Wind
- Wind is a kind of solar energy resulting from a mixture of three simultaneous events.
- Most wind turbines fall under two simple kinds.
Wind turbines work based on a basic idea. Rather than using electricity to create wind—like a fan does—wind turbines utilize wind to produce electricity. Wind moves the blades of a turbine around a rotor, which turn a generator, which then produces electricity.
Wind is a kind of solar energy resulting from a mixture of three simultaneous events:
- The sun unequally heats the atmosphere;
- There are asymmetries with the surface of the Earth; and
- The Earth rotates.
Wind flow patterns and speeds differ vastly across the United States. They are altered by bodies of water, plants, and terrain differences. Humans utilize this wind flow, for many reasons: sailing a boat, flying a kite, and even creating electricity.
Wind energy and wind power describe the operation by which the wind is used to mechanical power. This mechanical power can be used for certain processes like crushing grain or pumping water or a generator can turn this mechanical power into electricity.
A wind turbine converts wind energy into electricity using force from the rotor blades, which function similar to an airplane wing. When wind moves across the blade, air pressure on one side lowers. The variation in air pressure across the two blade sides produces lift and drag. The lift force is greater than the drag and this makes the rotor spin. The rotor ties to the generator, either directly or through a shaft and a series of gears that increase the rotation speed and make a smaller generator possible. This conversion of force is what makes electricity.
Most wind turbines fall under two simple kinds:
- Horizontal-axis wind turbines- These are what many people imagine when picturing wind turbines. Typically, they have three blades and run upwind, with the turbine moving at the top of the tower so the blades face toward the wind.
- Vertical-axis wind turbines- These turbines don’t need to be modified to point into the wind to run.