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What is a wind turbine? Simply put, a wind turbine converts renewable wind energy into electricity.
As renewable energy grows in popularity, wind farms are becoming a common sight on the fields, hills, and even offshore in the ocean. Since it is free and widely available, many people use wind energy to generate electricity.
Kinetic energy is present in everything that moves, and that’s why many scientists are using the wind’s kinetic energy to generate electrical energy. You need to know that you can create wind energy using a wind turbine. This device can harness wind power to produce electricity.
What Is Wind Energy?
Before we answer the question, “what is a wind turbine,” let’s first identify what wind energy is. Wind energy or wind power is a type of energy obtained from the wind. It creates electricity from wind turbines’ kinetic energy.
Wind turbines transform power into electricity using aerodynamic force from the rotor blades, which operate like an airplane wing. When high winds flow across the blade, air pressure from the side of the curved blades decreases.
There is a difference in air pressure across the blades’ two sides. This difference in air pressure on the blade’s two sides helps create lift and drag.
The force of the lift has to be greater than the drag for the rotor to spin. The rotor connects to the generator through a direct drive turbine or a series of gears that can increase the rotation speed.
Wind turbines work to create wind energy, one of the fastest-growing forms of renewable energy. Wind energy usage keeps on being on the rise worldwide. The presence of wind power doubled between 2009 and 2013.
In 2016, wind energy was responsible for 16% of the electricity generated by renewable energy. Various parts of the world have intense wind speeds, but remote locations are the best for generating wind power.
How Do You Make Wind Energy?
Are you thinking of installing a simple wind electric system? It would help if you had your wind energy system installed by someone professional in the field. Set aside money for maintenance costs. Maintenance and proper installation are the primary keys to creating the best wind energy systems.
You can have small turbines if you have a small number of resources. A trustable installer will provide more services like permitting. Remember to identify whether the installer is a legitimately licensed technician.
If your wind energy system proceeds in regular maintenance, a small electric system with small wind turbines may last 20 years.
Annual maintenance should include the items listed below.
- Inspecting and tightening bolts and electrical connections as necessary.
- Examining machines for corrosion and proper tension.
- Checking and replacing any worn-out edge tape on the turbine blades.
- Changing components like the turbine’s blade and bearings as needed.
What Is A Wind Turbine?
Wind turbines work to create electricity from the wind’s kinetic energy. It uses blades to collect kinetic energy from strong winds on the earth’s surface.
Depending on their constant or variable velocity, a wind turbine’s blades can turn between 13-20 revolutions per minute, depending on the wind flow.
What Are The Types Of Wind Turbines?
A wind turbine falls into two primary types: Horizontal-axis turbines and vertical-axis turbines.
Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines
Horizontal axis wind turbines have blades that look like airplane propellers and usually have three blades. This particular turbine can be as tall as 20-story buildings and may have three more than 100 feet long blades.
Taller wind turbines with larger blades can generate more electricity. Almost all wind turbines we see today are horizontal axis turbines.
Vertical Axis Wind Turbines
Vertical axis turbines have blades attached to a rotor’s top and bottom. The most popular type of vertical axis turbine is the Darrieus wind turbine, named after Georges Darrieus, who patented the design in 1931. Vertical axis turbines appear like a giant, two-bladed egg beater.
Some vertical axis wind turbines are 100 feet tall and 50 feet wide. Still, only a few are available today because they don’t perform as well as horizontal axis turbines.
What’s Interesting About Wind Farms?
Wind farms are clustered wind turbines that use a strong wind flow to create large amounts of electricity. They have a lot of wind turbines scattered over a large area.
One of the largest wind farms is the Horse Hollow Wind Energy Center from Texas, which has 422 wind turbines for about 47,000 acres. It is capable of electricity generation of about 735 megawatts.
What Are The Largest Wind Farms In The World?
Most of the largest wind farms are in the United States. Both offshore and onshore wind farms are part of this list.
Jaisalmer Wind Park
Jaisalmer Wind Park is a 1,600-megawatt onshore wind farm in India, developed by Suzlon Energy. This park features a cluster of wind farms in the Jaisalmer district of Rajasthan, India.
Suzlon built the wind farms for clients, including public and private sector companies, power utility providers, and independent power producers. Some customers include Rajasthan State Mines, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation, and CLP India.
Alta Wind Energy Center
Alta Wind Energy Center (AWEC), located in Tehachapi, Kern County, California, is an onshore wind farm with an operational capacity of 1,550MW.
