What are windmills? Windmill structure: diagrams, drawings

The landscape with windmills is more familiar to us in the paintings of European masters of painting of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

Nowadays, many working windmills can only be seen in the Netherlands. True, they don’t grind flour there at all, although there are some. They pump water from one canal to another. How was the windmill built? This can only be seen in the Baltic states and the Netherlands itself. The first thing you need to do for it to work well is to catch the wind. To do this, its roof was turned in the desired direction using a special wheel and lever. The wheel was precisely connected to the roof. When the roof reached the required position, the wheel was locked with a special chain. Then a special brake was released, and the wings of the mill began to rotate, slowly at first, and then faster and faster. The shaft on which the wings were attached transmitted rotation through the wooden ones to the main vertical axis.

Application.

Further, the design of the windmill could be different. It was used to pump out water, squeeze oil from seeds, even use it to make paper and saw wood, and, of course, grind flour. The flour mill did its job using the same stone millstones. With the advent of steam and other types of engines, it can be said to have lost its importance for industry. But in our time, when people learn to save energy and nature, the windmill has been revived in a different capacity, as a cheap and environmentally friendly source of electricity. Hundreds of windmills, her great-grandchildren, work in Holland, the Netherlands and Germany. In the USA, Canada and Australia, remote farms successfully use wind generators to produce electricity for home and household needs.

Decorative element. Its construction.

Today, the windmill has gained popularity as a decorative element. homestead farming. It's not difficult to make. Such a mill, assembled with your own hands near country house or cottage, will decorate any corner of the garden. Work begins with making the foundation. A hole is dug to a depth of 70 cm and laid brick foundation. From 50x50 a frame is welded to dimensions 80x120x270. The frame is sheathed with 40x40 timber. You can cover the top of the structure with clapboard. The frame is installed on the foundation. The wood is covered on top protective impregnation in several layers. The inside of the body is insulated with foam plastic and plywood. Next is the roof. A continuous sheathing is laid on the roof rafters, which is then covered with two layers of roofing felt. Roofing material is laid on roofing felt. Then the mechanism is assembled. An axle and two bearings are selected and installed. The blades are assembled from wooden planks with a cross-section of 20x40mm, which are fastened with self-tapping screws. The blades are installed on the axle. Top part the foundation is also sheathed with timber. Interior can be used to store e.g.

For a long time, windmills, along with watermills, were the only machines used by mankind. Therefore, the use of these mechanisms was different: as a flour mill, for processing materials (sawmill) and as a pumping or water-lifting station.

With the development in the 19th century. steam engines, the use of mills gradually began to decline.

The "classic" windmill with a horizontal rotor and elongated quadrangular wings is a widespread landscape element in Europe, in the windy plains northern regions, as well as on the coast Mediterranean Sea. Asia is characterized by other designs with vertical placement rotor.

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Antiquity

Presumably the earliest mills were common in Babylon, as evidenced by the code of King Hammurabi (circa 1750 BC). The description of the organ powered by the windmill is the first documented evidence of the use of wind to power the mechanism. It belongs to the Greek inventor Heron of Alexandria, 1st century AD. e. Persian mills are described in reports of Muslim geographers in the 9th century; they differ from Western ones in their design with a vertical axis of rotation and perpendicular wings, blades or sails. The Persian mill has blades on the rotor, arranged similarly to the paddle wheel blades on a steamship, and must be enclosed in a shell covering part of the blades, otherwise the wind pressure on the blades will be equal on all sides and, since the sails are rigidly connected to the axle, the mill will not rotate.

Another type of mill with a vertical axis of rotation is known as a Chinese mill or Chinese windmill. The design of the Chinese mill differs significantly from the Persian one by using a freely turning, independent sail.

Middle Ages

Windmills with horizontal orientation rotors have been known since 1180 in Flanders, South-East England and Normandy. In the 13th century, mill designs appeared in the Holy Roman Empire, in which the entire building turned towards the wind.

This state of affairs existed in Europe until the advent of engines. internal combustion and electric motors in the 19th century. Water mills were common mainly in mountainous areas with fast rivers, and wind ones - in flat windy areas.

The mills belonged to the feudal lords on whose land they were located. The population was forced to look for so-called forced mills to grind the grain that was grown on this land. Combined with bad road network this led to local economic cycles in which the mills were involved. With the lifting of the ban, the public was able to choose the mill of their choice, thus stimulating technological progress and competition.

