The Operation Of Wind Energy Equipment

By John Taylor


Wind is one of the most reliable renewable energy sources that are easy to capture and use. Wind energy equipment is powered by turbines connected to generators to produce electricity. Turbines also comprise of blades that rotate in the presence of moving air. Rotors found in these blades are connected to a generator and facilitate the unlimited production of power.

Turbines resemble fans in design and structure. They however operate differently when compared to usual fans. They utilize moving air to power a generator that produces electricity. Moving air is a form of solar energy that is produced when the atmosphere is heated by the sun. Moving air spreads at varying speeds depending on the topography of a landscape. Flat terrains are the best for tapping moving air.

Turbines usually convert the kinetic power in moving air to mechanical power that produces electricity in the process. Mechanical power has several uses and one of them is to spin a generator. The speed of moving air should be relatively high for mechanical power to be produced in large amounts. This results to high electricity production.

Mills that transform air in motion to electricity are categorized into two classes. This classification is based on how they are mounted on a landscape as well as the type of terrain where they are found. To be precise, a mill can be positioned either horizontally or vertically on a terrain. Mills can also be built on flat landscapes and on water bodies like oceans and lakes. Turbines that are built on large water bodies are called offshore mills.

These machines also have different capabilities based on how they produce electrical power. Regular turbines have a minimum production capacity of one hundred power units in kilowatts. Large ones produce a higher amount of electricity and their capabilities several factors such as terrain type and air velocity. Machines built on relatively flat landscapes have the ability to generate large megawatts of power.

Mills that produce less than one hundred kilowatts are used to power houses, water pumps and telecom dishes. These mills can also be connected to batteries, diesel generators and photovoltaic systems because of the little electric charge that is produced. Small turbines are referred to hybrid moving air systems since they are mostly utilized in remote and off grid places where utility grid connections are scarce.

Electricity that is generated by turbines varies every second when moving air passes. The time variation is normally significant and has minimum effects on the operation of a generator. This variation also depends on the speed of moving air. For example, there are weather seasons when air in motion moves at a very little velocity. Electrical power generation and consumption is however supposed to be balanced to maintain stability of an electric grid.

The wind industry amasses thousands of revenue hence strengthening the economy. The construction of large turbines in flat terrains also receives enormous support in terms of finances to encourage development. More sophisticated mills are also manufactured by mechanical industries to cope up with the large amount of power generated from moving air.




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