Wind Technology
Since early history, people have been harnessing the energy of the wind. Wind energy propels boats along rivers, simple windmills, and pumping water as early as 5000 B.C. New ways of using the energy of the wind eventually spread around the world. By the 11th century, people in the Middle East were using windmills extensively. Settlers took this new technology to the New World in the 19th century. They began using windmills to pump water for farms and ranches, and later, to generate electricity for homes and industries. In the 1940s large wind turbines began to operate small industries. Wind turbines fall into two basic categories, the horizontal-axis variety, and the vertical-axis design. Modern wind turbines take advantage of many of today's high-tech technology uses such as aerodynamics, engineering, and electronics. Wind turbines that are grouped together are called "wind farms", and generate a lot of bulk electrical power. Wind farms are in a variety of sizes and power ratings, depending on the location of where the farm is located. Some of the wind turbine propellers can span more than the length of a football field, and can stand up to twenty stories high, which creates enough electri
The use of multiple wind plant farms within a region could result to where the output of one wind farm could potentially increase the output of another wind farm because of wind fluctuations. "Wind energy is an environmental technology that doesn't emit acid rain precursors, greenhouse gases, and other air pollutants. "North Dakota, alone, has enough energy from class 4 and higher winds to supply 36 percent of the electricity of the lower 48 states" (Quick Facts About Wind Energy, 2001). The use of the wind turbines is also environmentally safe for our atmosphere. There are still challenges to be met, but with more time, they are solvable. This is a concern greatly because many of the birds killed are raptors such as the golden eagles. The growing concern about the environment is expected to drive markets for wind energy around the world" (DOE, Industry Improving Technology, lowering costs, 1992). "Researchers estimate that there is enough wind potential in the United States to displace at least 45 quads of primary energy annually used to generate electricity, based on "class 4" winds" (Nix, Gerald R. Even though wind power may not become the sole use of our electricity, it will drastically reduce the amount of fossil fuel usage. Characterized by wind-power density classes, ranging from the lowest class-1, to the highest class-7 are wind resources. I think that the use of wind turbine technology could become a very vital form of producing electricity. Wind energy is abundant throughout the United States. Fail-safe shutdown systems are designed to turn the blades out of the wind, or simply "put on the brakes" in the event of a mechanical failure. With continual growth of higher energy costs, the use of wind energy is becoming more and more conventional.
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