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Modern wind turbines have taken
various forms. Designs are continually under development to make
wind power more efficient. Large three-blade turbines are one of the
most popular designs at present but expect to see all
sorts of interesting designs in the future as scientists experiment
with getting the most out of wind power in a variety of
situations. |
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Multi-bladed farm turbine |
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Turbines such as these have been used on remote farms
to pump water and generate small amounts of electricity for more
than a century. Many are in use today. |
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Two bladed turbine |
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Horizontal axis turbines used for commercial
electricity production tend to be two or three bladed. The blades are shaped
like the wings of an airplane to give optimum performance. |
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Darrieus rotor |
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This is a vertical axis design that has
thin blades, which are curved and fixed to a thin shaft held in place
using guy ropes. Although not as efficient as modern horizontal
axis designs, they do not need tall strong towers for support and they will work
in any wind direction. |
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Cross arm rotor |
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This is another design of vertical
axis turbine. It will work in any wind direction. |