Wind Energy

[Keith R]

Johan, Windfinder, interesting topics (along with OTEC -- the DR has one of the few locations on Earth where OTEC may be viable), but let's keep this thread on wind power. If you'd like to discuss the DR's tidal, ocean turbine, OTEC potentials, please start a separate thread.

Thanks,
Keith R
Environment Forum Moderator

[georgios]

Originally Posted by kevadair

What about water pumping options. Wind-powered water pumps were so common in the US years back, and they would work great here. Anyone have connections for DR purchase? I'd be happy to even find a durable hand pump. Ideas?

I am testing a 1.5kw wind turbine connected to a Grundfos SQFlex submersible water pump which can also be powered with solar panels, grid, inverter-battery power and genset. The siting of the turbine can be away from the well hole for better wind conditions.
BTW, this turbine (below) is operating great. The owner is comteplating the idea of building a powerhouse at the base of the turbine tower for the batteries & inverters to eliminate the 10% power losses from the turbine wire leading to the house. The inverter output is AC, very little losses
http://www.dr1.com/blogs/entry.php?u...ment&e_id=1962
Georgios

[PICHARDO]

I love the tilting ability of the tower!!! A first for me!!!!
I'm sold!!!!

[kevadair]

Thanks, Georgios. I am interested in electrical pumps for various uses including water pumping, but one of our wells has a high sediment content that burns out any electrical pump we hook up to it. The water is great for our mineral bath/soak, so we would love to have access to it, but the pump to get it out would need to be either hand powered or a mechanical wind pump.

Anyone have any contacts?

[Texas Bill]

Originally Posted by kevadair

Thanks, Georgios. I am interested in electrical pumps for various uses including water pumping, but one of our wells has a high sediment content that burns out any electrical pump we hook up to it. The water is great for our mineral bath/soak, so we would love to have access to it, but the pump to get it out would need to be either hand powered or a mechanical wind pump.

Anyone have any contacts?

There are plenty of companies in West Texas that still sell Wind driven pumps. This area ismainly Cattle country and theranchers use these wind driven pumps to fill the many water tanks that prolifrate the landscape.
Try Googling hardware stores around and about Midland, Marfa, San Angelo, Kerrville, San Marcos, Pecos, etc. Almost any of these mentioned should have both the towers, the fan array and the pumps. They might even have the plans for the installation.
Just as a matter of description, West Texas is know as "Where the cows cut the wood and the wind draws the water".

Good luck!!

Texas Bill

[cobraboy]

Originally Posted by Richard Alberto

What's is the noise like, if any?

I've been to the massive wind turbine farm on the southern tip of the big island of Hawaii. Huge. I mean huge. I don't see how they could possibly be lowered. They make a loud "swwoooooosh swoooooosh" sound as the massive blades go by.

[Keith R]

CB, as I understand it, the massive ones on wind farms don't tilt. The small-scale units serving a single farm or home, like the one featured in the aforementioned Green Team article, can/do. But as I noted before, other nations in the Caribbean hurricane corridor manage to have wind farms with the "massive turbines," so I suspect the DR could too.

[georgios]

Originally Posted by Keith R

CB, as I understand it, the massive ones on wind farms don't tilt. The small-scale units serving a single farm or home, like the one featured in the aforementioned Green Team article, can/do. But as I noted before, other nations in the Caribbean hurricane corridor manage to have wind farms with the "massive turbines," so I suspect the DR could too.

These massive turbines are indeed huge and build to withstand up to category 3 hurricanes. The turbines cut out at approx 50 miles/hour and stop spinning to protect against overspin/damage to gearbox. For inspection, maintenance & service, the turbine towers are hollow c/w steel steps to climb to the top for servicing them. I did see some serious hurricane damage to one of those huge wind turbines (the tower literaly buckled at the middle,
the blades destroyed and the foundation uprooted...

The turbine I installed at Cabrera has the fold-down feature to lower against hurricanes and to be able to service/maintain at ground level. It's very costly to get a crane on site just to get to the top of the tower where the nacelle is bolted on. Turbine owners felt that the fold-down feature was a plus to protect their investment against nature's fury.

Georgios

[PICHARDO]

I strongly believe that instead of trying to make even bigger machines to produce electricity, we should be aiming to reduce the power consumption of the present and future devices by a margin of 9/10ths...

Just as the CFLs did for the regular pre-historic light bulbs...
Manufacturers aimed to reduce the cost of their devices by allowing less power saving focus to new features ratio.

I would gladly pay 3 times more for an a/c unit that saves me 3/4 of the electrical bill it needs to consume. I'm sure many would gladly save money long term even when it means having to shell out more upfront.

This just happens to be the same road we got taken by the automobile industry and the electrical cars. In the end, we can see that without a combustion engine they had very little to see in spare parts down the road. Pretty much their golden egg goose.

I believe that we own the technology nowadays to produce devices that can replace each and every in use today, which could be powered by a solar panel fitted home. The reason it becomes clear they won't market or produce them is very simply: No profits as before...

Just think that we can send people to live and work in a pile of metal in space called "the international space station". There you don't have wind to produce electricity with wind towers, no air to turn on the electric generator or something that can be said to look power producing other than your plain old "Solar Panels"...

Wind towers would be great if and only if, our power needs were met and surpassed by them any given time.