| Supported by a generous grant from one of the | | | | 'lightweight' and 'durable', and they make it easier |
| world's leading electric-appliance manufacturers, | | | | to get more spin from less wind. In some tests, |
| researchers look for "advanced designs" for wind | | | | teams have stretched composite wind turbine |
| turbine blades. The search is on for a more | | | | blades to three times the length of older models |
| durable, efficient, productive, relatively low cost | | | | with no increase in weight, and some experiments |
| set of advanced blades. | | | | have shown their designs not only can match but |
| The background and objective seem simple | | | | actually can exceed the wind's speed. But it might |
| enough: Find a lightweight, durable wind generator | | | | be more horoscope than weather and design |
| blade design suitable for use in suburban residential | | | | because we cannot consistently duplicate our |
| settings. | | | | results. We just cannot control or plan against all |
| Although wind-power experts long ago denounced | | | | the variables. |
| and abandoned the whole idea of mounting a little | | | | Buildings and Beauties Do Not Quite Satisfy the |
| windmill on every single American roof, | | | | Requirements |
| encouraging village-sized wind farms instead, | | | | With the benefit of great hindsight, we see |
| nevertheless the big corporations want a product | | | | exactly where we went wrong. If developers had |
| for the consumer marketplace. Buy a refrigerator; | | | | planned suburbs with as much respect for the |
| get the matching wind generator half price might | | | | sun's and wind's power as for profit potential, |
| be the future advertisement. | | | | they easily could have expanded most American |
| Not surprisingly, the grant-givers want to develop | | | | cities to maximize the possibilities for solar power. |
| wind turbine blades with the right aerodynamic | | | | If the average house were turned about 45 |
| properties to spin efficiently even in light winds, so | | | | degrees, we could attach towers to their |
| that just about every North American home can | | | | chimneys, catching the best breezes for spinning |
| generate enough power for energy-efficient | | | | our best wind turbine blades, because the |
| appliances. | | | | prevailing winds would blow right along the roof |
| They just want the math to work-out properly. It | | | | ridges." |
| is an easy concept but almost impossible project. | | | | It should also be pointed out how the 45 degree |
| No matter how ingeniously aerodynamic we make | | | | turn would maximize the roofs' southern |
| the wind turbine blades, it seems the blades just | | | | exposure, making solar panels or new |
| will not turn if the wind is too light. We cannot | | | | solar-ceramic shingles exceptionally productive. We |
| balance the equation-design of the wind turbine | | | | can imagine ways to pitch the roofs so that they |
| blades should balance with wind density, and we | | | | would enhance her wind turbine blades' speed and |
| cannot quite get it. Air density gives the wind its | | | | productivity. But developers built these homes in |
| push. | | | | the late fifties and early sixties when people |
| Advanced Materials for Wind Turbine Blades | | | | imagined fossil fuels would last until 'safe' nuclear |
| Composite materials reduce the problems with | | | | power could take over. |