The Essentials of Wind Power: How Wind Turbines Create Power

Thursday, September 22nd, 2011 at 10:45 am

In the sphere of wind power, there exist two varieties of wind turbines: horizontal axis and vertical axis turbines. In horizontal axis wind turbines (HAWT's), the rotor shaft sits horizontally. Architects must set HAWT’s facing the wind in order to generate energy.

In vertical axis wind turbines (VAWT's), the central rotor shaft is positioned vertically and doesn't have to be facing the wind. The VAWT, on the other hand, produces minimal rotational pace and greater torque, subsequently making these varieties of turbines much less efficient than their horizontal opponents.

HAWT’s, conversely, will produce much more power. In 2008, utility providers in the United States used land-anchored HAWT’s with an average capacity of 1.67 megawatts (MW), while offshore turbines can range anywhere from 3.5 to 5 MW in capacity.

Wind turbines generate power in roughly three simple steps. First, the wind pushes the rotor blades, the large part of the turbines that spin. Generally, the higher the blades sit in the air, the higher the resulting energy because winds speed increases as you move higher into the sky.

Attached to the center of the blades is the turbine shaft, which spins as the blades transfer the rotational mechanical energy to it. Often, several gears and additional shafts will accompany the main shaft to increase its rotations per minute, which, subsequently, increases its energy production.

banner24 The Essentials of Wind Power: How Wind Turbines Create Power

At the end of the shaft rests the electrical generator. Wind turbines most often employ electromagnetic induction to transform the mechanical energy into electric voltage. You may describe voltage as electrical pressure, which transfers electricity from point A to point B.

Inside the generator, the shaft meets a number of magnets that surround a conductor, like a wire coil. The shaft revolves the magnets around the coil, which creates voltage in the conductor. Finally, the voltage moves the produced electricity to a mechanism or power plant that collects and dispenses the power.

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