Wind Energy

Windmills are used to harness the power of the wind to produce electricity. Usually windmills are erected using pre-made parts, on site. The basic fan type windmill consists of the tower, gearbox and fan.

Tower parts are usually made of galvanized steel using a roll of coiled sheet metal that is put on a de-spooling device to be fed to the production line.
The sheets are run under a straightener to remove twists and kinks and then cut to the right size and shape.
sometimes the pieces may be placed on a machine to roll and weld seams wherein its ends are passed under a crimping machine to be moved to the finishing station.

Holes are drilled in the metal parts of the finishing station at specific places, as per the windmill design.

These parts may be painted or coated before being fit into a windmill.
The gearbox of the windmill has various gears, rotors, wheels and axles found in it which are die cast and assembled by hand. These parts are placed in a weather resistant housing that is built to accommodate the gearbox parts and the attached wheel and tail assembly. The fan of the windmill is made of a metal rim that is attached with curved blades.

A hole is drilled in both ends of the rim which are connected with a small screw and clamp, to which the fan blades are attached.

The rim is then connected to a center axle, and attached with five pairs of evenly spaced spokes. The fan blades and tail of the windmill are cut from a sheet of metal and run through a machine to give them a curve.
They are then attached to the metal rim using small bolts and metal clamps so that they can be raised or lowered depending on the wind.

The site the windmill has to be placed has to be an area with a prevailing wind of at least 15 mph. the area has to be cleared of trees and other structures that block wind. Sometimes, a dirt mound or concrete base is build to raise the windmill so that it catches more wind.

When assembling the windmill, the main body parts are connected first, to be bolted on the ground and then raised vertically. Connecting rods are used to join other poles while clamps are bolted at joints for stability. Once the tower is raised, it is loosely bolted to the base wherein stay wires are strung from the ground to the tensioners and ground anchors.

When leveled, the bolts are tightened and its integrity tested.
Sometimes a ladder is built in the design for easy access and maintenance at the top. then the fan wheel, main shat and gearbox are attached where the gearbox is first clamped and bolted to the top of the tower.
Then the main shaft is inserted into the bottom of the gearbox wherein the fan and its axle are connected to the gearbox.

This is when the tail section is attached to the gearbox wherein the pump is hooked to the main shaft to make the windmill operational.