A brief outline of the many problems encountered during testing of a wind turbine generator prototype unit is given. Its feasibility was demonstrated by the generation of electricity in commercial quantities with delivery to a utility transmission network. The experiment was terminated after blade failure occurred

Smith, B. E.

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SMITH-PUTNAM WIND TURBINE EXPERIMENT
Beauchamp E. Smith
Retired President
 #
S. Morgan Smith Company
York, Pennsylvania
I am honored to speak to you about the Smith-Putnam wind turbine
experiment since it was carried out 30 years ago. Also, I actually had
very little direct participation in the project other than to see that
the bills were paid - which, incidentally, at times presented some real
problems.
I assume that many of you here have read Palmer PutnamTs book
"Power from the Wind". It was written at my request to try to summarize
the story of our efforts to test the feasibility of large scale utiliza-
tion of the natural energy available in wind for the production of elec-
tricity in commercial quantities and to learn something of the economics
involved.
Putnam was introduced to us through Mr. Tom Knight, then commercial
vice-president of General Electric in Boston, in the early fall of 1939.
Mr. Knight and Howard Mayo, the long-time manager of our Boston office,
had often worked together on hydroelectric projects throughout New
England. They were both concerned about the dwindling market for hydro
because most of the commercially feasible sites had already been de-
veloped. Our organization was already deeply involved in the promotion
of pump storage developments. It seemed to us that wind power in com-
bination with pump storage would be a natural partnership. And, if it
could be proven technically and economically sound, it would give us
both a new product and an expanded market for our existing lines of
hydraulic turbines and pump turbines, which in 1939 supplied the life-
blood for our company.
We fully realized that in undertaking the project we were taking a
real risk. We were then a comparatively small family-owned company so
it was easy to get a quick decision. Our board of directors voted to
take the gamble and the project was born.
Putnam had already done much preliminary work and had gathered to-
gether a very knowledgeable group who had been assisting him on a part-
time basis as their free time permitted. Having secured a sponsor,
Presentlv A11is-Chalmers.
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19740008645 2020-03-23T10:57:41+00:00Z
Putnam undertook the task of organizing the group of eminent scientists
and engineers who would be responsible for the selection of the site
and the design of the prototype test unit. Dr. J. B. Wilbur of Massa-
chusetts Institute of Technology served as chief engineer of the project
in collaboration with George A. Jessop, chief engineer of our company.
Unfortunately, neither Putnam nor Wilbur, both of whom are still active,
are able to be here today because of other long-standing prior commit-
ments.
"Power from the Wind" sets forth the story of the project very com-
pletely, so I will not attempt to elaborate except to explain why so
much of the fabrication of the unit had to be farmed out. World War II
was already being fought in Europe and our manufacturing facilities in
York were completely loaded with orders both for our regular products
and also for various military items. So, when the time came to actually
begin the manufacture of the experimental unit, we had no capacity avail-
able in our own facilities, and all components had to be farmed out for
manufacture by other companies in order to meet the delivery requirements.
While model tests, design, and site selection were underway in the
early months of 1940, it became fairly obvious that the United States
would eventually become embroiled in the war. In this event materials
and manufacturing sources would probably no longer be available for a
project such as ours with little or no chance of being assigned a pri-
ority rating. This prospect necessitated making design decisions so
that orders could be placed for forgings and other critical items in
short supply long before final studies were completed. Unquestionably
the calculated risks involved, forced upon us by our timing, ultimately
contributed to some of our structural and mechanical problems and to the
final failure of one of the blades which brought our test program to an
untimely end.
Considering the very difficult working conditions prevailing both
in factories and the field, I feel that our team turned in a most re-
markable performance in producing and installing such a complex mecha-
nism in a very limited time. The blades of the test unit were rotated
by the wind for the first time on August 29, 1941, just 23 months from
the time of our first conversation with Putnam and Knight in Boston in
1939.
PutnamTs book sets forth the many problems encountered during the
tests, and how they were at least partially solved. Electricity was
generated in commercial quantity and delivered to a utility transmission
network, the first synchronous generation of power from the wind, when
the unit was phased-in to the lines of the Central Vermont Service
Corporation at 6:56 P.M. on October 19, 1941.
The project thus proved by actual demonstration the feasibility of
generating electricity in useful quantity from the wind. What it did
not prove is that this can be done on an economically feasible basis!
Putnam, in his book, sets forth the trials and tribulations, delays
because of component failures and difficulties in securing replacements,
and all the other problems that plagued the experiment until the blade
failure, which occurred in a known weak spot, at 3:10 A.M. on March 26,
After this blade failure, S. Morgan Smith Company, with its lim-
ited financial resources, reluctantly made the decision that it could
no longer continue to finance the project. The test unit was disman-
tled and removed from the site, the patents and patent applications
were dedicated to the public domain, and the investment was written off
to experience.
"Power from the Wind" was published in 19 U8 as pur final contri-
bution to the public. I and, I am sure, all of the many dedicated
individuals who labored so hard and contributed so much to the experi-
ment found it a fascinating episode in their lives. And, I believe,
most of us still harbor the hope that some day, somehow, someone will
revive interest in carrying on further research and experimentation in
this field.
With shortages of power developing all over the world, with the
growing realization that the worldrs fuel reserves are not inexhaust-
ible, and with the knowledge that our present known methods of using
our dwindling fuel reserves are damaging our environment, I believe the
time has come for another close and hard look at wind power as at least
a partial solution to some of these problems.
I am delighted that this workshop has been convened and I am very
hopeful that you learned gentlemen gathered together here in Washington
will produce some novel and useful approaches which will lead to fur-
ther research and experimentation and to a solution which will make
power from the wind a practical and useful energy source for mankind.


Smith-Putnam wind turbine experiment

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