Wind energy is one of the renewable energy as well as the cleanest form of energy.
A wind power turbine is one such device that uses wind energy and changes it into electricity. A wind turbine has blades that use the kinetic flow of wind and turn it into mechanical energy. The mechanical energy is then converted by a generator into electricity.
The wind is also a category of solar energy. The heat from the sun unevenly heats the earth’s surface. The water and land on the earth’s surface absorbs solar radiation unevenly. As a result, the wind is created.
A wind power turbine uses the aerodynamic force from the rotor blades to turn the wind energy into electricity.
Following is a guide on how a wind turbine works
- As the wind flows it creates different air pressure on both sides of the blade.
- The difference in air pressure creates a lift and drag.
- The lift is stronger than the drag which results in the spinning of the rotor.
- The rotor is a combination of blades and hubs. The hub attached to the blades spins when blades turn.
- The rotor connected to the generator, directly or through a gearbox, speeds up the rotation.
- The generator converts the kinetic energy into electrical energy.
- The electrical energy is then passed through a transformer where the voltage is increased in order to transport it to the power grid or for local use.
How do Wind Turbine works | Wind energy | Working principles of wind turbine
As of 2018, wind energy produced over 5% of global electricity with 591 GW of global capacity.
The US is second in the world in producing electricity using wind power, with a capacity of 96.4 GW installed.
- The United States has the six largest onshore wind farms. The Alta Wind Energy Centre in California is the second-largest onshore wind farm in the world with a capacity of 1,548 MW.