Wind Turbine Blade Design

Wind turbines are one of the oldes known devices used for generating energy. Although the basic principle behind wind generators has never changed, wind turbine blades in particular have changed drastically over time, from the unwieldy windmill blades of yore to the high-tech blades of today. The main benefit of modern blade design is that it gives wind turbines the ability to generate more power from less wind now than ever before, which in turn makes it possible to use smaller and quieter turbines.

On early wind turbines, the blades were usually comprised of mats made of reeds. Their main weak point was a lack of durability. If the winds were too strong, these blades would often be damaged.

Reed blades ending up being replaced by lighter and more durable cloth sails. Along with a new vertical axis style design, many early windmills incorporated this type of blade in order to use wind power for the purpose of processing grain.

The next step in the evolution of wind turbines arrived with the introduction of wooden blades and horizontal axis blade configurations. These blades were inspired largely by airplane blades. Wooden blades were sturdier yet lighter than earlier incarnations, and therefore they could spin faster and provide greater power to the connected machinery.

This was the point at which wind turbines began to be employed as a means of generating electricity. The earliest wind turbines of this type were fairly small in size, but they were soon enlarged and used for commercial purposes.

In order to meet divergent needs, the differences between horizontal axis turbine blade designs and vertical axis blade designs started to become even more distinct. In terms of horizontal axis blade design, most of the changes would manifest themselves as differences in blade shape and pitch, materials, and the number of blades used per rotor.

Due to their strong balance of stability and rotor speed, 3-blade designs are the standard for horizontal axis wind turbines. Modern turbines feature composite blades, which are both lightweight and strong. Unlike older turbines, these new turbines can both spin faster and capture winds of lower velocity.

Some of the most interesting and effective designs available today can be found on vertical axis wind turbines. Vertical axis wind turbines, too, can provide serious power, as they tend to take advantage of either wind drag or wind lift.

Regardless of the direction of the wind, modern vertical axis turbines can always convert it into energy. Horizontal axis turbines don't provide quite the same consistency of power generation. Their ability to produce power at lower elevation makes vertical axis turbines especially well suited to residential use.

To read about the advantages and disadvantages of wind power, visit Advantages and Disadvantages of Wind Power.

For the best guide to building your own wind turbines complete with step-by-step videos, For a step-by-step guide on building your wind turbines, check out Best DIY Solar and Wind Guides.