New time

IN late XVI century in the Netherlands, mills appeared in which only the tower turned towards the wind.
Until the end of the 18th century, windmills were a huge number distributed throughout Europe - where the wind was strong enough. Medieval iconography clearly shows their prevalence. They were mainly distributed in the windy northern regions of Europe, large parts of France, the Low Countries, where there were once 10,000 windmills in coastal areas, Great Britain, Poland, the Baltics, Northern Russia and Scandinavia. Other European regions had only a few windmills. In countries Southern Europe(Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, Balkans, Greece), typical tower mills were built, with a flat conical roof and, as a rule, a fixed orientation.

When the pan-European economic boom took place in the 19th century, there was also a significant growth in the milling industry. With the advent of many independent craftsmen, there was a one-time increase in the number of mills.

In Russia, windmills were traditionally used to grind grain or raise water. Modern wind power plants provide electricity to small farms and enterprises.

Buildings located on a personal plot or summer cottage are usually created in strict functional style. Any specific decorative elements they, as a rule, do not have and look appropriate for their purpose. At the same time, the desire to somehow decorate and enliven the territory of the site is common to most owners. There are many options for solving this issue. Most commonly used technologies landscape design, with the help of which absolutely any piece of land can be decorated.

One of the options for creating an unusual look is construction of a windmill. The solution is somewhat unexpected, but invariably effective, requiring detailed consideration.

Design and principle of operation

Windmill- This is a device that converts the flour-grinding mechanism into operation. That's how it is traditional purpose mills that performed almost the only work - grinding grain and making flour. The blades (wings) of the mill received the wind flow onto their planes and began to rotate. It was transferred to the millstones, which ground the grain and produced flour. The design of a windmill is a prototype of pumps and other mechanisms of today that use flows.

Nowadays, it is rare to find a working windmill; they are mainly kept in ethnographic reserves as exhibits. At the same time, they are quite serviceable and can do their job quite effectively.

Decorative element or practical structure?

It is impossible to use a windmill as a full-fledged structure for grinding flour. Firstly, the size of such a structure is not suitable for relatively small areas. In addition, there is currently no need to grind grain. That's why windmills built on garden plots, perform decorative role . At the same time, a rotating rotor, if it is capable of performing its functions, can be used for various household needs:

• power generation;
• activation of the water pump;
• The windmill housing can be adapted to store various equipment.

The choice of how to use a windmill is the prerogative of the owner of the site, but the most common purpose of such structures is to decorate the site and introduce folklore motifs into the design style. This point cannot be considered secondary or unimportant, since appearance just as much as practical application requires a competent and creative approach.

What might it be needed for?

In this case, the key point is self-production structures. In addition to certain practical goals that are pursued when creating a windmill, it is important creativity, the opportunity to make efforts to independently design the site.

Such a structure can be used in different ways, for example, using a windmill you can decorate a water well. Often, such structures cover the exit to the surface of sewer collectors. The use of a windmill for its intended purpose is not excluded - for the purpose of driving mechanisms or generating electric current, for example, to illuminate an area.

Important! Decorating the territory is an important factor in itself, but if possible practical application windmill for household needs, its value increases many times.

Another possible use for such an element is a place for children's games. Children enjoy playing in various houses, and if it is stylized as a mill, it becomes even more interesting.

Selecting an area for installation

The choice of location is influenced, first of all, by the owner’s plan and the purpose of the structure. If planned purely decorative use, then the mill is placed based on considerations of picturesqueness, external effect, that is, in an open area that provides good review structures. If the device is functional, then the choice will be influenced by the level of the site and the absence of large buildings nearby that can cover the blades from wind flows.

In addition, it is necessary to consider the location of utilities, buildings or structures that may be interfered with by the rotating wings of the mill. If they are located opposite the window, the constant flickering in the eyes will create significant inconvenience for the people in the room.

It should also be taken into account that you will need to have a normal approach to the construction, especially if you plan to make it an element of a children's room playground. Taking into account all these considerations, a choice is made optimal location for the construction of a mill.

Step-by-step instruction

Creation of a mill happens by the usual scheme, used in the construction of any structures:

• creation of a project (working drawing)
• purchase of materials, selection of tools
• site preparation
• housing and rotor assembly
• installation of mechanical elements (if planned)
• launch, debugging operating modes

Some steps in this list may be unnecessary; sometimes, on the contrary, additional actions may be necessary. A final plan of action can only be drawn up by considering specific design, its operating conditions, dimensions and other parameters.

