Nowadays it is becoming impossible to live without electricity. All devices, equipment, tools that can provide a person with at least minimal comfort and the ability to work productively require power. At the same time, the ability to connect to the network is not always available, so there is a need for devices capable of generating electricity based on existing sources. One of the promising and available options is wind energy.
Turbine type wind generator design Today it is one of the most effective. The reason for this is that in devices of this type an optimal combination of area and configuration has been achieved. The decrease in size is compensated by an increase in number, and in parallel with this occurs sharp decrease negative countervailing effect on downsides blades, which creates a force that counteracts rotation.
In addition, more turbine designs are characterized by a low noise level, which is also caused by the small area of the blades and the relatively small dimensions of the device itself, which does not create strong resistance to the wind flow. The risk of fracture or is also significantly reduced, since the windage of the blades is much less than that of more traditional devices.
The turbine principle in the design of wind turbines is considered the most effective. Such devices demonstrate relatively high efficiency, are capable of starting rotation at . This direction is considered to be the most promising wind energy industry, and wind generators created according to this principle are classified as models of the new, third generation.
At the same time, there are still very few industrial developments. Basically, they are represented by foreign models with low performance and high prices, which puts a serious barrier between them and consumers. At the same time, this situation stimulates the growth of independent developments, many of which can radically change the situation around wind energy as a whole.
Moreover, if at first random people were engaged in the manufacture of such devices, now among amateur designers there is a large percentage of professionals who have special training and are capable of accurate calculation their projects. Therefore, it often exceeds industrial designs.
The current situation is such that industrial-scale developments carried out by foreign companies are focused more on high productivity, while the inventions of domestic masters serve to create the ability to provide electricity small area - a private house, estate, expedition, etc., which means different prices and terms of use.
Classification of wind turbines produced according to different signs. First of all, they are divided into:
By type of construction:
In addition, there is a division according to the structure of the blades:
By purpose:
It must be taken into account that the classification of wind generators is very arbitrary; new options and types of design are constantly emerging that do not fit into the framework of the given groups. The process of development and promotion of this area is in an increasing stage, so it is too early to talk about a final and detailed classification of official significance.
The main parameter that interests the consumer in the first place is the power of the device. This is an indicator of the efficiency of a windmill, allowing you to evaluate the cost of the energy received and decide how much such a device solves the existing problem.
The second, no less important and significant indicator is wind generator price. Too expensive samples are not available to ordinary users, so their production is irrational economic point vision.
In addition, it takes into account maintainability, features of operation and maintenance of the device. These issues are to some extent even more important than the price, since the purchase is made once, and maintenance and repairs can be made quite often, requiring ongoing costs.
It must be taken into account that a wind generator is a complex consisting of quite a large number of components. The performance of the entire system depends on the individual parameters of the elements; a single weak node can reduce the performance of the entire complex, therefore, among important parameters we should mention the complete correspondence and compatibility of all nodes and elements with each other.
Great interest in wind energy, its capabilities and prospects have created a powerful movement for independent development and design various devices. Many new ones have been created Not conventional designs wind generators, some of which are highly efficient, as a result of which they can become prototypes of energy devices of the future. Let's look at some of them:
A design whose main idea is to maximize efficiency by reducing the wind pressure on the back sides of the blades. It is a vertical rotor with rod blades located along the circle of rotation, creating a hyperboloid-shaped outline. Effective area the impact of the flow increases significantly. The efficiency of such a device is much higher than that of conventional designs; the rotor can be started with a wind of only 1.4 m/s.
Tretyakov's design is quite complex, but very efficient device. Operating principle is based on capturing the air flow and organizing its direction in such a way that no resistance is created.
The impeller with blades is located inside an air intake structure that receives the flow of the oncoming wind and distributes it so that it acts on the blades in the direction from bottom to top. This point is quite important - the vector of the applied force reduces the coefficient of friction, making it easier to start rotation and allowing you to work effectively at low wind speeds. At the same time, despite the vertical type of construction, the device is demanding in terms of wind direction and needs to be oriented in the direction of flow. This happens automatically; the shape of the hull facilitates turning in the wind.
