subject: How Does Wind Power Work? [print this page] Wind power is an alternative source of energy that is derived from the wind. Alternative sources of energy production, such as windmill and solar systems, have always enjoyed varying degrees of popularity with the masses. The main advantage of using them is, they keep the environment clean and do not put a strain on our rapidly diminishing natural reserves. The energy produced by these systems is clean, 'green', renewable and sustainable.
To add to this, over the years, wind power technology has met with tremendous growth and advancements, resulting in their becoming more user-friendly, less complicated, more affordable and powerful in general. Wind flow is caused by several geographical and environmental factors like the earth's rotation, topographical diversities and the differential heating of the earth's surface by the sun. Wind power solutions basically involve transforming kinetic energy into various other useful forms of energy, chiefly electricity. Let's take a closer look.
Here are some facts about how wind power works
Wind power is primarily derived from two main sources - the traditional windmill system and the modern turbine system. The former is responsible for producing mechanical energy and is widely used for agricultural purposes. Windmills are typically used to harvest the wind resource to generate suitable power to pump water or grind cereals like wheat. The wind turbine system, on the other hand, uses more sophisticated technology and generates electricity.
A wind turbine mechanism can be broadly categorized into the vertical axis type and the horizontal axis type. A typical wind turbine resembles the aircraft propeller blades that turn in the direction of the moving air. This movement, in turn, activates a shaft that is connected to a generator to ultimately produce electricity. The power that is actually generated by these systems is dependant on 2 factors - the size of the turbine and the speed of the wind. Wind energy is directly proportional to the cube of the wind speed. In other words, stronger the wind, more the power generated.
In order to better understand the nature and scope of wind power, it is important to understand how wind energy is generated. Wind flow is a natural phenomenon that is caused due to a number of factors. The sun's rays, as they fall on the earth, heat the surface of the planet in varying degrees. In other words, all the water bodies, landmasses and the air get heated differently according to their varying propensities to absorb heat. Besides, the temperature in the Equatorial region varies greatly from that in the Polar regions.
The warm air at the equator expands and rises allowing cooler air from the Polar regions to flow in to fill up the vacuum. This circulation creates a convectional current which is called the wind. The wind, as it blows across the surface of the planet, carries with it a form of energy that is known as kinetic energy. This energy, when harnessed through suitable means, can be converted into other useful forms of energy like mechanical energy and electricity. This constitutes the essence of wind power. However, the actual application and cost-effectiveness of wind power depends as much on the mechanism to generate it as well as on the quality of the wind blowing in the area.
Should you opt for wind power?
Just like every other form of energy, wind power too has its fair share of advantages and disadvantages. However, the benefits of using wind power are far too many compared to its disadvantages. Wind power solutions for the average household are excellent for cutting down on power bills, staying independent (as far as generating your own power is concerned), and also keeping the environment clean.
Wind power is virtually free and there's no limit to how much power you can generate. There is much comfort to be found also in the thought that by using wind power systems, you are not endangering the environment and are actually helping preserve our precious and already dwindling reserve of natural resources.
However, concerns like noise pollution (generated by the rotor blades), avian mortality (birds getting killed by accidentally flying into the rotors) are still there. But such issues can be easily resolved by locating the plant suitably and through continuous technological developments. All said and done, the popularity of wind power is only increasing day by day as the entire world keeps realizing its many benefits.
Wind power systems, in spite of their getting more user-friendly over the years, still require some degree of expertise. If you are new to wind power systems and are planning to set up one for yourself, take the help of a good step-by-step guide. You will find such a guide very helpful in answering all your questions, in finding the best deals on the equipment and in helping you take the right steps. You need to know how to set it up, where to get the parts and the batteries from and of course the safety precautions.
