Wind turbines are used to generate electrical energy.
They typically are composed of blades, a shaft to support the blades and a generator.
The largest wind turbine on the planet stands at over 600 feet tall with a diameter o over 400 feet wide.
In the United States, there are currently dozens of fully operating wind farms.
You can find wind farms all over the country from California, to Texas and back up to Iowa and Illinois.
Each of these individual wind farms can have up to several hundred separate wind turbines in full operation covering hundreds of square miles.
In between the wind turbines, the land may be used for farming or other uses given the large amount of space.
Also, they are not strictly designed to run on land.
There are also farms with turbines set up offshore in various locations around the world.
Basic Design Types There are 2 kinds, 1) the vertical axis design and 2) the horizontal axis design.
Darrieus, a French aeronautical engineer, invented the vertical axis back in 1931.
The horizontal wind turbine has two to three blades.
This type functions best when it is directly facing the wind.
Wind farms can be found in several states and locations across the mid-west.
How Big Can They Get? Wind turbines vary not only with their designs but also with their sizes.
Small turbines for home use are usually under 100 kilowatts, while larger models used by businesses and the extremely large versions that are now becoming common place, which are usually seen in wind farms across the country.
What Are The Parts Involved? Anemometer - This is a component that measures wind speed.
Rotor blades - The blades act as barriers to the wind.
The force or movement of the oncoming wind causes the blade to move.
Once the blade is moving, this force causes a transfer of energy to the rotor to start the generation of power.
Shaft - The shaft is connected to the rotor.
When the rotor spins (because of the rotation of the blades as mentioned above), the shaft will spin.
Generator - The generator produces electrical voltage.
Voltage is electrical pressure, which moves an electrical current from point a to point b.
A basic generator will be made up of magnets and a conductor.
Brake - Like any other break, this is used to stop the turbines in emergency situations.
This could be a mechanical, electrical, or hydraulic break.
Controller - This dictates the wind speed at which the turbines will start and stop.
Without the ability to start and stop, running at high wind speeds could potentially damage the wind turbine.