It is also known as Mojave Wind Farm, the second-largest onshore wind energy project globally. Developed by Terra-Gen Power, the company eventually redistributed various development stages to multiple companies.
It’s spread across the foothills of the Tehachapi Mountains in Kern County. If you come across the area, you’ll be able to see turbines installed at altitudes ranging from 3,000ft to 6,000ft above sea level. Locals expect it to supply 1,550MW of renewable energy to Southern California Edison (SCE) for more than 25 years.
Muppandal Wind Farm
Muppandal Wind Farm is the largest onshore wind farm in India. It consists of a cluster of wind farms in India’s Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu. Due to the Western Ghats mountain range, the area around Muppandal receives intense wind speeds for nine months a year.
Muppandal Wind Farm features large turbines from various clients, and tourists may see some of the oldest wind turbines here. Since it receives great wind speed from the Arabian Sea, the turbines here will do a great job generating electricity.
Shepherds Flat Wind Farm
Shepherds Flat Wind Farm is an 845MW onshore wind farm near Arlington in Eastern Oregon, US. It is the fifth biggest wind farm globally.
A wind farm installed by Caithness Energy covers as wide as 30 square miles in Gilliam and Morrow Counties. The renewable energy generated by this farm is enough to generate electricity for 235,000 households. The wind farm’s power output gives energy supply to some areas in Southern California Edison.
Southern California has strong winds because of the pressure from the Southern California coast. The pressure gradient between the high-pressure air from the Great Basin and low-pressure air from the coast generated the massive wind speed in Southern California.
Roscoe Wind Farm
The Germany-based company E.ON Climate and Renewables operates the Roscoe Wind Farm. Seen 45 miles southwest of Abilene in Texas, this is an onshore wind farm covering 400km² of farmland. It comprises 627 giant wind turbines placed 900ft apart from each other.
It was a project built in four phases between 2007 and 2009 until it became operational in October 2009.
Horse Hollow Wind Farm
Horse Hollow Wind Farm is an onshore wind farm located in Taylor and Nolan County, Texas, US. It has 421 wind turbines that cover an area of 47,000 acres.
NextEra Energy Resources owns and operates this 735.5 MW facility.
Capricorn Ridge Wind Farm
Capricorn Ridge Wind Farm, located in Sterling and Coke counties, Texas, USA, is an onshore wind farm operated by NextEra Energy Resources. The construction of this farm consisted of two phases, with the first phase in 2007 and the second in 2008.
Each turbine in the area is more than 260ft-tall from the ground to the hub’s center. The farm can create enough electrical energy for more than 220,000 households.
Walney Extension Offshore Wind Farm
Walney Extension Offshore Wind Farm, seen in the Irish Sea, has an operational capacity of 659MW, making it the world’s second-largest offshore wind farm. This farm is 19km off the shore of Walney Island, covering 145km² in the Irish Sea.
London Array Offshore Wind Farm
The London Array Offshore farm is the largest offshore wind farm globally, with an operational capacity of 630MW. Tourists may see this in the outer Thames Estuary, more than 20km off the coasts of Kent and Essex. It currently ranks as the sixth-largest wind farm.
This offshore wind farm has 175 wind turbines rising to 87m above sea level. Every turbine has a rotor diameter of 120m. The farm can generate electricity for about two-thirds of Kent’s households.
What Are The Parts Of A Wind Turbine?
Wind turbines are sophisticated machines of engineering. Professional installers will assemble the different wind turbine parts on arrival at the wind farm.
Every component of a particular turbine has its characteristics.
Tower
The tower refers to the structure that holds the wind turbine. It supports the nacelle, blades, rotor, and other wind turbine equipment. Wind towers are commonly around 50-120m long and consist of either concrete or reinforced steel.
Towers contain epoxy and urethane layers and a zinc-based finish for ultraviolet resistance. Its average weight is around 40 tonnes, accounting for more than 10% of the total price of a wind turbine.
Rotor
Wind turbines work with the rotor, the rotating component of wind turbines. It comprises three blades and the central part, which serves as the connecting component of the blades.
A rotor transfers the energy from the wind to the shaft. It supports the wind turbine blades while being connected to the gearbox.
Its blades are not fully solid as they are hollow and made of composite material to be strong. They contain airfoil to be aerodynamic to the wind turbine.
A wind turbine doesn’t need three blades as it can have two, four, or another number. However, the three-blade rotor generated the best advantages and efficiency for the wind turbine. Its blades can reach 160 miles per hour when in regular operation.
Nacelle
The nacelle refers to wind turbines’ gearbox, generator, and internal equipment enclosure. It helps protect the wind turbine’s essential components from the surrounding environment.
