Various Engines provide kinds of energies that used for several purposes. Wind Engine is one of the types of engines.
Windmill and Wind Turbine are wind engines used to generate the types of energy. Let’s drive into the details.
Windmill vs Wind Turbine
The difference between Windmill and Wind Turbine is that Windmill is a device that converts wind power into rational energy comes from the wind, where Wind Turbine is a device that converts kinetic energy into electrical energy. However, both windmills and wind turbines come under wind engines, but the working capacity is different.
Want to save this article for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own articles box!
The Windmills are a device that comes under the Wind Engines and these devices used to convert the power into rational energy. Windmill consists of vanes which are known as sails or blades.
The blades of the windmills help to converts the power into Rational energy. Windmill rotate with the assist of wind that helps to mill the grains and turns them into flour.
The flour that comes out with the windmills had used to make pieces of bread.
Wind Turbines are one of the Wind Engines that converts the winds Kinetic Energy into Electrical Energy. Wind Turbines had manufactured with the extensive size and, these turbines are horizontal or vertical in axes.
The working principle of the Wind Turbine is to produce electricity from the wind, where the appliances like fans use electricity to generate a breeze.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Windmill | Wind Turbine |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | The Windmills are a device that produces rational energy from wind energy. | Wind Turbines had used to convert the Winds Kinetic Energy into Electrical Energy. |
| Uses | Windmill was used to grind the grains that help in the bread making. | Wind Turbines had used to grind the grains and pumping water. |
| Structure | A building with four blades and rotates in a circular motion. | Turbines had manufactured with tubular steel that stands on the ground strength. |
| Comparison | Windmills are old generated devices, but the blades are small. | The blades of the Wind Turbines are large compared to the Windmills. |
| Invention | Windmills had introduced in 1854 August. | Wind Turbine had been introduced in 1887 by Prof James Blyth. |
What is Windmill?
The Windmills are a device used to convert the power from winds into rotational energy. Windmills had introduced in August 1854.
Windmills are the old model that works with the help of winds. These had used to grind the grains into flour that helps in making bread.
Windmills consist of vanes which are known as sails or blades.
The Windmills consists of 4 blades which are smaller and attached to a building. The vanes of the windmills had made with carbon fibre, balsa wood, fibreglass, stable and inert materials.
The vanes of the windmills had organized with an angle that helps to work against the wind. The working principle of the windmills is the wind causing on the blades will spin and produce kinetic energy.
If the generator had connected to the Windmills, then that wind helps to generate the electricity.
Post Mill, Tower Mill, Stock Mill and Fan Mill are the four types of Windmills. Vertical Windmills and Horizontal Windmills are the primary windmills distinguished based on the axis of rotation.
Windmills are the old generated mills and constructed to the buildings with three blades. The lifespan of the Windmills is 20 years, where maintenance had required for six months.
China Goudian Corporation, Goldwind, SANY, Shanghai Electric, Sinovel and others are the companies of China that manufacture the Windmills. Although Windmills produces rotational energy, that energy is harmful to the fishes, animals and plants.
The blades of the Windmills are dangerous to birdlife like bats and many others.
What is Wind Turbine?
A Wind Turbine is a device that produces electricity from wind kinetic energy. Wind Turbine is one the engine in Wind Engines.
These types of Wind Engines had used for grinding, pumping water generating electricity. Wind Turbines that produce electricity had been introduced in 1888 by Prof James Blyth.
James Blyth was a professor at Andersons College, Glasgow.
In the 11th century, Wind Turbines had used for grinding in Northwestern Europe. In the 19th century, wind turbines had used to generate electricity through the wind in Scotland.
Containing few blades for wind turbines helps to reduce resistance but, two-bladed wind turbines do not work efficiently compared to the three blades wind turbines. The vanes or sails of a Wind Turbine had manufactured with tubular steel, solar lattice and carbon fibre.
Most of the Wind Turbines had located on farms that help in electricity production.
Steam, Gas, Wind, Water are the four types of Turbines classified depending on the driving force. Wind Turbines had manufactured with the extensive size and, these turbines are horizontal or vertical in axes.
At the time of peak winds, the Wind Turbines rises to 50% of efficiency. The wind will drop after going into the Wind Turbines if the efficiency reaches 100%.
If the wind blows 12 miles per hour, the power output is up to 1.5 megawatts from Wind Turbines.
The lifespan of the Wind Turbines was up to 20 years with good maintenance. Horizontal-axis and Vertical-axis are the two types of Wind Turbines but, most people prefer to use Horizontal-Axes turbines.
The reason behind choosing the Horizontal-Axes turbine is the strength and efficiency is more compared to the Vertical-axes Turbines. The Wind Turbine blades are secure and substantial in length compared with the Windmill blades.
Wind Turbines harms the flying birds with sharpening blades.
Main Differences Between Windmill and Wind Turbine
- Windmill had introduced in 1854 where the Wind Turbines are introduced in 1888 by prof James Blyth.
- Both Windmills and Wind Turbines are Wind Engines, but the construction and the outputs are different from each other.
- Windmill converts the Windpower into Rational energy where the Wind Turbine used to produce the electricity from Kinetic energy.
- Windmills consist of small blades or sails compared with Wind Turbines.
- Windmills and Wind Turbines are used for grinding grains, pumping water but, Windmills produce electricity by generating the motor.
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960148108001754
- https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/pdf/10.1146/annurev.fl.15.010183.000453
I’ve put so much effort writing this blog post to provide value to you. It’ll be very helpful for me, if you consider sharing it on social media or with your friends/family. SHARING IS ♥️
Piyush Yadav has spent the past 25 years working as a physicist in the local community. He is a physicist passionate about making science more accessible to our readers. He holds a BSc in Natural Sciences and Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Science. You can read more about him on his bio page.
