I am a mechanical engineer. I am designing a wind turbine (aka windmill) have blades of an atypical design, specifically, having a large area instead of "airplane-like."
I hadn't given a thought to the supports for the blades. When getting down to it, it turns out that steel is pretty heavy and weak stuff. Really surprised me! It seems like wood might be a better choice.
Questions
What wood offers the best combination of strength, light weight, and cheapness?
Where can I find data on wood, specifically, Specific Weight and elastic strength in tension and compression?
From an old text book I found data on Red Oak and Douglas Fir. Is either of these a good choice?
Alan Smith