James Newtons Massmind wrote:
> Brilliant! Not just the idea, but the animation that shows how the
> system works. I've added it to my little page on wind power at
> http://www.massmind.org/techref/other/windmills.htm with full credit
> to you. I hope that is ok?

Of course.

> Of course the paddles should be replaced with airfoils so that the
> maximum speed of rotation will actually exceed the wind speed. This
> is what the design at
> http://www.thebackshed.com/Windmill/photos2.asp does.

This design doesn't work that way.  It is a drag versus lift design.  The
right side is essentially a flat plate being pushed forwards by the wind.
When the paddles are at front and back they are at 45deg to the wind.  I
also don't see a good reason why running faster than the wind speed is
inherently better.  High torque at low speed is not inherently better or
worse than low torque at high speed.  It depends on the desired appliation,
like pumping water, making a vaccuum, generating electricity, etc.  And of
course there are various ways to convert along the torque/speed tradeoff
scale.

> The biggest problem I see with wind power is that A) the wind is way
> up there in the air and gets (much) slower as you approach the ground
> B) anything that you lift way up into that good wind can fall / fly a
> long way and C) if it is heavy, it's going to do a lot of damage when
> it hits the ground.

This means you want to build it next to someone else's house.

> The version I designed (see the page above) is actually similar to
> your design, except that it uses sails instead of solid paddles and
> the air pressure on the driven (leading or running) sail is used to
> pull the trailing sail into a tight trim.

I've never heard of that idea before.

> I've been turning over in my mind a sort of dirigible with sail
> "wings" that would be turned about its axis by the sails and use a
> single mooring line looped over a pulley at the nose.

And that idea is new to me too.  I'm not sure how ultimately practical these
are, but I think it's good to come up with new ideas and explore them.
Others may think up refinements in the future or a particular problem may
come along where that set of tradeoffs happens to fit well.


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