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The Modern Wind Turbine
Duringthe1930s,interest in powering electric lighting and appliances on homesteads across the Great Plains led to the development of small, battery-charging wind turbines. These so-called windchargers were early forerunners of the small two- and three-bladed wind turbines used today to provide electricity for remote residences, and to provide electricity to villages in developing countries.
Theoilcrisisofthe 1970s spurred efforts into developing wind energy as an alternative source of electrical power. Many countries launched programs to develop modern wind turbines. While many of these programs failed, Denmark was successful in developing modern wind turbines. Countries such as the United States have adopted this technology to develop wind energy resources.
Themodernwindturbine is the result of design and material advances made during the 1980s and 1990s, which have enabled wind turbines to become increasingly efficient. Today, wind turbines the same size as the traditional European windmill can generate 250 to 300 kilowatts of powera nearly tenfold increase in efficiency.
The Modern Wind Energy Industry
Manycountriesbeganexploring alternative sources of energy during the oil shortages of the 1970s. As improvements in wind energy technology have evolved, the modern wind energy industry has emerged. Increasingly, modern wind turbines produce electric power as efficiently as other power generation technologies. One of the major obstacles for developing wind energy is finding suitable terrain and wind conditions.
GROWIAN Wind Turbine, Germany
Looking for an alternate energy source during the oil shortages of the 1970s, German engineers constructed the experimental GROWIAN turbine to generate the maximum amount of electric power with the biggest turbine possible. With blades nearly 50 m (160 ft) long, it was the world's largest wind turbine at the time of its construction. The massive turbine proved difficult to maintain and is no longer in use. Through this experience, engineers learned that medium-sized turbines could harness wind energy at a more cost-effective rate than large turbines.
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