There are various components for a wind turbine’s stable and healthy operation of the complex electromechanical system. One of the essential parts of a nacelle includes the generator. It supports all the components required to be on the wind turbine top.
Generator
The generator utilizes the mechanical power of the rotor for electrical energy. Some of the most common electrical generators include induction generators (IGs), permanent magnet synchronous generators (PMSGs), and doubly-fed induction generators (DFIGs).
Since a generator has to rotate at a speed corresponding to the frequency of electrical energy, rotation must be faster than the turbine motor. Most generators must operate around 1800 rpm (for 60 Hz) and 1500 rpm (for 50 Hz).
Shaft
The shaft in a wind turbine has two types: low and high speed. The low-speed shaft enables mechanical power transfer from the rotor to the gearbox. On the other hand, a high-speed shaft transfers mechanical energy from the gearbox to the generator.
Pitch
The pitch is the component that enables adjustment of the angle of the blades. The blades’ direction should be in their longitudinal axis to manage the angle of attack according to the wind’s direction.
Controller
The controller serves as the wind turbine’s brain. It monitors the condition of the wind turbine’s blade and manages the pitch systems required to extract optimal wind power.
Anemometer
The anemometer is a sensor responsible for measuring wind speed. Information about wind speed is necessary for tracking maximum power and protection in an emergency.
Wind Vane
A wind vane is a sensor that tracks wind direction and wind flows. Information about wind direction is essential for the yaw control system’s operation.
What Countries Can Harvest Wind Power?
Wind energy is growing exponentially worldwide as countries implement various practices to reduce emissions and limit global warming. Wind power is a cost-effective alternative to burning fossil fuels since it does not emit greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide.
We can now deploy large efficient wind turbines either onshore or offshore. According to a report from Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), a reliable source of wind energy reports, the entire wind turbine industry, including offshore and onshore turbines, totaled 743 gigawatts at the end of 2020.
The list below presents five of the countries that can harvest wind power.
China
China is the world’s largest site for wind energy, totaling over 228 GW at the end of 2020. Over 278 GW of China’s wind energy systems is onshore-based, with the remaining 10 GW offshore-based.
United States
The United States, a perfect country for a holiday home, is in second place in the five countries with the highest wind energy capability. It has around 122 GW of total capacity, and all efficient wind turbines are onshore-based.
Germany
Germany is a popular destination for wind power deployment. It has a wind energy system totaling over 63 GW of installed capacity, split between 55 GW onshore and 7.7 GW offshore wind farms.
India
India is in fourth place in the five countries with the highest wind energy capacity. It has wind energy systems totaling 39 GW, all located onshore. India now doesn’t have enough resources for offshore wind farms.
Spain
Spain is home to over 27 GW of wind energy systems. The use of wind power for electricity generation is widespread in the country. In 2020, it installed large turbines with a capacity of 1.4 GW.
Who Are The Main Manufacturers Of Wind Turbines?
As the demand for wind energy increases, wind turbine manufacturers are blowing away the competition with their technology. Here is a list of the leading manufacturers of wind turbines today.
Siemens Gamesa
Siemens Gamesa is one of the leading manufacturers in the wind power industry. It has a strong presence in all facets of the wind power industry, offshore or onshore.
Siemens has 100+ GW installed capacity of wind turbines in over 80 countries. Both Siemens and Gamesa united to help shape the wind power industry’s landscape and offer lasting value to many stakeholders.
Vestas
Vestas is a company that designs, manufactures, and installs wind turbines across the globe. With more than 100+ GW of wind turbines in 80 countries, Vestas is second for wind power installation.
GE Renewable Energy
GE Renewable Energy is a $10 billion startup that brings many products to the renewable energy industry. Combining offshore and onshore wind, hydro, and technologies like concentrated solar power, GE has installed more than 400+ gigawatts of energy to make the world cleaner.
How Much Wind Energy Can We Produce?
An average wind turbine creates electricity that can generate over 6 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity every year. In 2021, wind energy was the source of 9.2% of the USA’s total electricity generation.
Conclusion
Upon further reading this article, you now have an insight into wind turbines. A wind turbine is a machine that can generate electricity using the wind’s kinetic energy.
The use of wind power is part of efforts to tackle climate change and its harmful impacts. Wind power does not emit toxic gases into the atmosphere when generating electricity, making it an efficient type of energy.
Assuming a wind turbine’s 33% capacity, 402 MW per month, a wind turbine is enough to power 460 homes. A single wind turbine may generate enough electricity in 90 minutes to create electricity for a home.