Saturday, March 16, 2013

Wind Energy

7:38 PM 1 Comment

A wind turbine is a machine made up of two or three propeller-like blades called the rotor. The rotor is attached to the top of a tall tower. As the wind blows it spins the rotor. As the rotor spins the energy of the movement of the propellers gives power to a generator. There are some magnets and a lot of copper wire inside the generator that make electricity.

Wind farm
Because winds are stronger higher up off the ground, wind turbine towers are about 30 meters tall to allow the rotor to catch more wind energy. The turbines are built with a device that turns the rotor so that it always faces into the wind.

Just one wind turbine can generate enough electricity for a single house or the electrical energy to pump water or to power a mill which grinds grain. The electrical energy can also be stored in batteries.
Wind farms

Wind farms are places where many wind turbines are clustered together. They are built in places where it is nearly always windy. The electricity that is generated at a wind farm is sold to electricity companies that provide the electricity to people living in cities and towns.

Wind farm

What are the advantages of wind turbines?
  • The energy they generate is renewable. This means that as long as the winds blow there is power to turn the blades of the rotor. 
  • Using wind energy means that less fossil fuel (coal and oil) needs to be burned to make electricity. Burning fossil fuel pollutes the atmosphere and adds greenhouse gases to it. 
What are the disadvantages of wind turbines?
  • Some people don't like the look of the turbines. They say that they spoil the look of the natural environment.
  • Wind turbines make noise.
  • Turbines kill birds that fly into them. However collisions are rare and there are reports from Denmark saying that some falcons had built nests on the top of turbine towers. To protect birds however, it is important that wind farms be built away from bird sanctuaries and from the pathways of migratory birds. (Migratory birds are those that fly from cold places in winter to warmer parts of the world)
Wind farm
Here to find how to build your own wind generator?

Here to look more about small wind turbines.
Go here to read more about wind energy and wind farms.

1 Comments :

Thanks for sharing Great and informative post about wind energy. Wind energy will generate clean electric energy witout polluting environment.

wind turbine generator

Post a Comment