Vindkvarnar

Vindkvarnar are wind-driven mills used to convert wind energy into mechanical energy. Historically they were used primarily to grind grain into flour, but some were used to pump water, press oil, or saw timber. The term is used in Swedish and Norwegian contexts; in English they are commonly called windmills. Most traditional vindkvarnar are built as post mills or tower mills. A rotating cap (on a post mill) or a brick or stone tower houses a drive shaft and gear train connected to millstones or other machinery inside. The sails, typically wooden lattices, catch the wind and drive the rotor. Sails could be adjusted and, in some designs, the whole cap would turn to face the wind; different sail and wheel configurations (overshot, breastshot, undershot) were used depending on wind and height.

In Northern Europe, windmills spread widely in the late medieval period. In Sweden and Denmark they became common in rural landscapes and served communities for centuries; many remained in use well into the 19th or early 20th century. Today, vindkvarnar are primarily preserved as cultural heritage; some remain operational in museums or as demonstrations.

In contemporary energy systems, wind power is typically generated with modern wind turbines, described as vindkraftverk or vindkraftanläggningar, which differ in design and scale from traditional vindkvarnar.