Important! In no case should you neglect the creation of a project. It is often at this stage that significant errors or additional factors, radically changing the approach to the work performed. Making at random can result in a waste of time and materials.

Required materials and tools

For creating a decorative windmill It is best to use traditional materials:

• beam,
• boards,
• turned logs,
• nails,
• self-tapping screws

In addition, depending on the size and purpose of the mill, materials may be needed to create a foundation:

• cement,
• sand,
• reinforcing bar.

It is equally important to have the necessary tools:

• electric saw,
• electric plane,
• hand saw,
• chisel, chisel,
• pliers,
• hammer,
• electric drill with a set of drills,
• ruler, roulette.

Depending on the construction project, other tools or devices may be used if the need arises.

Foundation

The first steps you will need to take to initial stage, this is preparing the site for construction. If the construction is planned to be quite large, for example, under a mill it is necessary to decorate a storage for tools, equipment, engineering devices, then a foundation will be required.

The most in a simple way pouring the foundation will create belt type grounds. To do this, a ditch is dug along the perimeter of the future walls, formwork is installed inside, reinforcement cage and concrete is poured. The foundation is maintained for the required time for sufficient crystallization of the concrete, after which further work can be carried out.

Note: For small decorative structures, a foundation is not required; it is enough to raise them slightly above ground level to prevent contact with groundwater.

Once the foundation is completed, construction of the windmill body begins.

Choosing the type of walls and roof

The construction of the walls and roof of the mill is carried out in strict accordance with the working drawings, completed in advance at the very beginning. Various options are possible:

• construction of walls from turned logs. Performed when creating a large mill designed to perform certain economic functions.
• construction of walls from timber. This method is somewhat simpler, since fitting timber is much easier than fitting logs. The size of the mill is also quite large.
• creating a frame followed by cladding with boards. This type of construction is suitable for smaller mills.

The options considered involve the construction of a structure directly on site. There may be options when the entire structure is assembled in one place, for example, in a garage or workshop, and installed ready-made in its intended place. This approach can be used to create small decorative mills, which can be transported within the site.

The construction of the walls is completed when the creation of the roof begins. Traditionally, a two- or four-slope structure is made. As roofing material any of the ancient, traditional roofing coverings- tiles, shingles, etc.

Wood is a material that is not resistant to atmospheric moisture and rain. The finished structure must be protected from water by applying a layer of varnish or drying oil. The best option There will be preliminary impregnation with an antiseptic and fire retardant to protect the walls from insects or fire.

Features of building a functional mill

If the windmill performs useful work, then it is arranged in a rather complex way. The design consists of a rotating rotor that transmits movement to a generator, from which the resulting voltage is transmitted to the battery and inverter. This is the most difficult one, there may be simpler options. But they are all united by one feature: the rotor shaft is connected to a specific mechanism.

This circumstance forces us to approach construction from a different angle:

• first the working mechanism is mounted;
• walls or a protective box are built around it with the possibility of access to equipment for repair or maintenance.

In such situations, construction is carried out so that the walls and roof of the mill do not impede the rotation of the wings or block access to the mechanics. Otherwise, the work is carried out in a similar way using the same materials and tools.

Wind generator installation

Installation of a windmill is necessary in cases where it was made in a workshop. Typically such structures have small sizes and are quite accessible for transportation within the site. This option is good for repairs, modernization or Maintenance. The ability to carry out work in a normal workshop, and not under open air, gives many advantages and provides high quality repair or maintenance.

The mill is installed on a dry, prepared site. If necessary, the device is attached to it using anchors. If the structure is horizontal and does not have the ability to be installed in the wind, then care should be taken in advance to choose a location that allows you to use the prevailing direction of flow for the given region.

Man has known a windmill for a long time and, one might say, he has studied the possibilities of using it for his own benefit in detail. The blades, driven by the force of the wind, transmit torque to various mechanisms - if previously they turned exclusively millstones (which is where the concept of a windmill came from), today they turn almost anything, including electric generators. But this is not the point - today a windmill, or, as it is also called, a wind turbine, is an environmentally friendly, and most importantly, a conditionally free source of energy. Just for this reason, you should familiarize yourself with the structure and operating principle of a windmill - this is what we will do in this article together with the website.

How a windmill works photo

Windmills: design and principle of operation

The windmill, like everything ingenious, works very simply - to put it in understandable language, then through various mechanisms The rotation of the propeller, driven by the wind, is transmitted to the device that performs this or that work. If we complicate this whole matter, then the design of such units can be represented in the form of three different units assembled in a single housing. By the way, the body can be quite large and have almost any shape. Let's look at these mill components in more detail, and at the same time study its operating principle.

