Southern spanish windmills: Technological aspects

Abstract: This paper shows the study carried out in a doctoral thesis about windmills in south-east Spain, in the area of Campo de Níjar in the province of Almeria. It intends to pay homage to Spanish windmills as a way of commemorating the fourth centenary of the masterwork of Spanish Literature, ‘Don Quixote’ in which the silhouette of the windmill is a pervading symbol. Wheat milling has been an important factor in the socio-economic development of rural Spain for centuries. The type of mill used depended on the energy resources available, wind or water. In the Campo de Níjar (Almeria, Andalusia, Spain), wind is the principal energy source, and therefore, windmills were widely used, as in other areas of Spain. In this paper, we study the technological conditions of these old windmills, we carry out a wind evaluation of the area, and we calculate the power and momentum of these windmills with a discussion of the results found. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]