Neodymium is a rare earth metal. It is increasingly being used in wind turbines and is seen by many turbine supporters as a magic bullet. Something desperately needed to improve the farcical output, and improve the reliability of these white elephants.
Neodymium allows turbines to get over the need for horrendously complex gearboxes needed to drive the doubly fed induction generators currently used. Doubly fed induction generators need to turn at about 1500 rpm minimum. You can imagine the gearing ratio needed.
This is what happens when the bearings fail.
With Neodymium magnets, the generator is simplified and the gearbox can be (almost) dispensed with. Grossly ineffective and unreliable turbines become (ever so slightly) less gross.
But at what cost?
To the rich and powerful owners of these things, along with glazed eyed brown nosers who support them, the answer is a small amount of the ROC subsidy for a short time.
To the Chinese peasants who lose their land and see their families broken up the answer is somewhat more devastating.
But, they are only common folk and a world away at that. Even if their existence is known of, they scarcely matter to our eco warrior friends.
Even so, Neodymium cannot break the laws of Physics. The best that you will ever get out of a turbine (it is called Betz law) is theoretically 59% of the actual wind energy, Practically though you would be doing very well to get 40-45%.
Even then, however big and powerful your Neodymium magnets, if the wind does not blow, 40% of nothing is still nothing.
All Neodymium provides are cheaper gearboxes, less embarrassing turbine fires and less need to employ maintenance technicians.
It also provides slave wages to a dispossessed people while lining the coffers of a elitist dictatorship.
Like so many aspects of the wind turbine scam, the rich and powerful, both here and in China, do very well out of Neodymium and wind turbines.
As usual, it is the average person who pays the price.
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