Writing The Wind

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Writing The Wind

• By Audrey Harmon

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The American windmill was developed for the
farmer during the 1800s and 1900s.
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The wheels were made from curved blades of wood
or steel.
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The wheels were mounted at the end of a
horizontal shaft.
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This shaft was connected to a pump by a vertical
rod sunk deep into the ground.
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The windmill blades moved to face the wind.
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The wind moving the blades would produce enough
energy to pump water up from the ground.

• The groundwater ran through a horizontal water
  pipe after it came up from the ground.

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The farmer would place a large tank at the end of
the pipe and keep it filled with water for the
farm animals to drink.
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Families would also use windmills near their
homes to provide water for household use.

• The windmill was attached to a hand pump so
  that they could draw the water up into a pail.

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Windmills can still be seen dotting the landscape
in many Plains and Western states.
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Modern technology has produced an updated version
of the windmill as a way to produce electricity.
This windmill is called a wind turbine.
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Modern wind turbines are used all over the
country today. You can even see them alongside
traditional windmills.
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In Oklahoma we have many wind turbines on wind
farms in the western part of the state.
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Wind turbines are made up of three main parts-
the tower, the blades, and the nacelle (the box
behind the blades). The
nacelle is where the motion
is turned into electricity.