[Peripherals] windmills

[Edward Cherlin]

On Tue, May 13, 2008 at 9:36 AM, Mike Dawson <mike at paiwastoon.com.af> wrote:
> Hi,
>
>
>  Interesting - I wonder if we can make some kind of comparison table /
>  tool for countries to try to preserve the knowledge....  like design
>  type - cost to build ($USD) - cost to maintain / year ($USD) output @
>  different wind speeds as known?
>
>
>  Then put that on the wiki?  What do you think?

This information should exist somewhere. I'll take a look.

I haven't found the table you want, because most cost data are for
high-tech products. We need to look into local manufacturing for as
much of the system as possible. Certainly the efficiency of various
turbine designs is known, and the wind speed/power relation is well
established. Power goes up as the cube of wind speed, so that doubling
speed increases power by a factor of 8.

"The power density in the wind will range from 10W/m² at 2.5m/s (a
light breeze) to 41,000W/m² at 40m/s (a hurricane). This variability
of the wind power resource strongly influences virtually all aspects
of wind energy conversion systems design, construction, siting, use
and economy. "
http://www.appropedia.org/Energy_from_the_wind

Here is a good starting point.

http://www.appropedia.org/Category:Wind_power

It points here, among others:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119742696302722641.html?mod=hps_us_pageone
A Young Tinkerer
Builds a Windmill,
Electrifying a Nation
Mr. Kamkwamba's Creation
Spurs Hope in Malawi;
Entrepreneurs Pay Heed
By SARAH CHILDRESS
December 12, 2007

MASITALA, Malawi -- On a continent woefully short of electricity,
20-year-old William Kamkwamba has a dream: to power up his country one
windmill at a time.

So far, he has built three windmills in his yard here, using blue-gum
trees and bicycle parts. His tallest, at 39 feet, towers over this
windswept village, clattering away as it powers his family's few
electrical appliances: 10 six-watt light bulbs, a TV set and a radio.
The machine draws in visitors from miles around.


Also, the American Wind Energy Association's book list
http://www.awea3.org/source/Orders/index.cfm?section=Store&task=1&CATEGORY=BOOKS&DESCRIPTION=Books&CFTOKEN=33437939&continue=1&SEARCH_TYPE=find


Here is a report on microfinance for power systems, with experience from Perú:
http://209.85.173.104/search?q=cache:HQi-uJHaDdsJ:www.gdrc.org/icm/environ/mf-renewablenergy.pdf+microfinance+electricity&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=3&gl=us&client=firefox-a

>  Even here in the capital Kabul - paperwork completed.  line installed.
>  Power comes one night every 2 days (if we're lucky).
>
>
>  Thanks/Regards,
>
>
>  -Mike
>
>
>  Yamandu Ploskonka wrote:
>
>  > our windmill in Arequita, Uruguay was on a 20 ft pipe, from the
>  > ground, tied to the side of the house.
>  >
>  > The charger probably was once a car dynamo.  The propeler was hand
>  > carved out of wood.  This one eventually broke down and I replaced it
>  > with little success.  I wanted eventually to make a smaller diameter
>  > propeller with more arms so as to have higher speed at same wind
>  > force, but didn't relly put effort into it.
>  >
>  > A neighbor had a similar setup, he would charge batteries for a fee.
>  >
>  > the electricity came to a relay, and then to the battery.
>  >
>  > It took us 4 years of paperwork to get electricity from the power line
>  > that was eventually installed by our farm.
>  >
>  > Yama
>
>
>  --
>
>  Mike Dawson
>  Deputy CEO
>  PAIWASTOON Networking Services Ltd.
>
>
>  Email: mike at paiwastoon.com.af
>  Phone: +93 (798) 258 092
>  VOIP: +44 (161) 408 3048
>  Skype: mike.dawson
>
>  PAIWASTOON Networking Services Ltd.
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>  Kabul, Afghanistan
>
>
>
>
>
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-- 
Edward Cherlin
End Poverty at a Profit by teaching children business
http://www.EarthTreasury.org/
"The best way to predict the future is to invent it."--Alan Kay