Wind energy is an environmentally inert, clean and inexhaustible source of electrical energy, as shown, is actually just another form of solar energy. The sun creates wind by the uneven heating of the atmosphere of the planet. It is moderated by the earth's rotation and irregularities in the surface. The planetary terrain, water, vegetation, and then the wind flow pattern. With the invention of wind turbines can now be used instead of the wind energy, the electricity from the program from non renewable sources.
The easiest way to understand how wind turbines work a fan, think in reverse - instead of turning the power blades and thus generating wind, the wind turns the blades, which generate electricity.
Breaking down to the simplest components of a wind turbine works:
- The wind turns the blades
- The blades spin a shaft
- The shaft is connected to a generator
- The generator produces electricity
Expand on this simplification, the turbine blades to a hub that is on a rotating shaft running in a gear on the right speed, which in turn is mounted to a fast wave increases the cranks connected to the generator. If the wind speeds are too high, a brake is applied to the leaves is slow and the damage done to prevent systemic.
There are two basic types of wind turbines:
- Horizontal axis wind turbines: the kind most in use today and the focus of U.S.
- Department of Energy research on wind power, these come in two versions -
- 2-blade horizontal axis turbines rotate Lee
- 3-blade horizontal axis turbines spin upwind
- Vertical axis wind turbines
The size of a wind turbine would impact power generation capacity, with the smaller windmills that produce under 50 kilowatts is the most common type of water pumps, telecom dishes, and used homes.
In an innovative promotion as hybrid wind systems, these smaller turbines are also used in combination with solar (photovoltaic) systems, rechargeable deep cycle batteries and diesel generators to be saved, might announce on-demand in more remote, off-the-grid places.
In most residential situations, a wind turbine as a supplemental energy source in conjunction with the local, on-the-grid, the power supply. There is something in a cut-rate (7-10 miles per hour), including the wind will not give an output, and the structure of the power grid with electricity. Above the cut-in speed, the wind picks in the network and power supply is proportionately reduced (depending on the energy of the structure of the draw at the given moment).
If the production of wind turbines exceeds the draw of the structure (and / or storage devices such as batteries), then the excess energy sold the pubic utility company. Use of wind energy can reduce a residence in energy costs by an average of 50-90%, even if these numbers are influenced by a number of factors, and as such can be subject to fluctuations.
In a typical apartment of less than 10,000 kilowatt hours of electricity per year, 5-15 kilowatt wind turbine should be enough over. This system can be installed anywhere run from $ 6,000 to $ 22,000, depending on a number of factors such as: was the size that your application and all services with the manufacturer.
That in certain situations (like in the city) make personal wind power with a non-viable option is to pay respect a rule of thumb installing your own wind power system if and only if at least 10 cents per kilowatt-hour of your location average wind speeds of more than 10 miles per hour.
The larger wind turbines have capacities upwards of 50 kilowatts, running these days in several megawatt range. These wind mills, such as industrial-scale turbines can be known, and grouped with the central lines for the transmission and distribution in the mass of the local supply network, which in turn sell the power to homes and businesses across the country. These are called wind turbines or wind farms.