How Do Wind Turbines Work

This article covers the topic of "how do wind turbines work", in order to provide a greater understanding on this matter for all.

Firstly you should ask, well which kind of wind turbine are you talking about? as this can greatly affect your answer. It is significant to ask this question as the two main types of wind turbines are horizontal and vertical, and these use the wind in different ways regarding their power process.

Horizontal wind turbines are the more common design, and use angled propeller like blades to create friction when facing the wind, resulting in the spinning motion. The vertical turbine design uses the wind to spin on a center point on the ground, resulting in the whole construction spinning round.

The process of power generation is significantly similar in both designs. The construction only makes a difference in the position of the turbine and generator.

A good way of thinking about the basics of wind power is by comparing a wind turbine to an electric fan. An electric fan uses electricity to create the blowing motion (which is your wind), and a wind turbine works in the opposite direction, of using wind to blow the blades which creates the electricity.

So when the wind turbines blades are spinning, what happens next? Well the blades are attached to a long shaft (in horizontal wind turbines, pictured above). Inside the long pole, the shaft begins to turn which is connected to a generator, and this generates your power.

So there is the basic understanding of how wind turbines work. Wind power generation is a fairly simple process, and many people have had great success in building a home wind turbine from scratch. Wind power is seen as a very good source of natural energy, yet many people still prefer the convenience, and reliability of solar panels, when choosing a renewable energy source for their home.