Two Blade

Different Wind Turbine Blade Designs

For centuries now, people have been using wind turbines to generate power. Even now, the basic concept that underpins this type of device remains the same, but the designs of the blades used have undergone drastic changes over the years. Today, it’s possible to generate much more power from much less wind than ever before, and this is largely due to these improvements.

On early wind turbines, the blades were usually comprised of mats made of reeds. This type of turbine blade, for all its usefulness, wasn’t very durable. The short lifespan of this kind of blade led inventors to seek out other ways of making them.

Cloth sails were the next step in the evolution of wind turbine blades. Along with a new vertical axis style design, many early windmills utilized this type of blade in order to use wind power for grain processing purposes.

The next major kind of blade to be introduced was the wood blade, which was often used in conjunction with a horizontal axis configuration. These blades were directly inspired by airplane blades. Although much lighter, wooden blades were nevertheless able to generate much more power than earlier turbine blades.

Electricity was produced for the first time from wind turbines thanks to these designs. Large scale turbines were soon created to take advantage of these improvements, generating energy in commercial settings.

At this time, the difference between horizontal axis turbine blades and vertical axis ones became that much more distinct. With regard to horizontal axis blade design, the majority of the changes would take the form of differences in blade shape and pitch, materials, and the number of blades used per rotor.

Thanks to their strong balance of stability and rotor speed, 3-blade designs are the standard for horizontal axis wind turbines. In many modern turbines, composite blades are used, which are extremely strong and flexible as well as being lightweight, which makes them ideal for both residential and commercial uses. Unlike previous turbines, these new turbines can both spin at higher speeds and capture winds of lower velocity.

Some of the most radical and effective designs available currently can be found on vertical axis wind turbines. These types of wind turbines usually take advantage of either wind drag or wind lift in previously unthinkable ways in order to produce significant amounts of rotation.

Regardless of the direction of the wind, current vertical axis turbines will always convert it into energy. In this regard, they generate a more constant supply of power than the majority of horizontal axis turbines. Residential users will find vertical axis turbines particularly attractive, as they usually don’t require a tower or an open landscape in order to get the best production.

For info about the advantages and disadvantages of wind power, go to Advantages and Disadvantages of Wind Power.

For the best guide I have found for building your own wind turbines with step by step videos, go to Best DIY Solar and Wind Guides.

For another guide to building your own wind turbine, go to Homemade Wind Turbine.

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