windmills

	We were in south Holland a few Christmases ago, approaching a small town by road. It was late afternoon, already dark, and the flurries of snow were driven almost horizontally by the bitter wind. On the edge of town stood a windmill, warmly lit from inside, its sails turning briskly. The evocative smell of freshly-baked bread wafted from its open door. It was such a welcoming sight! Modern wind generators have their own beauty that stems from their technological efficiency, but the old mills have such a friendly appearance...

Windmills have to adapt to the fickleness of the wind, from balmy breezes to howling gales. They stand firmly rooted in the ground, and must survive punching gusts and turbulence. Many ingenious methods have been developed to adjust sails to wind strength, including canvas sails that can be reefed, shutters that can open and close, and variable pitch blades. The following proposal tries to retain the aesthetic appeal and friendliness of traditional mill design, whilst incorporating modern technical know-how. Automatically adapting sails form a key element of the concept.
The Millennium Mill This is a proposal put forward as part of the planned Occombe Heritage Farm - 240 acres of farmland and wetland located behind Torquay and Cockington. The aim of the farm will be to demonstrate the best of the old and new ways of farming, with an emphasis on environmental preservation and protection. The Millennium Mill is designed to reflect this philosophy. In general, the Millennium Mill has a similar appearance to mills that were operating in Devon up to about 100 years ago, when they fell into disuse as new methods of milling grain were developed. However, there are some differences in design and construction, and one of the key features will be computer-controlled variations in sail area according to wind strength.	click here for enlarged view

The Millennium Mill