In the autumn when the leaves in your freshly raked pile suddenly fly away you are seeing wind energy in its purest form. Most of the time people take for granted that the wind is a form of energy - kinetic energy.
How do we capture that kinetic energy and transform it into electrical energy and how does wind power work to power homes and even towns?
Wind power can be used as two forms of energy, mechanical and electrical. Windmills are an example of mechanical energy, so is a sail boat being pushed by the wind. In both cases the winds kinetic energy doesn't have to be transformed, it is used in its pure state.
Mechanical energy from the wind is seen in wind powered electric turbines that generate power for homes, towns, or for sale to power companies.
The wind energy here must be transformed from its natural state to an electrical state usable by normal electrical outlets.
Wind turbines come in two designs: the horizontal-axis which looks like a propeller and the vertical-axis which resembles egg beaters. The horizontal design is the one most commonly in use today.
Components of the Wind Turbine
- The blades (rotor) - this converts the energy from the wind into energy for the shaft;
- An enclosure which contains the drive train and generator;
- The tower;
- All the electronics and connecting equipment.
Pulling it all Together
To get the energy from the wind to turn your television on and off there are a series of steps involved. To the naked eye all that is seen are the blades on the windmill turning. The magic is on the inside.
When the wind blows, the kinetic energy turns the blades which are attached to a hub. The turning blades cause the shaft inside the enclosure turn. The rotation speed is increased by the generator. The generator then uses a magnetic field to convert this rotating energy into electricity.
At this point you have electricity however; it still needs to be converted to a usable voltage system. Once the generator makes the electricity it sends it out to a converter to prepare it for distribution to the grid.
In order for wind energy to be usable by many people there needs to be a large amount made. This is where wind farms come in. Many wind turbines are tied together to produce mass amount of electricity.
This electricity can be supplied to the grid as long as there is wind to generate it. When there is not enough wind, the power grid must step in and take over. Conversely, when the wind generator produces a surplus of electricity the utility companies are able to purchase it or back off in their electricity production.
Wind power is the breeze of the future. Mother Earth has given us all the tools we need for renewable energy. Knowing how wind power works gets you one step closer to embracing this simple yet amazing power source in our homes.
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