Question

Which type of windmill has better performance?

(a) Vertical type wind mills

(b) Darrieus type machines

(c) Magnus effect rotor

(d) Horizontal type windmills

I have been asked this question by my college professor while I was bunking the class.

The origin of the question is Horizontal Axis Wind Mill topic in chapter Wind Energy of Energy Engineering

Answer 1

Right option is (d) Horizontal type windmills

Easy explanation: The horizontal axis mills generally have netter performance. They have been used for various applications including electric power generation, and pumping water. The latter introduces some complexity into the design as the mechanical energy has to be transmitted over a distance.