What Is Wind

What is wind?
Wind is caused by the uneven heating of the atmosphere by the sun, variations in the earth's
surface, and rotation of the earth. Mountains, bodies of water, and vegetation all influence wind flow
patterns. Humansuse this wind flow, or motion energy, for many
purposes: sailing, flying a kite, and even generating electricity.
What is wind energy?
Wind energy is a form of solar energy.[1] Wind energy (or wind power) describes the process by
which wind is used to generate electricity.
How do wind turbines work?
Wind turbines convert the energy in wind to electricity by rotating propeller-like blades around a
rotor. The rotor turns the drive shaft, which turns an electric generator. A generator can convert
mechanical power into electricity. Mechanical power can also be utilized directly for specific tasks
such as pumping water.
TYPES OF WIND TURBINES
Modern wind turbines fall into two basic groups: the horizontal-axis
variety, as shown in the photo to the far right, and the vertical-axis
design, pictured to the immediate right. Horizontal-axis wind
turbines typically either have two or three blades. These three-
bladed wind turbines are operated "upwind," with the blades facing
into the wind.
Wind turbines can be built on land or offshore in large bodies of

water like oceans and lakes.
SIZES OF WIND TURBINES
Utility-scale turbines range in size from 100 kilowatts to as large as

several megawatts. Larger wind turbines are more cost effective
and are grouped together into wind farms, which provide bulk
power to the electrical grid.
Offshore wind turbines are larger, can generate more power, and do
not have the same transportation challenges of land-based wind
installations, as the large components can be transported on ships
instead of on roads.
Single small turbines below 100 kilowatts are used for homes,
telecommunications dishes, or water pumping. Small turbines are
sometimes used in connection with diesel generators, batteries, and
photovoltaic systems. These systems are called hybrid wind systems
and are typically used in remote, off-grid locations where a
connection to the utility grid is not available.
Converting Wind to Mechanical Energy

Wind is converted by the blades of wind turbines. The blades of the wind turbines are designed in
two different ways, the drag type and lift type.
• Drag type: this blade design uses the force of the wind to push the blades around. These blades
have a higher torque than lift designs but with a slower rotating speed. The drag type blades were
the first designs used to harness wind energy for activities such as grinding and sawing. As the
rotating speed of the blades are much slower than lift type this design is usually never used for
generating large scale energy.
• Lift type: most modern HAWT use this design. Both sides of the blade has air blown across it
resulting in the air taking longer to travel across the edges. In this way lower air pressure is created
on the leading edge of the blade, and higher air pressure created on the tail edge. Because of this
pressure difference the blade is pushed and pulled around, creating a higher rotational speed that is
needed for generating electricity.
Distribution of Electricity
The electricity generated by harnessing the wind’s mechanical energy must go through a
transformer in order increase its voltage and make it successfully transfer across long distances.
Power stations and fuse boxes receive the current and then transform it to a lower voltage that can
be safely used by business and homes.
Wind turbine components
The most important parts of a wind turbine with a horizontal rotation axis are the
rotor, tower, foundation and nacelle.
Anemometer:
Measures the wind speed and transmits wind speed data to the
controller.
Blades:
Lifts and rotates when wind is blown over them, causing the
rotor to spin. Most turbines have either two or three blades.
Brake:
It stops the rotor mechanically, electrically, or hydraulically, in
emergencies.
Controller:
Starts up the machine at wind speeds of about 8 to 16 miles
per hour (mph) and shuts off the machine at about 55 mph.
Turbines do not operate at wind speeds above about 55 mph
because they may be damaged by the high winds.
Gear box:
Connects the low-speed shaft to the high-speed shaft and
increases the rotational speeds from about 30-60 rotations per
minute (rpm), to about 1,000-1,800 rpm; this is the rotational
speed required by most generators to produce electricity. The
gear box is a costly (and heavy) part of the wind turbine and
engineers are exploring "direct-drive" generators that operate
at lower rotational speeds and don't need gear boxes.
Generator:
Produces 60-cycle AC electricity; it is usually an off-the-shelf
induction generator.
High-speed shaft:
Drives the generator.
Low-speed shaft:
Turns the low-speed shaft at about 30-60 rpm.
Nacelle:
Sits atop the tower and contains the gear box, low- and high-
speed shafts, generator, controller, and brake. Some nacelles
are large enough for a helicopter to land on.
Pitch:
Turns (or pitches) blades out of the wind to control the rotor
speed, and to keep the rotor from turning in winds that are too
high or too low to produce electricity.
Rotor:
Blades and hub together form the rotor.
Tower:
Made from tubular steel (shown here), concrete, or steel
lattice. It supports the structure of the turbine. Because wind
speed increases with height, taller towers enable turbines to
capture more energy and generate more electricity.
Wind direction:
Determines the design of the turbine. Upwind turbines—like
the one shown here—face into the wind while downwind
turbines face away.
Wind vane:
Measures wind direction and communicates with the yaw drive
to orient the turbine properly with respect to the wind.
Yaw drive:
Orients upwind turbines to keep them facing the wind when
the direction changes. Downwind turbines don't require a yaw
drive because the wind manually blows the rotor away from it.
Yaw motor:
Powers the yaw drive.
The most important factors for energy yields include:
 Wind speed: Wind speed is higher at great heights than at ground level
(wind shear). For a wind turbine, this means that energy generation can,
to a certain extent, be enhanced by taller towers.
 Rotor surface area: Rotor blades for wind turbines are similar to the
wings of an aeroplane, but unlike wings they have a twisted profile. For
an aeroplane, uplift is created through negative pressure on the upper
side of the wing, thus allowing the aircraft to take off. However, if the
angle between the wing and the airflow (pitch angle) is too large, uplift
can be lost. This causes airflow to peel away from the profile of the
wing, causing turbulence (aerodynamic stall).
Wind turbines are very efficient, boasting a theoretical maximum efficiency of

59% and an operational efficiency of around 40%. Their energy source – the
wind – can be found all around the turbine itself. In comparison to other
energy conversion systems, wind has been found to be much more efficient
than traditional energy sources:
 Diesel generator: max. 35%

 Large steam turbine: max. 40%
These figures do not take into account losses during the transport of fossil
fuels to the generator itself.
References
http://goldpower.net/news/how-does-a-wind-turbine-generate-electricity/
https://www.energy.gov/eere/wind/how-do-wind-turbines-work
https://www.uka-gruppe.de/en/citizens-and-communities/operating-principle-of-a-wind-turbine/

What Is Wind

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What Is Wind

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What is wind?

How do wind turbines work?

TYPES OF WIND TURBINES

Wind turbines can be built on land or offshore in large bodies of

SIZES OF WIND TURBINES

Utility-scale turbines range in size from 100 kilowatts to as large as

Converting Wind to Mechanical Energy

Wind turbine components

The most important factors for energy yields include:

Wind turbines are very efficient, boasting a theoretical maximum efficiency of

 Diesel generator: max. 35%

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