As you can see, the windmill works quite simply, despite the complexity of its mechanical system - in principle, in the most simple design It would be a stretch to call its design complex. The main problem of its manufacture lies only in the accuracy of the manufacture of its parts - if you master this moment at home, then everything else will seem simple.

Do-it-yourself windmill: why you might need it

As mentioned above, by processing wind energy using a wind turbine, you can launch quite a lot useful devices. But it just so happens that they are used in modern world relatively rarely and only a few devices are launched with their help. Power, size and weather dependence are another problem that must be taken into account. And it is this problem that imposes some restrictions on the scope of windmills in the modern world.

To learn how to make a decorative windmill yourself, watch this video.

This is probably all that windmills can do - according to by and large, It's enough. Surely no one will grind grain with their help, and certainly no one will use them to operate complex machines. Only as entertainment.

How to make a windmill with your own hands: manufacturing principle

As you already understand, you can make almost any windmill with your own hands, but you should understand that some design details may change depending on its purpose. For example, the presence of a generator in the mill electrical energy will require you to allocate a special place in the case for its installation. In general, when deciding how to make a wind turbine, you will have to make at least two of its parts - if we talk about functional mills, then even more.

To conclude the topic about windmills, I will say a few words about similar installations, only of the hydraulic principle of operation - in the sense of a water mill. This is no less popular country decor, which, as in the case of a windmill, can even be beneficial - this is, of course, if your country cottage area located on the banks of a quiet river. In this case, they can not only generate electricity, but also pump water for. In general, you also need to pay attention to this unit - perhaps it will turn out to be very useful thing, which, if desired, can also be quite simply made with your own hands.

The ancestors of windmills appeared almost four thousand years ago in Egypt. Initially, the windmill had a constant direction of the blades and a belt drive to the axis of the stone millstone. Later, gears and bearings appeared in the design, rotating mechanisms. Such a device was successfully used without radical changes until the beginning of the last century and is also used now.

Reasons for the success of wind energy

The characteristics of wind energy are unique. The properties that have contributed to the long-term success of windmills deserve special mention. Comparison of the characteristics of energy sources allows us to understand such a long-lasting and geographically widespread use of wind energy:

But wind also has disadvantages. For example, the proverbial impermanence. The direction of the wind changes so often that it was even necessary to create mills with a rotating body. And the change in wind strength from hurricane to calm does not allow us to count on the stability of energy supply. Other natural energy sources are also unstable and have their own disadvantages. The sun does not provide energy at night, and during the day it can go behind the clouds. There are not rivers everywhere, and where there are, they can dry up or freeze for months.

Another disadvantage is the low wind density - 1.29 kg/m3. For example, the density of water is almost a ton. To obtain the same amount of energy, the area of ​​the blades of a windmill must be 750 times larger than that of a water mill. And for such structures there must be a corresponding housing.

But, nevertheless, for almost four thousand years, wind has been in demand as a source of energy on the European, Asian and African continents. And now they don’t forget about him.

How the wind turns the blades

Since air has mass, air movement has kinetic energy. When an object appears in the path of wind blowing in a certain direction, their interaction can be described using force vectors. The wind will push the obstacle and push itself in the opposite direction. In this case, the blade, fixed to the axis of the structure, will bend along the axis of rotation and spin on it. Graphically it looks like this:

After contact, the wind is reflected from the blade, leaving it with some energy:

1. to bend the blade in the direction of the wind, which the structure resists with the force Fl2-1, creating potential energy. The wind force vector Fв2-1 will decrease by the amount of this force;
2. creating kinetic energy of rotation, the force Fl2-2 acts on the blade. At the same time, the wind force vector Fв2-2 decreases, changing its direction.

The amount of kinetic energy transmitted by the wind through the blades depends on the mass of air interacting with the blade, the speed of its movement, the direction relative to the blades - the more perpendicular, the better.

In the mill itself, in addition to the design of the blades, it is possible to minimize friction losses by using bearings on the axis and gears in the transmission mechanism, or by installing the generator directly on the axis of the blades.

Knowing how a mill works, you can try to make one yourself. At least for decorative purposes.

How to calculate the wings of a mill

First you need to decide why and where to build a mill. Usually the wind machine is installed in an open area, for example - at the dacha. If trees grow close and densely around the fence, you will have to make a high casing for the windmill. In this case, a foundation will be required.

