Articles on the Smith-Putnam Wind Turbine
This is an archive of articles on the 1 MW Smith-Putnam wind turbine installed on Grandpa’s Knob near Rutland, Vermont in the early 1940s.
Palmer Putnam to Herman Drees Letter Reveals Emphasis on Swept Area
By
Paul Gipe
Wally Thompson forwarded to me some fascinating correspondence from Palmer Putnam to Herman Drees of Pinson Cycloturbine fame.
Confirmed: Tvindkraft Designed to be Slightly Larger than Smith-Putnam
By
Paul Gipe
Erik Grove-Nielsen has confirmed that the Tvindkraft wind turbine was designed to be slightly larger than the Smith-Putnam wind turbine and become the world’s largest wind turbine in 1978.
Beating a Dead Horse–More on Smith-Putnam’s 1,000 kW Rating
By
Paul Gipe
Since I posted my article on the revised rating of Smith-Putnam’s famed wind turbine of the 1940s, I’ve received several comments. (See When is a 1,250 kW Wind Turbine Only 1,000 kW? Setting the Smith-Putnam Record Straight.) One was from an old wind hand, Mark Haller. Others also noted the historical record is rife with the error.
When is a 1,250 kW Wind Turbine Only 1,000 kW? Setting the Smith-Putnam Record Straight
By
Paul Gipe
French colleague Philippe Bruyerre called my attention to an error I’ve been promulgating for at least four decades. He noted that I’d described the famed 1940’s era Smith-Putnam wind turbine as rated at 1,250 kW. It was not he wrote. It was really only a 1,000 kW wind turbine.
Smith-Putnam Wind Turbine Virtual Exhibition Goes Live
By
Paul Gipe
The York County History Center’s Virtual Exhibition of the Smith-Putnam wind turbine has gone live. Opening with a stunning photo of five men standing on one of the two blades after the giant turbine was installed in Vermont in 1941. The exhibition celebrates the 80th anniversary of the 175-foot (53-meter) diameter wind turbine feeding electricity into the grid—a first in North America.
80th Anniversary of Smith-Putnam Turbine Going Online
By
Paul Gipe
19 October marks 80 years since testing began of the 1.25 MW Smith-Putnam turbine on Grandpas’ Knob near Rutland, Vermont in 1941. To mark the occasion, the York County History Center in York, Pennsylvania is opening its digital exposition Tuesday, 19 October. The S. Morgan Smith Company, of Smith-Putnam fame, manufactured hydroelectric turbines in York, Pennsylvania before it ventured into wind energy.
