In search of alternative energy sources, humanity has stepped far ahead. For example, the power of the sun is increasingly being used, wind farms are being created. Probably, it is the wind that can be considered as the best way to generate electrical energy - efficient, and at the same time quite economical.
Wind, wind, you are mighty
A wind power plant is a group of special generators that are combined into a system and use the power of the wind to create energy. The peculiarity of such generators is their safety for the environment. Today, most wind farms have been built in Germany and Denmark, and in such countries not only energy costs are lower, they also export installations and technologies to other countries. Wind farms work 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 resulting energy is transported through the cable.
As a rule, the masts in installations have sufficient height, and therefore use the power of nature to the maximum. When drafting suchconstruction, the terrain is first carefully examined, the strength of the wind and its direction are studied using a number of instruments. Based on the data, it is already 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 the needs of the customer. For example, if you need to ensure the operation of equipment in agriculture, then you need small capacities. But to solve more serious problems, for example, the electrification of buildings and structures or the installation of a heating system in a house, more powerful wind generators are needed. Only specialists should be engaged in the preparation of the terrain and the installation work itself.
Before you buy a wind turbine, you need to consider a number of nuances, including the load at peak times, average energy consumption, 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 a tree within a radius of approximately 100 meters.
Pros
Wind farms are quite in demand today, for a number of reasons.
- Firstly, it is more profitable when compared to other energy sources.
- Secondly, the reserves of wind power are inexhaustible.
- Thirdly, such mills have a simple device, so they are installedpretty fast. 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 allows you to save the we alth of the subsoil.
- Fifth, windmills provide electricity consistently and reliably.
- Sixth, such devices are absolutely safe for the environment, which is also very important.
Cons
On the other hand, like any other source of energy, wind farms (photos show how simple their designs) have disadvantages.
- Firstly, the wind is not constant, that is, it blows in different ways - sometimes strong, sometimes weak. Accordingly, it is not possible to install them everywhere.
- Secondly, wind turbines are quite noisy, which means they need to be located away from residential facilities.
- Thirdly, such mills can interfere with radio and television devices. True, in the same Europe they put up with this shortcoming, and today more than 26,000 wind farms are already operating here.
- Another disadvantage is that such installations can harm flying birds, so they need to be erected 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 strengths and wind speeds. For example, an installation with a capacity of 400-6400 W is quite enough to provide energy for small farms, shops,restaurants that are far from the main energy sources. If you need to provide electricity to several houses or a small village, then you need stations of higher power, on average 18,000-26,500 watts. It is advisable to install the same installations next to large industries and commercial facilities. For the simplest wind farms for the home, the price starts from 700,000 rubles, more expensive installations cost about three million rubles.
Alternative species
As we said, the windmill is quite noisy, but there are now generators available that are not as powerful. For example, a silent wind turbine is an ideal solution for small and medium-sized facilities, farms, shops, if they are located in remote areas. Today, vertical installations are very popular due to their efficiency and ease of installation. The advantages of such a system are as follows:
- quiet operation without vibrations;
- high wind resistance;
- Aluminum coated case protection against lightning;
- no matter the direction of the wind.
Silent home wind farms are easy to maintain and install because there are no small parts. It is also important that no harm will be done to the birds, since the design of the installations is such that the landscape will not be disturbed. Another interesting option is a sail generator. Of course, it does not have an attractive design, but it can generate energy even with light wind. Similarwind farms are good because, thanks to the sail, they quickly adapt to the movement of the forces of nature, which means that energy generation is stable. The designs are absolutely environmentally friendly, have low cost, work without noise and vibration, and this indicates 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 install similar structures on their site. In Russia, according to experts, there are enough potential opportunities for the active development of wind energy. However, while this process is going at a slow pace due to lack of sufficient funding. If the situation changes, and the state pays enough attention to this method of obtaining energy, our country will soon switch to alternative solutions. To date, wind power plants 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 Okrug. However, experts say that soon the geography of wind turbines will become much wider.
How to make a wind farm?
Striving to save on energy costs and bring something newleads to the fact that craftsmen begin to make windmills with their own hands. In its simplest form, it consists of two halves of a cylinder, which are moved 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. A do-it-yourself wind farm is made using the materials and components described below.
- To create a drum, we need plywood and roofing iron (or plastic sheet of a suitable size). The rotor should be light, 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.
- You will need steel strips or wood to make crosses.
- We will make the axle from a steel pipe with a diameter of 30 mm and a length of 2 m.
- For the axle, we also need ball bearings of the same size.
Installation steps
So, a homemade wind farm is done like this. First, we weld the crosses of the rotor to the axis (if wood is used, then it must be glued or mounted with pins). The blades are connected by means of bolts, while it is important that there is the same distance from them to the axis. After assembling the drum, the joints must be treated with thick oil paint. Now we create a bed: for this we need metal or wooden corners, on which we thenmount ball bearings. Skews should be avoided as the rotor will rotate slowly. Now we paint the wind farm again, and we attach pulleys of different diameters at the lower end of the axle. We throw the belt over the pulley and connect it to a current generator, for example, an automobile one. Such a wind power plant is designed for wind speeds of approximately 9-10 m / s with a power output of 800 watts.
Windmill for home
To meet household needs for electrical energy to the fullest extent, 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 a whole system, which includes several windmills that produce low power. The energy in them is accumulated on a common battery, while, if necessary, additional generators can be installed, as well as the number and capacity of batteries can be increased.
In order for the power supply of the facility to be stable and not depend on external causes, experts recommend creating an autonomous energy complex. It will include a wind farm, as well as backup energy sources in the form of diesel and gasoline generators, as well as solar panels. If the wind strength is sufficient, and the energy is generated in the right amount, then the diesel installation can be turned off. If suddenly the power that will be produced by the windmill is not enough, then the backup power supply will automatically start.
How to achieve efficiency?
In order for the installed wind farm to be installed correctly and bring the desired results, several conditions must be met.
- The wind in the area should be stable almost throughout the year.
- There must be enough space on site to install a wind turbine.
- Find out if local authorities allow these 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. You also need to prepare for the fact that you will have to spend a lot of money on a wind turbine. But you will get clean inexhaustible energy.
