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I think that speed close to 80-100m/s (Crazy Horse can confirm), so only a third of the speed of sound, are already a pretty hard limit, for reasons of acoustics as well as damage to the tips of the blades. So in practice, large wind turbines rotate at something like 20-30rpm or so.

Wind power
by Jerome a Paris (etg@eurotrib.com) on Thu Mar 3rd, 2011 at 12:53:51 PM EST
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Okay, if the blades were made of unobtainium the limit would be the speed of sound.

So, in what may be my last act of "advising", I'll advise you to cut the jargon. -- My old PhD advisor, to me, 26/2/11
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Thu Mar 3rd, 2011 at 05:15:16 PM EST
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