The ability to work with weak flows is important for most regions of our country, and the compactness and reliability of the design guarantees long-term use.
The wind generator, based on the developments of the Bolotov family, is intended primarily to solve problems of energy supply for private houses, mobile units or other point areas, both stationary and mobile. The design is a vertical rotor equipped with modular blades installed sectionally, one above the other.
A fixed straightening apparatus is installed outside, capturing wind flows and directing them at the desired angle, eliminating the balancing effect on the reverse sides of the blades. The straightener simultaneously performs the function of a stator, which increases the power and efficiency of the wind generator.
The main feature of the device is that it does not require a mast to rise above ground level. In addition, the wind force required to start rotation is relatively small, which allows the design to be used in any region.
This device is the brainchild of French designer Philippe Starck. The design is a type of helicoidal rotor. It is planned to produce two standard sizes with a power of 1 kW and 400 W. Accordingly, the size of the windmill will be 140 and 90 cm.
The design parameters are frankly weak - the wind speed required for launch is 14 m/s, and the cost of the models is 3500 and 2500 euros, respectively. Such qualities do not allow the design to be seriously considered as a solution to the energy supply problem, turning the device only into an expensive status toy.
Solving power supply issues in remote regions often falls on the shoulders of the residents themselves, forcing them to resort to alternative sources. Industrial models are most often unavailable due to high prices, so you have to use homemade installations. The abundance of developments that have high efficiency and efficiency compared to factory samples contributes to the spread and promotion of wind generators of alternative designs.
Incredible! But it will happen soon. Third generation alternative energy sources will revolutionize the world as a whole. The beginning has already been made. Wind turbines are the electric power future of humanity.
Although alternative types Energy technologies such as wind turbines, for example, still receive undeservedly little attention; they continue to be developed intensively. Perhaps soon the mighty of the world this will be understood that reckless mining does more harm than good, and natural views energy workers will firmly enter our daily life. This hope is closely related to the fact that some time ago the appearance of a third generation wind generator was announced.
It is traditionally believed that the first generation devices that converted wind energy were ordinary ship sails and mill wings. A little over a century ago, with the development of aviation, a second-generation wind generator appeared - a mechanism whose operation was based on the principles of wing aerodynamics.
It was a breakthrough at that time! Although, if we take it as a whole, the second generation windmills are low-power, because due to design features cannot work in strong winds. Therefore, in order to receive more electricity, it was necessary to increase in size, which entailed additional financial costs for development, production, installation and its operation. Naturally, it couldn’t stay like this for long.
In the early 2000s, development specialists announced the appearance of a third generation wind generator - a wind turbine. The design, operating principle, installation, and most importantly, the power of the new device is fundamentally different from its predecessors.
Simplicity. This is exactly the word that can be used to describe the design of a wind turbine generator. Compared to bladed wind generators, a wind turbine has a much smaller number of working units and many more fixed elements, making it more resistant to various static and dynamic loads.
Wind turbine design:
From additional systems The wind generator is equipped with inversion, accumulation and control units. There are no systems for adjusting the blades and orientation to the wind, traditional for a bladed wind generator. The latter is replaced by a fairing, which also acts as a nozzle, catches the wind and increases its power. If we take into account that the energy of the wind flow is equal to its speed in the cube V3, then due to the presence of the nozzle this formula looks like this: V3x4 = Ex64. Moreover, due to its cylindrical design, the fairing has the ability to self-adjust to the direction of the wind. 
Any new product or invention must always stand out in a significant way from its predecessors, and always in better side. All this can be said about the new wind generator with a turbo design. One of the main advantages of a wind turbine is its resistance to strong winds. Its design is designed in such a way that it will operate efficiently and safely beyond the critical limits for conventional bladed wind turbines: from 25 m/sec to 60 m/sec. But this is not the only advantage that a wind turbine has, there are several of them:
The most real and optimal place installation of a turbine wind generator will be on the shore of a lake or sea. Near bodies of water, such a wind generator will work practically all year round, because thanks to its nozzle device, it is very sensitive to light breezes and other slightest manifestations of wind with a speed of 2 m/sec.
