Description of the Design and Operation of a Windmill

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How a Windmill Works

The wind blows and drives the sails (c) around in just the same way as child’s toy windmills. Angled gears (a) change the turning movement from horizontal to vertical causing the vertical shaft (e) to rotate.

The vertical shaft (e) has a heavy grindstone fixed to the bottom of it so that when the shaft rotates so does the grindstone. There is also another grindstone below the top grindstone that does not rotate. This bottom grindstone is fixed to the windmill base and so is entirely separate from the top grindstone. Therefore the action of the top grindstone rotating over the bottom fixed grindstone causes the grinding action.
Grains of wheat, oats, barley or other cereals (f) are inserted into the space between the grindstones and are ground into a powder (g) called flour.

The top of the windmill (d) is separate from the rest of the windmill and can move around on wheels. The small sail wheel (b) at the back acts as a sail and the action of the wind blowing on the sail wheel turns the windmill top keeping the main large sail facing into the wind.

Windmill Web Works acknowledges the good work of Sustainable Energy Ireland. Please visit their website for more information about sustainable energy resources
http://www.irish-energy.ie/