generation of power from the wind

There is vast energy available in the earth's winds for man's use. It is conservatively estimated that the wind power available to man is the equivalent of the output of 1000 typical fossil fueled or nuclear power plants of 1000 megawatts (MW) capacity each. By contrast, the water power po...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society 1975-07, Vol.56 (7), p.660-675
Main Author: Hewson, E. Wendell
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aircraft wings
Cost estimates
Energy
Meteorology
Turbines
Wind
Wind power
Wind tunnels
Wind turbines
Wind velocity
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Summary:There is vast energy available in the earth's winds for man's use. It is conservatively estimated that the wind power available to man is the equivalent of the output of 1000 typical fossil fueled or nuclear power plants of 1000 megawatts (MW) capacity each. By contrast, the water power potential of the earth is only one-tenth as large. Large wind generators have been built and used during the past 50 years. Research on wind power sites in the mountainous coastal and valley areas of the Pacific Northwest is being conducted. Terrain modification, aerogenerator "farms," special duty installations, environmental impacts, land use, and net energy costs are all taken into consideration. It is concluded that wind power shows promise of supplying substantial amounts of supplementary electrical energy and that the development of this wind power potential should proceed with the federal government taking a lead role.
ISSN:0003-0007
1520-0477
DOI:10.1175/1520-0477(1975)056<0660:GOPFTW>2.0.CO;2