With the same success, VST will work within the city, where a conventional wind generator is unable to work for a number of well-known reasons:
One of the cornerstones on which the position of opponents of alternative energy is based is that wind power plants interfere with the operation of location equipment. During operation, the wind generator interferes with the passage of radio waves. Considering the size of individual wind power plants, which can range from several tens to hundreds of square kilometers, it is clear why the governments of many countries have begun to block alternative energy projects at the state level - this is a direct threat to national security. 
For this reason, a French company that produces components for wind generators took on a difficult task in terms of execution - to make the wind power plants themselves invisible to radar, and not the space around the wind generator. For this purpose, the experience gained in the manufacture of Stealth aircraft will be used. New components are planned to be released onto the market in 2015.
But where is the fact that proves the advantage of VST over bladed wind turbines? But the fact is that wind turbines do not interfere with the operation of location equipment even without expensive Stealth technology.
The first attempts to start using a wind generator on an industrial scale were made back in the middle of the last century, but were unsuccessful. This was due to the fact that oil resources were relatively cheap, and the construction of wind power stations was unprofitably expensive. But literally 25 years later the situation has changed radically.
Alternative energy sources began to develop intensively in the 70s of the last century, after the pace of mechanical engineering in the world increased sharply and countries faced an oil shortage, which led to the oil crisis of 1973. Then, for the first time, the non-traditional energy sector in some countries received state support and the wind generator began to be used on an industrial scale. In the 80s, the global wind energy industry began to reach self-sufficiency, and today countries such as Denmark, Germany and Australia are almost 30% self-sufficient from alternative energy sources, including wind power plants. 
Unfortunately, and perhaps fortunately, last year's trend in the oil market with unstable oil prices makes us seriously think that the times when cheap oil was good are in the past. Today, for many countries, the cheaper the oil, the more profitable it is to develop non-traditional energy; this primarily applies to the CIS countries. Therefore, there are prerequisites for wind energy to develop. Let's see how it will be.
Wind turbines float in the air, some spin horizontally, others vertically. Some are lighter than air, while others are majestically integrated into the skyscraper of buildings. The variety of wind turbine designs around us is simply breathtaking. Wherever the wind blows, a uniquely designed wind generator can be installed to generate electricity.
You can familiarize yourself with the design of a traditional wind turbine.
Below is a selection of photographs of the most spectacular and truly ambitious wind turbine projects of the third millennium.
MagLev – magnetic levitation wind turbine
MadLev is a maglev wind turbine that can generate one gigawatt of power (enough to power 750,000 homes) and provide clean energy for one cent per kilowatt-hour.
Magnetic levitation is very effective method capturing wind energy. The turbine blades are suspended on a cushion of air, and the energy is directed to linear generators with minimal losses. Big advantage magnetic levitation is that it reduces maintenance costs and increases the service life of the generator. The manufacturer claims that it requires less land space than hundreds of conventional turbines. The MagLev wind turbine was invented by Ed Mazur in 1981. There are already several MagLev wind turbines in China.
M.A.R.S.
M.A.R.S is interesting device, which is capable of using wind energy (much like a windmill) to generate electricity. Electricity is transmitted to the ground through a wire on a steel cable.
Because M.A.R.S is filled with helium, it is able to fly much higher than other wind turbines are positioned to access higher wind speeds. Production of the device with a power of 4.0 kW has already begun.
Screw wind turbine
Spiral structured wind turbines - modern technology windmills. These amazing devices will replace the usual long blades. The new windmills operate in the same way as the old ones, but have a unique design that will help convert wind energy more efficiently.
LoopWing
LoopWing is an experimental wind generator developed in Japan. First presented at the exhibition in 2006. The E1500 model operates with low vibration levels at a wind speed of 16 m/s.
