Timeline of creation of wind turbine
Category: Other
Updated: 20 Oct 2018
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Created byKenny NGUYEN
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The Dutch used windmills to crush grains and harvest water. Among the first to use a horizontal axis design which allows for stronger and faster rotationsMaterials used to construct the windmill include bricks, stone and wood however the actual fan would mostly be built with wood as it was more accessible and easier to build withWIndmills would be constructed with a small body and small fan. It would often consist of a small cyclindrical body where the water or grains would be stored and a fan attached to the outsideProfessor James Blyth built the first windmill to produce eletricityThe design consisted of a vertical axle and cup-like structures to catch the wind which he used to power home. The design was able to power his home for over 20 yearsHe constructed 3 windmills subsequently all of which were constructed with the same design of 4 cups surrounding a vertical axle however they varied in size. His windmills were constructed of wooden cup like designs which surrounded a battery which would store the accumulated energyGeorge Darrieus a frenchman invented the Darrieus Turbine which has been given the nickname "eggbeater windmill". The design was the first vertical axis wind turbine and was given the nickname because of its 2-3 blade design shaped like an eggbeater which is still being used in wind turbines till this dayWind turbines adopted steel blades boosting there efficiency as they were lighter whilst sitll being durablleWorld's first megawatt sized wind turbine started operation in Vermont. Named the Smith-Putnam and towered 36 metres with two 20 metre long blades covered in a stainless steel skinBlades on wind turbines adopted new materials like glass and carbon fibre which enabled the blades to be lighter and hence allowed for easier rotation and longer life span of the wind turbine. The carbon fibre still has a solid composition allowing protection from heat, rain and other environmental factors whilst decreasing the weight to length ratioSmaller wind turbines have begun incorporating more aluminium based alloys into the wind turbine in an effort to make the turbines more efficient and lightweight
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