HELLO EVERYONE. IT HAS BEEN A WHILE AND I WILL JUST CONTINUE USING THIS BLOG ON ALTERNATIVE ENERGY. BUT WE WILL SKIP SOLAR ENERGY IN THE FOLLOWNG DISCUSSION AND COVER WINDPOWER TO GENERATE ELECTRICTY. THE PRO OF WINDPOWER IS IT IS 24 HOURS, EXCEPT WHEN THE WEATHER IS SO CALM. SOLAR POWER REQUIRES LIGHT. THE CON IS IT IS MECHANICAL AND INVOLVES MOVEMENGTS AND HAS VIBATION ISSUES AND GENERAL WEAR AND TEAR. WE CAN PROBABY SAY THAT THE EARLIEST USE OF WINDPOWER WERE THE BOATS WITH SAILS. BUT USING PROPELLERS TO CREATE ROTATION , CREDIT SHOULD PROBABLY GIVEN TO THE DUTCH WINDMILLS. ALL THEY DO IS TO CHURN BUTTER TO CHEESE. LET'S REVIEW THE DUTCH WINDMILL. THEY ARE BIG WITH HUGE PROPELLERS AND TURNED SLOWLY BUT WITH HIGH TORQUE. THIS TORQUE CAN BE COVERTED TO SPEED WITH GEARS. THE DUTCH WINDMILLS FACED ONE DIRECTION AND DO NOT HAVE RUDDER VANES. WELL, THIS TYPE OF WINDMILL IS NOW CALLED HAWT, HORIZONTAL AXIS WIND TURBINES. THEN MOST OF US ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE ANEMOMETER. THREE CUPS SPNNING AND CAPTURES AIR PRESSURE FROM ANY DIRECTION. NO VANES ARE NEEDED. THE AXIS IS SKYWARD, THUS, IT IS A VERTICAL AXIS WIND TURBINE OR VAWT. WE DISCUSSED TWO MAIN TYPES OF WINDPOWER DEVICES. EARLY WINDPOWER ELECTRICITY GENERATORS IN THE U.S. ------------------------------------------------- THE EARLY WIND TURBINES IN U.S. FARMS WERE VAWTS. AMERICAN PRACTICALITY AT WORK. DRUMS AND CAR ALTERNATORS WERE ABUNDANT IN THE U.S. THE 55 GALLON STEEL DRUM WAS SPLIT TO TWO HALF SCOOPERS AND ARRANGED TO FACE OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS. THE DRUM HALVES OVERLAPPED NEAR THE CENTER WHERE THE SHAFT IS. THE SHAFT WAS HELD BY BEARINGS ON BOTH ENDS. THE OVERLAP ALLOWS THE AIR FLOW TO CIRCULATE TO THE OTHER HALF. PLACED IN A LOCATION WHICH HAS STRONG WIND CURRENTS, THIS TURBINE CAN DEVELOP TREMENDOUS SPEED AND TORQUE. IT IS CALLED THE SAVONIUS TURBINE. PLACED ON THE GROUND, A CAGE PROTECTED PEOPLE FROM GETTING HIT COMING NEAR THE TURBINE. A CAR ALTERNATOR IS LINKED TO THE SPINNING SHAFT WITH BELTS AND PULLEYS. CAR ALERNATORS NEED A BATTERY TO EXCITE THE ROTATING ARMATURE. BUT ONCE SPINNING, IT WILL SELF EXCITE WITH GENERATED POWER SENT BACK TO THE ARMATURE'S ELECTROMAGNET. MANY ISOLATED FARMS IN THE U.S. HAD LIGHTS AT NIGTH AND POWER THE WHOLE DAY. THE SAVONIUS VAWT IS AS SIMPLE AND INEXPENSIVE AS IT CAN BE AND ALTERNATORS EASY TO OBTAIN BY BUILDERS.