How do wind Turbines work?

How do wind Turbines work?

We all have fans in our room and we know very well that an electric fan needs electricity to move its blades but in the case of wind turbines which exactly look like a big fan is opposite, wind turbines produce electricity. The wind moves the blade; blades connected to the rotor, rotors start spinning. Now rotors start spinning drive shaft which is connected to the generator. These generator changes wind mechanical energy into electrical energy.  Wind turbines can be seen on farms easily. It produces electricity which is stored and is supplied to the places where it is required.

Have you ever seen a wind turbine? How does it exactly look like? Do you know? If yes then below-given picture must be familiar to you.

Yes, you are correct above two fan looking object is wind turbine. When I were a kid I had many questions about wind turbines in my mind like what are wind turbines? Why are they made or what is its use? Why are they placed in fields?  How are they made?

I think you have same questions like I once had and I’ll be glad to answer those. First, let me tell you what is this fan looking big object name Wind turbine?

Contents

What is Wind Turbine

The wind has energy and that energy is used for the production of electricity for thousands of years. Windmills or wind turbines can be seen on farms easily. When the wind turns the blades of a windmill, it spins the turbine inside a small generator to produce electric power. So, a wind turbine is a machine that helps in the production of electricity like coal and water do.

Why are they built?

They are built to produce enough electricity. You know our farmers and we need electricity to power or charge few machines. A single windmill can produce the only small amount of electricity. For helping no. of farmers power companies build wind farms where lots of wind turbines are placed to produce enough electricity for farmers’ assistance.

How do wind turbines work?

Wind turbines exactly look like a fan. Fan also has 3blades and a wind turbine also has 3blades although there can be more blades in both. Do you know their work is opposite but how?

A fan can move its blade only when you switch on the power plug. The fan uses electricity to give us wind or air. But wind turbines produce electricity for us. They both are so opposite, you see. One is using electricity for producing wind and the other is giving electricity through wind.

Image Credit: builddiyeasy.blogspot.in

It will be amazing to know how wind gets converted into electric energy.

There is a proper system on the basis of which this wind turbine works. When we talk about wind turbine we should know first 3 main parts of this huge machine.

  1. Turbine- the big blades and rotor (hub) make the turbine, as you can see in the picture. These blades are attached to a rotor (hub) which spins as blades turn. When rotor turns, it spins a drive shaft which is connected to the generator inside the place at the top of the tower.
  2. Shaft- shaft is responsible for increasing the speed of spinning blades. It is a kind of gearbox. It helps enough to power the electricity generator.
  3. Generator-this wind energy which is mechanical is changed into electrical with the help of generator through the spinning shaft.

So, it’s very simple the wind turns the blade; blades are connected to the rotor, so rotors also start spinning. Now rotors start spinning drive shaft which is connected to the generator. This generator change winds mechanical energy simply into electrical energy. This is how a wind turbine works and that electricity is supplied to various places.

It was so interesting wind turbines are great, isn’t it? You know what you can make your own little wind turbine and can see more clearly how it works. Are you in a dilemma how to make it? No worry we are here to help you.

How to make Wind turbine?

One can easily make this paper wind turbine. Just follow the given guidelines below-

  • You need a craft paper where wind turbine picture is given already with dotted lines defining from where to cut and fold.
  • Cut the same pictures of tower and blades
  • Now colour those blades and tower
  • Start bending or folding tower delicately following the dotted lines
  • Now fold the blades too following dots, this will help the blades to spin better
  • Attach the blades to the tower
  • Now carefully, poke the dress pin through the centre of the hub that is connecting the three turbine blades together.
  • Now place the bead on the pin, followed by the tower
  • Now carefully hold all the parts in its place by attaching the eraser to the pin at last.
  • Your wind turbine is ready, spin it.

How is wind turbine different from water turbine?

A water turbine is a rotary engine that collects energy from water to produce electricity like wind turbine uses wind energy. Water is used here as a source of electricity, 24% of the world’s electricity is produced by water.

Image Credit: raine-or-shine.com

The basic difference between the wind turbine and water turbine is in its name –Water turbine uses water to produce electricity whereas the wind turbine uses the wind. Wind energy is used in wind turbine. Hydropower is used in water turbine. The process of working is also different.

But in both mechanical energy from the turbine is converted into electrical energy. This energy is stored and used for various purposes.

Have you ever heard the word Dam, this Dam is built to produce hydroelectricity (electricity from water) water is stored and processed further to convert water energy into electrical energy. Above given picture is of a Dam. Both wind turbines and water turbines do same work by producing electricity but are very different in function as well as utilize two different energies.

Now, let’s lit a few bulbs using wind turbine

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