City turbines - "Silent Revolution"
Many people think wind turbines ruin the landscape. Conventional turbines are best suited for wide open spaces where there is a lot of wind. Turbines on a vertical axis, screw design, are much better suited for urban conditions.
A British company has applied for planning permission to build one of its wind turbines near Buckingham Palace.
The Quiet Revolution turbine has 5-meter blades that can generate 10 kWh of energy with wind speeds of just 5.8 meters per second. Built-in LEDs in each S-blade are used to create images as the turbine rotates.
Jellyfish
With a height of only 36 cm, jellyfish can generate about 40 kilowatt-hours per month.
Medusa consists of the following parts:
Vertical axis of wind turbine
Controller
Variable Speed Asynchronous Generator
Jellyfish can operate in the most remote areas, reducing the cost of building expensive power lines. While the use of micro windmills is nothing new, the $400 price tag and simplicity of the design make jellyfish look promising.
Highway turbines
This new way capturing part of the energy expended by vehicles traveling at high speeds on highways. The project was developed at Arizona State University. The movement of vehicles, especially trucks, will cause air turbulence, the flow of which will drive the turbines.
Analysis shows that at a vehicle speed of 110 km per hour, each turbine can produce 9,600 kWh per year.
The issue of wind energy in our innovative times is of interest to many people. Those who have ever visited European countries by car have probably seen huge wind farms.
Hundreds of generators are found along the way.
Observing this picture, many begin to believe that generating electricity using wind is a very promising and profitable activity. Wise Europeans cannot make mistakes.
At the same time, for some reason the fact is ignored that in other places in Europe there are practically no such wind power plants. Why did it happen?
This is exactly what this article will discuss, when, where and how it is profitable to use wind turbines and when it is not.
Autonomy
Surely, after the next increase in the price of electricity, you have thought about installing a wind generator on your site. Thus, providing, if not all, then most of your electricity needs.
Some are even thinking about becoming independent from power grids in this way. How realistic and possible is this? Unfortunately, for 90% of private home owners, these dreams will remain dreams.
And so that you don’t waste your money, we’ll tell you, laying out all the numbers, why this is exactly so.
Wind speed
Unfortunately, there are not many regions in our country where the wind speed is at least 5-7 meters per second. The data is taken on average per year. In the vast majority of latitudes suitable for habitation, this same speed is a maximum of 2-4 m/s. 
This means that your wind turbine will simply not work most of the time. For stable generation of electricity, it needs a wind of about 10 m/s. 
If the wind in your area is 7 m/s, then the generator will operate at a maximum of 50% of its nominal value. And if it’s only 2 m/s, then by 5%.
In fact, in an hour, a 2kW generator will give you no more than 100W.
You will also encounter another wind problem that manufacturers are silent about. Near the ground, its speed is much less than at the top, where they are placed industrial installations height 25-30m. 
You will install your unit at a maximum of ten meters. Therefore, do not even rely on wind tables from different sites. This data is not suitable for you.
Manufacturers modestly keep silent about the fact that for their wind resource maps, measurements are made at an altitude of 50 to 70 meters! In addition, data on turbulence and eddies are not taken into account. 
If you try to raise it higher than 10m, you will definitely think about lightning protection. Blades electrified by air friction, a very tasty bait for discharges! 
In addition, for some reason everyone only worries about such a parameter as wind speed, and at the same time forgets about its density or pressure. And the difference for energy is quite significant. The dependence of electricity generation on wind pressure is disproportionate.
So, when the wind pressure doubles, the generated power increases eight times!
In addition, there is a certain slyness in these technical specifications generators.
Of course, you can trust them, but only under ideal conditions. Because:
On your summer cottage The wind speed may be such that it will not be possible to even rotate the shaft, let alone generate energy. 
And this is in spring or autumn. It is during this period that the most active movements of air masses occur. 
Do not forget that the windmill does not operate in idle mode, but must spin the generator rotor surrounded by neodymium magnets. 
And that's only until electric potential windmill below battery voltage. When the voltage is sufficient to begin charging, the battery turns into a load. 
