Quote:
Originally Posted by dremd
NOW there is an Idea. I really don't know what the temp is at the bottom of a well. A local guy is putting windmills on abandoned offshore platforms, I'll try ask him next time I see him, sounds right up his alley. FYI the initial reason for the oil rig windmills is that it is easier to get permits to build an oil well than to build a windmill, then he realized that there were plenty of pre-existing oil wells sitting abandoned.
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If the well is more than a few feet below the frost depth, the well temp will be whatever local ground temp is in your area. Around here, that's ~50 degrees, but in most of the US somewhat warmer.
Bugs have always known this, and all hibernating animals that simply burrow down to acceptable temperature level in winter.
I'm glad your friend is doing windmills on defunct oil platforms. You might also ask him if his windmills use vortex generators to enhance efficiency. VGs make major improvement in lift/drag of airplane wings, which operate in the same Reynolds numbers and general aerodynamic range as windmills. Should get more power out of the windmill at lower windspeeds, or even make them productive at windspeeds previously too slow for the windmill. Might help with noise reduction, too, which is often a major gripe from the neighbors.