energy

Wind Power

[harnessing the wind currents to generate electricity]

[Summary & Motivation] [Community] [Specifications] [Issues] [Contacts]

Summary & Motivation	Project Initiator: Ivan Yaholnitsky / Matt Zedler Start Date: 2005 Projected Completion Date: Not applicable Current Status: Ideas stage In Lesotho, there are several different mountain chains which give this country its well-known descriptor, the "Mountain Kingdom." Several of the mountains, even those lying at lower elevations and near populated urban areas, have consistent wind currents which blow across them. The power in that wond stream could be harnessed by simple wind power turbines and used to pump water and generate electricity. Many Basotho are wary of wind power because of improper project management and maintainence by an outside NGO in the 1990's. The group came in and set up several wind turbines to be used to pump water, leaving without training the local Basotho how to maintain the units. Almost all of them have rusted and are now disused, and their has been little innovation in the wind power sector since that debacle. Bethel Business and Community Development Center has expressed interest in setting up a turbine testing site on a small ridge near the technical school. [top]
Community	The biogas digester would initially be developed at BBCDC for the technical school and then disseminated throughout the country in windy areas. [top]
Specifications	Must be locally manufacturable. Must be culturally acceptable. Must be affordable by rural community. [top]
Issues	Wind turbines have been done successfully in several other countries, but ATS has never before attempted to manufacture one. Help is needed in the following areas: Designing and constructing test wind turbine. Determining optimal size of wind turbine. [top]
Contacts	Project Leader: Not available (If interested, please email mit_ats@MIT.edu) MIT Contact: Not available (If interested, please email mit_ats@MIT.edu) ATS Contact: Not available (If interested, please email mit_ats@MIT.edu) Website (If applicable):   [top]

*.pdf - Portable Document File / *.doc - Document (Microsoft Word) / *.jpg - Joint Photographic Experts Group (Browser) / *.zip - WinZip Compressed File (WinZip)

[top]