Various Engines provide kinds of energy that are used for several purposes. A wind Engine is one of the types of engine.
Windmills and Wind turbines are wind engines used to generate the types of energy. Let’s dive into the details.
Key Takeaways
- Windmills are used for grinding grain or pumping water and have horizontal blades.
- Wind turbines generate electricity and have vertical blades.
- Wind turbines are larger and more modern than windmills, used for traditional purposes.
Windmill vs Wind Turbine
A windmill is a machine that uses wind power to grind grain into flour or pump water. A wind turbine is a device that converts wind energy into electricity, having a horizontal axis with large blades that are designed to capture the kinetic energy of the wind and turn it into rotational energy.
Windmills are a device that comes under Wind Engines, and these devices are used to convert power into rational energy. Windmill consists of vanes which are known as sails or blades.
The blades of the windmills help to convert the power into Rational energy. Windmills rotate with the assistance of wind, which helps to mill the grains and turns them into flour.
The flour that comes out from the windmills had been used to make pieces of bread.
Wind Turbines are Wind Engines that convert the wind’s Kinetic Energy into Electrical Energy. Wind Turbines had manufactured with 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, whereas 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?
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 consist 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 helped to work against the wind. The working principle of windmills is the wind causes the blades will spin and produce kinetic energy.
If the generator had connected to the Windmills, then that wind helps to generate 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 old-generated mills constructed by 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 in China that manufacture Windmills. Although Windmills produce 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 of the engines in Wind Engines.
These types of Wind Engines had used for grinding, pumping water generating electricity. Wind Turbines that produce electricity were 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 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 helped in electricity production.
Steam, Gas, Wind, and Water are the four types of Turbines classified depending on the driving force. Wind Turbines had manufactured with extensive size, and these turbines are horizontal or vertical in axes.
At the time of peak winds, the Wind Turbines rise 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 for choosing the Horizontal-Axes turbine is that the strength and efficiency are higher than the Vertical-axes Turbines. The Wind Turbine blades are more secure and substantial in length than the Windmill blades.
Wind Turbines harm flying birds with sharpening blades.
Main Differences Between Windmill and Wind Turbine
- Windmills had introduced in 1854, and Wind Turbines were introduced in 1888 by prof James Blyth.
- Windmills and Wind Turbines are Wind Engines, but the construction and outputs differ.
- Windmill converts the Windpower into Rational energy, where the Wind Turbine is 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 and pumping water, but, Windmills produce electricity by generating a motor.
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960148108001754
- https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/pdf/10.1146/annurev.fl.15.010183.000453
Last Updated : 10 July, 2023
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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.
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