SynopsisWind power water pump

A windmill is a machine that converts the energy of wind into rotational energy by means of vanes called sails. Originally, windmills were developed for milling grain for food production. In the course of history, the windmill machinery was adapted to many other industrial uses. An important non-milling use is to pump water, either for land drainage or to extract groundwater. A wind pump is a windmill used for pumping water, either as a source of fresh water from wells, or for draining low-lying areas of land. Wind pumps are used when electricity is not available. Windmills were used to pump water since at least the 9th century in what is now Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan .The use of windmills became widespread across the Muslim world and later spread to China and India as well. Windmills were later used extensively in Europe, particularly in the Netherlands and the East Anglia area of Great Britain, from the late middle Ages onwards, to drain land for agricultural or building purposes. Early immigrants to the New World brought with them the technology of windmills from Europe. On US farms, particularly on the Great Plains, wind pumps were used to pump water from farm wells for cattle. In early California and some other states the windmill was part of a self- contained domestic water system including a hand-dug well and a redwood water tower supporting a redwood tank and enclosed by redwood siding (tank house). The self-regulating farm wind pump was invented by Daniel Holladay in 1854. Eventually steel blades and steel towers replaced wooden construction.

1.1 Need of wind pump Wind pumps have been used for centuries to pump water. Wind pumps are used in remote areas to supply drinking water and for irrigation. They can also be used to generate electricity. Building a wind driven pump requires some mechanical ability and time, but the return on the time spent and materials makes building a wind pump a great investment.

The world is getting hotter, in fact by 1°C on land over the last 100 years, and the overwhelming consensus of scientific opinion is that human activities, particularly the emission of greenhouse gasses, are the cause.

The energy sector is by far the biggest source of these emissions, both in the UK and globally, and if we are to tackle climate change it is clear we need to move away from burning limited fossil fuel reserves to more sustainable and renewable sources of energy.

As well as being good for the planet, this is also good for economy as it reduces the UK's dependency on oil and gas imports - improving the balance of payments while also increasing energy supply security.

Almost uniquely there is cross-party political consensus that we need to see more renewable energy and the Government has set a binding target for 20% of the UK's electricity to come from renewable sources by 2020.

Wind power is a well proven and cost-effective technology and expected to be the main way in which industry responds to the Government's targets - so becoming an important source of electricity in years to come.

Types of Wind Mills Today there is a large renaissance in windmill technology as it promises to be a feasible alternative to fossil fuels in the future. You can find two types of windmills that are used for harnessing energy; Horizontal axis Windmills

The wind turbine design for a horizontal turbine is simple. The turbine consists of two or three blades that, when powered by the wind, move a gear. The gear powers generators, which produces electricity. The gear and generator are held within the nacelle which sits on top of the turbine shaft. A yaw drive on certain horizontal models adjusts the blades to maximize the position of the wind. Vertical axis Windmills

It was during the early development of the windmill that the vertical axis design grew popular. However with its inefficiency in operations, researchers came up with the horizontal axis designs in windmills. There are numerous types of horizontal axes versions of windmills that include the post mill, fan mill, tower mill and smock mill. Although vertical wind turbines are not as popular because they are less efficient, new designs and models are constantly being produced. One of the basic ideas for vertical wind turbine design is to minimize the noise pollution and potential harm to birds that the horizontal wind turbine produces. Vertical wind turbines do have blades and their design varies greatly. One vertical wind mill design is the Durries, which is compared to an egg beater in appearance. The Durries has an airfoil design which uses the lift forces of wind to move, similar to the wings of an airplane. This vertical model is not self-starting and needs a motor to generate speed before creating significant torque of its own. The Durries is highly inefficient in producing sufficient wind energy to produce electricity. The Savories is another vertical wind mill design. Although slightly more efficient than the Durries model, the Savories is best used for small-scale energy production. The Savories uses drag force to move by cupping the wind in a shape that resembles a half barrel. This model is also extremely quiet and can sustain high winds without damage.