If you use low-speed designs with a vertical axis of rotation, then there is already a step-up gearbox. Have you tried to spin up the boost gearbox? This design becomes more complicated, increasing weight, windage, and cost. 
Even at the lighthouses of the Northern Fleet, given the constant winds and polar night, experts prefer to use solar panels. When asked why this is so, the answer is simple – there are fewer problems!
Batteries for wind turbines
Large industrial wind turbines can transmit energy directly to the grid, bypassing any batteries. 
But you won’t be able to do without them. Without a battery, neither the TV nor the refrigerator will work. Even the lighting will shine in fits and starts, depending on gusts of wind. 
Moreover, over 12-15 years of operation of the generator, you will be required to change 3-4 sets of batteries, thereby doubling your initial costs. And we take almost perfect option when the batteries are discharged no more than half of their capacity. 
Of course, you can buy cheap battery models, but this will not reduce your costs. Just going to the store for new batteries will be done not 4 times, but 8 times.
Where is the best place to install
Another thing worth seriously thinking about is the availability free space. Moreover, in area it can extend 100 meters or more in each direction from the mast. 
The wind should move freely along the blades and reach them from all sides without interference. It turns out that you must live either in the steppe or near the sea (preferably directly on its shore).
The ideal location would be on top of a hill. Where, from an aerodynamics perspective, the air flow is compressed with a corresponding increase in wind speed and pressure. 
Forget about your neighbors nearby. Their gardens and two-three-story mansions will “drink your blood” great, blocking the tailwind every time. As well as neighboring forest plantations. 
The same industrial windmills are not placed directly next to each other, but are mounted diagonally. Each subsequent one should not cover the previous one. 
Price per 1 kW of power
4th reason – high price. Don't be fooled by sellers' prices on price lists. They never show the actual cost of all the equipment needed.
Therefore, always multiply prices by 2, even when choosing so-called ready-made kits. 
But that's not all. Don't forget about operating costs, reaching up to 70% of the cost of wind turbines. Try to repair the generator at height, or dismantle and disassemble and reassemble the mast each time. 
Don't forget to periodically replace the battery. Therefore, do not expect that a windmill can cost you 1 dollar per 1 kW of electricity.
When you calculate all the real costs, it turns out that every kilowatt of power from such a wind generator cost you at least 5 bucks.
Payback period and savings calculation
The fifth reason is inextricably linked with the first four. This is the payback period.
For your individual wind installation, this period is NEVER.
The cost of a windmill, mast and additional equipment for 2 kilowatt quality models will reach an average of 200 thousand rubles. The productivity of such installations is from 100 to 200 kW per month, no more. And this is in good weather conditions. 
Even precipitation reduces the power of wind turbines. Rain by 20%, snow by 30%.
So your entire savings turns out to be 500 rubles. In 12 months of continuous work, a little more will accumulate – 6 thousand.
But if you remember the initial expenses of 200 thousand, then you will return it in thirty-two years!
And all this without taking into account operating costs. And if you imagine that average term The service life of a good windmill is about 20 years, so it turns out that it will break down completely and irrevocably before it reaches its breakeven point. 
At the same time, a 2-kilowatt unit will not cover 100% of your needs. Maximum by a third! If you want to connect everything entirely from it, then take a 10-kilowatt model, no less. This will not change the payback period. 
But here there will be completely different dimensions and weight. 
And simply attaching it to a pipe through the attic of your roof will definitely not work. 
However, some are still convinced that due to the endless rise in price of electricity, a wind generator will one day become profitable.
When should you buy a windmill?
Of course, electricity becomes more expensive every year. For example, 10 years ago, its price was 70% lower. Let's make approximate calculations and find out the prospects for the windmill to break even, taking into account the sharp increase in the cost of electricity.
We will consider a 2 kW generator. 
As we found out earlier, the cost of such a model is about 200 thousand. But taking into account all the additional expenses, you need to multiply it by two. The result will be at least 400 thousand rubles. costs, with a service life of twenty years.