Low but heavy buildings also need a foundation. For summer cottages, it is enough to lay concrete or dense rows of bricks around the perimeter of the future building to a depth of 0.7 meters. For decorative structures, it is enough to scaffold and compact one layer of brick, which insulates the structure from moisture.

Now we need to decide why the mill should be built. There are many options:

• for lifting water from a well;
• to generate electricity;
• to repel moles;
• for storage garden tools;
• for decorative purposes.

The order of options is presented to reduce the power requirements of the device, i.e. to simplify the mechanism. Determining design requirements remains the right and responsibility of the owner.

Let us immediately remember that the real power of a household windmill does not exceed 500 W at a wind speed of 5-8 m/s. However, electricity can be accumulated, including, if necessary, powerful consumers at short term. For example, a pump for lifting water.

The main thing in a windmill is the blades. First of all, to determine the design of the blades, you need to know that the greater the power, the large area projections onto the plane of rotation must have blades. This is achieved by increasing the number, length, area and angle of rotation of the blades.

To calculate the average power of a structure, you will need to know the strength of the usual winds for the construction area. In addition, the mill blades must be perpendicular to the prevailing wind directions. This information should be found on the Internet by searching for “wind speed statistics” and “wind rose” for your region.

All that remains is to calculate the size of the blades. For example, the average wind is 5 m/s, and the power consumption of an electrical appliance is 100 W. Losses for converting the kinetic energy of rotation of the mill axis into electrical energy will be about 20% - 40%.

Coefficient useful action can be calculated, taking into account the exact passport values ​​of the efficiency of the generator on the axis, rectifier, stabilizer, converter direct current V variable voltage 220 V. When calculating, the percentages of losses are not summed up; it is necessary to sequentially multiply the efficiency of each device to obtain the efficiency of the system for converting rotation into electricity. Another half of the wind power is lost on the blades.

Conversion losses can be reduced by eliminating, for example, a DC-AC converter if the actuator can be powered by a battery. The absence of any other device is also possible if the voltage and current do not have of great importance for the operation of the device - for example, a small incandescent light bulb, or even more practical - an LED light bulb.

The power of a wind generator is directly proportional to air density, multiplied by the wind speed to the third power (for 5 m/s - 125). If you divide the result by twice the projection area of ​​the blades on the plane of rotation, you get the power that the generator can generate on the axis of rotation of the blades.

For example, you can calculate the projection area for 4 blades 0.5 m wide, forming a circle with a diameter of 2 m during rotation, fixed at an angle of 60 degrees to the plane of rotation. The area according to the formula d/2*sin(30)*0.5*4 is equal to 2/2*0.25*4=1 square meter.

This design, with the most common average wind speed in Russia being 5 m/s, receives energy from the wind in the amount of 1.29*125/2*1 = 80 W. Remove half for conversion to rotational motion, remove 25% for conversion to electricity and you are left with about 30 watts for consumers. The maximum wind power in such a wind on blades that completely cover the area of ​​the circle in projection can increase by 3.14 times. As a result, the consumer will get a maximum of about 100 W. Not too bad.

If LEDs are used for decorative purposes, the size of the mill will change to ridiculous levels, if there was a low wind along the ground.

Without conversion to electricity, wind energy is used to repel small insects living underground. It is enough to lower a wooden axle rotating from a windmill 15 centimeters into the recess, and the vibration of the soil will scare them away several meters without disturbing the owners.

Types of wind turbine blades

Blade designs come not only with vertical rotation, but also with horizontal rotation. The blades may have screw design , variable windage. Mills were built to last for centuries and so that each building was unique. Modern designs They also amaze with their variety.

Statistics and prospects

In Russia at the end of the 19th century, about 200,000 flour mills operated. A regular wind turbine produced a power of 3.5 kW, a large one with a blade diameter of 24 meters - up to 15 kW. The total power they generated at that time reached 750 mW. Now wind power generators and a few mills for other purposes are used. And they all produce 50 times less energy than 100 years ago, as much as 15 mW. Development plans. Certainly. are being created, because the wind potential over our country is tens of billions of kilowatts.

Until the plans are realized, one can paraphrase the famous expression of Vladimir Mayakovsky and say: “If mills are being built, does that mean someone needs it? Does that mean someone wants them to exist?” The mesmerizing beauty of working mills has become a powerful inspiring factor for craftsmen creating masterpieces in their yards and summer cottages.