature, which means that energy is generated stably. The constructions are absolutely environmentally friendly, have a low cost, work without noise and vibration, and this suggests that they have a future.
What are the prospects?
In general, the ecological situation in the world is such that natural resources are gradually depleted, and soon such a solution as windmills will become a real reality all over the world. It is no coincidence that residents of many countries are gradually coming to the point of installing similar structures on their site. In Russia, according to experts, there are enough potential opportunities for wind power to develop actively. However, while this process is proceeding at a slow pace due to the lack of sufficient funding. If the situation changes, and the state pays enough attention to this way of generating energy, our country will soon switch to alternative solutions. To date, wind farms in Russia are represented in the republics of Kalmykia and Bashkortostan, Chuvashia, Komi, in the Kaliningrad, Saratov, Orenburg, Rostov, Murmansk, Astrakhan regions, as well as in the Chukotka Autonomous Region. However, experts say: soon the geography of the location of the windmills will become much wider.
How to make a wind farm?
The desire to save on energy costs and to bring something new leads to the fact that craftsmen begin to make windmills with their own hands. In its simplest form, it is two halves of a cylinder that are spaced apart from the central axis. If you increase the number of blades in the design to four, then the power and traction characteristics of the device will become much higher. Do-it-yourself wind power is done using the materials and components described below.
- To create a drum, we need plywood and roofing iron (or sheet plastic of a suitable size). The rotor should be lightweight, so do not take too thick materials.
- For the "cheeks" of the drum, we need wood and plastic (or light metal), while the joints should be treated with oil paint.
- For the manufacture of crosses you will need steel strips or wood.
- The axis will be made of a steel pipe with a diameter of 30 mm and a length of 2 m.
- For the axis, we also need ball bearings of the same size.
Installation steps
So, a homemade wind farm is done like this. First, we weld the rotor crosses to the axis (if a tree is used, then it must be glued or mounted using pins). The blades are connected by means of bolts, it is important that the distance from the axis from them is the same. After assembling the drum, the joints should be treated with thick oil paint. Now we create a bed: for this we need metal or wooden corners, on which we then mount ball bearings. Skewing should be avoided since the rotor will rotate slowly. Now we again paint the wind station, and on the lower end of the axis we fasten pulleys of different diameters. Throw the belt over the pulley and connect it to a current generator, for example, an automobile. Such a wind power installation is designed for a wind speed of about 9-10 m / s with a power output of 800 watts.
Home Windmill
In order to ensure household needs for electric energy as fully as possible, the power of a windmill for an average family of four should be at least 10 kW. In such situations, it is advisable to install the whole system, which includes several windmills that produce little power. The energy in them is accumulated on a common battery, while, if necessary, you can install additional generators, as well as increase the number and capacity of batteries.
To ensure that the energy supply of the facility is stable and does not depend on external causes, experts recommend creating an autonomous energy complex. It will include a wind farm, as well as backup power sources in the form of diesel and gasoline generators, as well as solar panels. If the wind force is sufficient, and the energy will be generated in the right amount, then the diesel installation can be turned off. If suddenly the force that will be produced by the windmill is not enough, the backup source of power supply will automatically start.
How to achieve efficiency?
In order for the installed wind station to be mounted correctly and bear the desired results, several conditions must be observed.
- The wind in the area should be stable almost throughout the year.
- There should be enough space on the object to install a windmill.
- Find out if local authorities allow such installations.
In addition, it is advisable to use such systems if you spend too much money on electricity, and there is simply no way to connect to the mains. Still need to prepare for the fact that you have to spend a lot of money on a wind turbine. But you get environmentally friendly inexhaustible energy.