That is, in a year it turns out to be 20 thousand. In fact, this year the unit will give you a maximum of 900 kW. Due to the coefficient installed capacity (for small wind turbines it does not exceed five percent), in a month you will generate 75 kW. 
Even if we take 1000 kW per year for simplicity of calculations, the cost of 1 kW/h obtained from a wind turbine will be 20 rubles for you. Even if we assume that electricity from thermal power plants will rise in price by 4 times, then this will not happen tomorrow, and not even in 5 years. 
Which wind turbines to choose
Well, for those who live far from substations and 0.4 kV overhead lines, it is worth purchasing the most powerful models of wind turbines that you can afford. Since you will get no more than 15% of the power indicated in the pictures.
Another category of consumers, quite rightly, makes a choice not in favor of Chinese factory models, but, on the contrary, prefers homemade windmills from self-taught craftsmen. This also has its benefits. 
For the most part, the inventors of such devices are competent and responsible guys. And in almost 100% of cases, you can return the installation to them without any problems if something goes wrong or it needs to be repaired. There will certainly be no problems with this. 
At industrial Chinese windmills, appearance Of course it's prettier. And if you still decide to buy it, immediately after checking it with an electric drill, do preventative repairs and replace Chinese scrap metal with bearings with high-quality lubricant. 
If you have large bird nesting areas nearby, it wouldn't hurt to purchase an extra set of blades.
Chicks sometimes get caught in the spinning “mini mill”. Plastic blades break and metal blades bend. 
And I would like to end with wisdom from those users who did not listen to all the arguments and came face to face with all the problems described above. Remember, the most expensive weather vane for a home is a wind generator!
For drive wind generator A rotor type turbine with a vertical axis of rotation was manufactured. This type of rotor is very strong and durable, has a relatively low rotation speed and can easily be made at home, without the hassle of an airfoil and other problems associated with making a rotor for a horizontal axis wind turbine. Moreover, such a turbine operates almost silently, regardless of which way the wind blows. The work is practically independent of turbulence and frequent changes in wind strength and direction. The turbine is characterized by high starting torques, operation at relatively low speeds. The efficiency of this turbine is small, but it is enough to power low-power devices; everything is paid off by the simplicity and reliability of the design.
Electric generator
A modified compact car starter is used as a generator. permanent magnets. Generator output: alternating current power 1.0...6.5 W (depending on wind speed).
An option for converting a starter into a generator is described in the article:
Manufacturing of a wind turbine
This wind turbine costs almost nothing and is easy to make.
The turbine design consists of two or more half-cylinders mounted on a vertical shaft. The rotor rotates due to the different wind resistance of each of the blades, turned to the wind with different curvature. The efficiency of the rotor is increased somewhat by the central gap between the blades, since some air additionally acts on the second blade as it exits the first.
The generator is fixed to the rack by the output shaft, through which the wire with the resulting current comes out. This design eliminates the sliding contact for current collection. The turbine rotor is installed on the generator housing and fixed to the free ends of the mounting studs.
From aluminum sheet A disk with a diameter of 280...330 mm or a square plate inscribed in this diameter is cut out with a thickness of 1.5 mm.
Relative to the center of the disk, five holes are marked and drilled (one in the center and 4 in the corners of the plate) for installing the blades and two holes (symmetrical to the central one) for attaching the turbine to the generator.
Small aluminum corners, 1.0...1.5 mm thick, are installed in the holes located in the corners of the plate to secure the blades.
To connect all the parts, you can use rivets, self-tapping screws, M3 or M4 screw connections, corners, or other methods.
The generator is installed into the holes on the other side of the disk and secured with nuts to the free ends of the mounting studs.
To reduce the size of the wind generator, a second tier of turbine blades can be fabricated and secured around the generator. We will make two blades 100 mm wide (the height of the generator), 240 mm long (similar to the length of the first tier blade) from an aluminum sheet 1.0 mm thick. We bend the blades along a radius of 80 mm, similarly to the blades of the first tier.
