Windmills and Wind Powered Electricity

Windmills were first built and used in Persia in 200 B.C. They were originally used for grinding grain and pumping water, but all used the same basic principle. Wide blades attached to a rotating base caught the wind and allowed repetitive movements to be made.

Wind turbines are energy-producing windmills and are one some of the cleanest sources of energy around. The first energy producing turbine was built in 1887 by James Blyth in Scotland Wind produces about 1.5% of world’s energy and Canada is the 11th highest user. The reality is that there is much more wind that can be used to make energy than we are actually using, but wind farms, which are fields filled with wind turbines produce energy on a large scale.

History of Weather Modification

Meteorology is the study of weather and weather patterns. People began studying weather in early 350 BC. Aristotle was the first to write and record anything about meteorology. His work was left unchanged for nearly 2,000 years because many people didn’t care for the study as well as it was hard to predict the weather with the small, low-tech instruments that they had. A few weather breakthroughs were made in the early 19th century, but in the 20th century more accurate weather forecasting was developed after the invention of the computer. With this new technology we can now create and prevent rain, as well as stopping a storm from occurring. We have even begun testing new ways to prevent and control hurricanes and tornadoes!

Sailing

Weather can be manipulated to have some fun, too. Sailing manipulates the movement of wind and water to move around a lake or ocean. Sailors use the relative velocity of the wind to the boat’s movement, which is a combination of aerodynamic force and hydrodynamic force. The goal of sailing is to use every direction of the wind o be able to move as fast and directly as possible and, if the wind is constant, sailboats can sail 290 degrees of the compass. The directions relative to the wind, or the points of sail are:

• Close haul (sailing 22° to the wind)
  
• Close reach (Half way between close hauled and a beam reach)
  
• Beam reach (90° to the wind)
  
• Broad reach (22.5° away from directly downwind sailing)
  
• Running (Directly downwind)

You cannot sail directly into the wind, because no wind is hitting the sail, therefore no thrust. Therefore, fastest way to travel is being perpendicular with the wind, which provides the most thrust. You can change the direction and speed of a boat by harnessing the wind by arranging the boat and turning it until the wind hits the sails in a way you desire.