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A Brief History of Wind Power
The first wind turbines were giant windmills. These huge but mechanically simple devices use aerodynamic drag to operate simple mechanisms such as water pumps or grinders. These became outdated by the steam engine because of greater portability and user flexibility. A modified propeller type wind turbine tower became widely used in the Midwest of 19th century America. The government stimulus during the Great Depression brought power grids to rural farms and propeller wind turbines fell out of use.
It was Europe that continued the greatest development of wind turbines, and 1920’s France gave birth to the modern vertical axis wind turbine. George Darrieus patented the Darrieus wind turbine in 1931 and Russia continued pushing the technology with the development of the first bulk scale utility power turbine capable of generating 200,000 KW. With the fall out of WWII and the following fossil fuel shortage, the demand for alternative energy escalated resulting in further development of wind turbine technology. Denmark was the first country to create an offshore wind power farm in 1991, and the US has just approved the design and construct of one. Today’s demand for alternative energy and the growing cost of fossil fuels is spreading more interest into renewable energy shortage as is evident from the exponential increase in wind turbine use from 6 GW in 1996 to over 190 GW in 2010.
It was Europe that continued the greatest development of wind turbines, and 1920’s France gave birth to the modern vertical axis wind turbine. George Darrieus patented the Darrieus wind turbine in 1931 and Russia continued pushing the technology with the development of the first bulk scale utility power turbine capable of generating 200,000 KW. With the fall out of WWII and the following fossil fuel shortage, the demand for alternative energy escalated resulting in further development of wind turbine technology. Denmark was the first country to create an offshore wind power farm in 1991, and the US has just approved the design and construct of one. Today’s demand for alternative energy and the growing cost of fossil fuels is spreading more interest into renewable energy shortage as is evident from the exponential increase in wind turbine use from 6 GW in 1996 to over 190 GW in 2010.