Wind and the Environment
Today, when environmental issues have gradually become one of the main concerns of mankind, the use of different energy sources is seen not only in terms of their capacity and efficiency, but also the impact on the environment.
At first glance, wind energy is absolutely clean environment and without prejudice to the nature and people. But it's not quite true. Powerful wind farms with hundreds and thousands of wind turbines generate a lot of problems: they produce unimaginable noise can interfere with radio and television broadcasts. In addition, the huge towers often impede the migration of birds. Of course, compared to the huge damage to nature, which cause thermal power plants, damage from wind farms is almost imperceptible, but if we want the future to have absolutely «clean» energy, the problem of wind effects on the environment must be addressed now. One of these decisions - and most promising - is to install turbines on the high seas, far from the coast. This will improve not only safety but also efficiency, because the world's oceans winds blow with great force. Of course, the installation of wind generators in the high seas is costly, but the environmental cleanliness is worth the money spent on it.
The first wind power plant in the open sea is already in force. This installation Ebeltoff in Denmark . 16 of its turbines produce 55 kw of electricity - is enough to fully supply the village of 600 houses. Experts estimate that only Western Europe , the coastline stretches over 20,000 kilometers in a position to receive about a trillion kilowatt-hours of electricity a year, if erecting wind turbines near the coast. And the possibility of our country in this regard is even higher.
To date, building technology platforms for wind farms at sea is worked out (here played a major role of experience in building offshore wells for oil) and has already applied.
The main problem of the use of wind energy is the fickleness of the wind. There are several ways to accumulate energy in the case of windless days. The simplest of them - to create a system of two reservoirs, one of which lies below the other. On windy days, the electricity produced can be used for pumping water from the lower to upper reservoir. And when the wind generator is idle, enough to open the jumper - and the water rush out of the upper reservoir in the bottom, turning the path of a turbine, which will provide electricity. Another method of storage - the use of wind energy for the electrolysis of water - hydrogen and oxygen from the water. Hydrogen - the perfect fuel that can replace any type of fuel. The heat of combustion to three times higher than that of gasoline. If on windy days to create an adequate supply of hydrogen, it can be transported to any location on the pipeline, and then used in fuel cells.
Scientists estimate that the total wind energy potential of the earth about 30 times the annual consumption of electricity throughout the world. Of course, the entire reserve of energy use will not succeed. For normal robots air velocity should not be at an average annual decline is less than 4.5 m / s, and at the same time should not exceed 50 m / sec. However, the maximum wind speed may be higher. American engineers have created a generator with vertical rotors that rotate like a carousel. For its effectiveness, he surpasses lobed generators nearly tripled and is able to withstand even hurricane-force winds. Apparently, the development of technology will appear and improved design. Most likely, the technology does not go the way of increasing the size of wind turbines. The future belongs to wind turbine capacity from 5 to 100 kilowatts, which will ensure the needs of agriculture and small settlements. However, it is possible to use and more powerful (up to 5 MW) plant, which will generate electricity as part of existing energy systems. In addition, wind energy can be used for the production of fertilizers, for compressed air, which will be sent to the ponds for aeration - increasing the oxygen content required for its inhabitants. Different industries had grown increasingly make an application for wind energy.