Next Article - Homemade Wind Turbine
Electric Wind Power On A Commercial Scale May Be The Answer
View PDF | Print View
by: DenzilDeVries
Total views: 21 | Word Count: 467 |
|
| Copy & Paste Article
Wind is created by air in motion. It is caused by the uneven heating of the earth's environment by the sun. Because the earth's environment is made of several types of materials such as land and water, as well as the things that make up these surfaces, they absorb the sun's heat at differing rates.
During the daylight hours is when the air over the land heats up more rapidly, and the air over the water heats up at a slower rate. The warm air above the land swells and rises, and the cooler air quickly spills in to fill the gaps, this process creates the wind. When night comes, the winds turn course, because the air cools more rapidly over the land than it does over water.
Today as we look for new ways to power the earth, it is a natural thing to look at wind power. It has been used for many years to power simple machines of the past. Wind is another type of solar energy, which makes it a renewable energy source. In years past we used windmills, the wind machines of today are called turbines.
Just like the windmills, turbines also use blades to capture the wind and turn it into energy. If there is no wind, then the turbines will not turn, this means that you must have a back up source of energy. Turbines are more sophisticated than windmills and they can use even the slightest breeze to turn the blades.
There are two types of turbines used today they are based on the direction of the rotating shaft for example; horizontal axis wind machines, and vertical axis wind machines. Sizes of wind machines can vary widely. There are smaller turbines used to power a home or small business, and they may have a capacity of less than 100 kilowatts. Larger commercial sized turbines may have a capacity of 5 million watts, or even as high as 5 megawatts. The large turbines are often found in wind farms that provide power to an electrical grid.
The blades on turbines typically are about 200 feet across, but can be as wide as a football field. These blades are made much like an airplane propeller, and can be made of fiberglass, or a lightweight metal or plastic. The towers or bases have to be wide and tall in order to efficiently harness the wind. This is a great power source for the world of today.
Critics of electric wind power point out that the windmills which are essential to power generation are extremely large and make a lot of noise. Ordinarily, they can only be used in rural areas, where the open spaces and elevated terrain essential for their use can be found. Because of these limitations, they are not usually practical for more densely populated areas.
Previous Article - Wind Power Alternatives for Electricity
Next Article - Homemade Wind Turbine
About the Author
Click wind turbine electricity generation and solar energy electricity for more.
Rating: Not yet rated Login to vote