Science: Energy: Wind: Windmill
Windmill Compressor Home Energy System   (+5)  [vote for, against]
Windmill Compressor provides several useful energy types

The windmill directly drives an air compressor. The compressor cylinders are in a water tank so the heat of compression is used for heating hot water. The stored compressed air is used by a air motor driving a generator. The air exhaust from the motor is cold, so it can be used for refrigeration.

So you get water heating, refrigeration and electricity, plus lots of compressed air for air tools, all from the wind.
-- macrumpton, Jun 02 2004

Hilsch vortex tube http://www.visi.com/~darus/hilsch/
Sorts hot and cold molecules in a compressed air stream, so you can get heat and cold from compressed air [macrumpton, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 05 2004]

some clues http://www.agr.gc.c...ra/water/wind_e.htm
this pump has no moving parts, other than an air compressor driven by the windmill [BunsenHoneydew, Jul 17 2005]

.. another clue http://www.fieldlin...004/10/23/11533/778
From Otherpower [BunsenHoneydew, Jul 17 2005]

The wind's dying down, keep pedaling Gilligan.
-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Jun 02 2004


Energy can be stored in compressed air tanks as easily as in batteries, and they would last longer. If a lot of cooling is needed an small air-cycle-machine would work as used in most aircraft to convert compressed air from the turbines into cold air.
-- Fussass, Jun 03 2004


Re: Cool exhaust I think you could run the exhaust over the surface of the tank to cool it, or you could run the exhaust through a Hilsch vortex tube that would give you freezing air as well as very hot air. See link
-- macrumpton, Jun 03 2004



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