Wind Energy
Wind energy is simply harnessed from the energy of the air in motion. The uneven heating of the surface of earth is caused by the absorption of the sun’s heat at different rates. So, wind energy is a renewable source as it will remain available as soon as the sun is shining. Firstly, wind mills were used to grind wheat and corn.
These use the old fashioned blades so as to collect the kinetic energy of wind. A lift in blades is caused by the high speed winds blowing over the airfoil shaped blades. It is somewhat similar to the mechanism used by the airplane wings. The shafts connected to these blades move which in turn generated wind energy electricity.
Today, two different kinds of wind energy machines are used namely horizontal axis and vertical axis depending upon the direction of rotation of the shaft. They are available in numerous sizes based upon the usage. The small turbines used to power a single home or a small factory may have the capacity of less than 100 kilowatts.
One can also build their own wind mill search here for great products. We offer wind mill and portable, easy to use wind energy generators. Some are competent enough to produce about 4 volts of current if it is suitably made which is sufficient to light small bulbs or flash light.
A new proposed project is to make the trailing edge of the blades in movable elastic material which possibly will help in controlling its shape and will considerably reduce the dynamic load that come into picture when these are exposed to operation. Also, NASA is going to start testing wind turbines to increase the efficiency.
As the technology is maturing, the global market is taking in hand the harness of wind energy promising longevity, technology and capacity. Contribute to the planet and find the finnest products, charge your ipods, electronics and your home or business now.
Wind energy Conversion
Wind energy is the conversion of the wind into some form which is useful. The most important use of wind energy is the generation of electricity. The electricity from wind is generated with the help of wind turbines.
Wind is nothing but an air in movement. It is produced by the irregular heating of the surface of the earth by the sun. Since the surface of the earth is made up of various types of water bodies and land. Therefore the rate at which it absorbs the heat of the sun is also different. During the daytime the air which is above the level of the ground is heated more quickly than the air above the sea level. The hot air over the ground level rises and expands which is replaced by the cooler and the heavier air. This leads to the formation of winds. During night time the process is reversed as the air over the land becomes cooler than the air above the water.
Working of the machines
These windmills work as they used to work years ago. These machines have blades which rotate due to the pressure of winds in the atmosphere. The mechanical energy of the wind mills is converted into kinetic energy which is then converted into electrical energy. Windmills work in accordance with the pace of the wind. Then blades are linked to a drive beam that rotates an electric initiator for the production of electricity.
Output of energy
The quantity of the generation of wind energy depends on various factors. These factors are:
• The size of the wind turbine.
• Location of the wind turbine.
• Type of the wind turbine.
• Height of the wind turbine.
There are small turbines which are also used for the energy production. These small turbines are fixed on sailboats. These turbines can produce energy up to some hundred of watts (amount of energy utilized to power light bulbs). There are utility-scale wind turbines also. For example the Vestas (V90), it produces power of 3 MW.
Most of the wind energy turbines are installed on the surface of land but the future could also lie offshore. Offshore wind turbines are also there these days.
Types of wind energy machines
Basically there are 2 kinds of wind turbines which are used these days. These are based on the course of the rotating axis. The size of the wind energy turbine varies from place to place. The small turbines are used to power single house a sit has the capacity of producing a little amount of electricity. The turbines used for commercial purposes have the capability of producing 5 MW or five million watts of electrical power. These large turbines are grouped together in the wind farms in order to generate large amount of electricity. There are two types of wind turbines. These are:
• Horizontal axis
• Vertical axis
Production of electricity with the help of wind turbines is purely a natural method which makes it environment friendly. It is cost effective also.
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