Carli Thome
13 years old
Mt. Calvary, WI
For our presentation, we decided to construct a windmill. A windmill is a structure that converts wind power into rotational energy by the vanes which are also called sails or blades. Windmills were specifically made to mill grain or pump water. The earliest know windmill was created in 1854 and was used by the Persians. The first windmill manufactured in the U.S. was designed by Daniel Halladay. He began creating windmills in 1854 in his machine shop located in Connecticut. The very first electricity-generating windmill was created in 1888, in Cleaveland, Ohio, by Charles F. Brush. The windmill was one of the first man-made methods of power generation. The windmill has a lot of history and proves to be very helpful and efficient. We got the inspiration to build a windmill from C.D. Smith's office building. Their building is very eco friendly and helps the environment immensely. The impact of going green they have had on the surrounding community includes the following; They are improving air and water quality, reducing waste from streams, conserving and restoring natural resources, and enhancing and protecting biodiversity and ecosystems. Modern-day windmills that are used today to capture wind and create electrical power are called wind turbines. Modem-day windmills are thin, sleek structures made out of steel or aluminum. They have three blades made of fiberglass, reinforced polyester, or wood-epoxy. Modern-day windmills can be as tall as 90 meters tall, but there are also smaller wind turbines for business or residential use. Windmills immensely help our environment for the following reasons a clean fuel source and do not pollute the air. Power plants rely on the combustion of fossil fuels, such as coal and natural gas. The resources they use are nonrenewable and once gone cannot be attained again. The fuels they use also pollute our air and can cause low air quality. Power plants also produce atmospheric emissions that cause acid rain and greenhouse gasses. Windmills do not cause any pollutants they only use natural resources (wind) to push their turbines and create power. Windmills are usually grouped into large collections of units to produce electricity. Where the large groups are placed are called wind fanns. They are usually placed in agricultural areas where large plots of land are available and away from any agricultural activity that may be disturbed by the windmill. They are often located in windy parts of the country, but can also be placed offshore to take advantage of winds that sweep over various bodies of water. Some great benefits to windmills and wind energy are; it is cost-effective, creates jobs, enables U.S. industry growth and U.S. competitiveness, a clean fuel source, a domestic source of energy, it is sustainable, can be built on existing farms and ranches. These are some of the many benefits you can get out of windmills. this is why windmills are a good option when considering going green.
